chief
magistrates, should be attacked; you will diminish not your rights,
but the odium against you. Confer with your colleague that he may
postpone this business till the arrival of the consuls, to be then
discussed afresh; even the AEquans and the Volscians, when our consuls
were carried off by pestilence last year, did not harass us with a
cruel and tyrannical war." The tribunes conferred with Terentilius,
and the bill being to all appearance deferred, but in reality
abandoned, the consuls were immediately sent for.

Lucretius returned with immense spoil, and much greater glory; and
this glory he increased on his arrival, by exposing all the booty in
the Campus Martius, so that each person might, for the space of three
days, recognise what belonged to him and carry it away; the remainder,
for which no owners were forthcoming, was sold. A triumph was by
universal consent due to the consul; but the matter was deferred, as
the tribune again urged his law; this to the consul seemed of greater
importance. The business was discussed for several days, both in the
senate and before the people: at last the tribune yielded to the
majesty of the consul, and desisted; then their due honour was paid to
the general and his army. He triumphed over the Volscians and AEquans;
his troops followed him in his triumph. The other consul was allowed
to enter the city in ovation[15]unaccompanied by his soldiers.

In the following year the Terentilian law, being brought forward
again by the entire college, engaged the serious attention of the new
consuls, who were Publius Volumnius and Servius Sulpicius. In that
year the sky seemed to be on fire, and a violent earthquake took
place: it was believed that an ox spoke, a phenomenon which had not
been credited in the previous year: among other prodigies there was a
shower of flesh, which a large flock of birds is said to have carried
off by pecking at the falling pieces: that which fell to the ground
is said to have lain scattered about just as it was for several days,
without becoming tainted. The books were consulted[16] by the duumviri
for sacred rites: dangers of attacks to be made on the highest
parts of the city, and of consequent bloodshed, were predicted as
threatening from an assemblage of strangers; among other things,
admonition was given that all intestine disturbances should be
abandoned.[17] The tribunes alleged that that was done to obstruct the
law, and a desperate contest was