cause ever acted in such a way as to adjudge to himself the property
in dispute? That even Scaptius himself would not act so, though he had
now outlived all sense of shame. Thus the consuls, thus the senators
exclaimed; but covetousness, and Scaptius, the adviser of that
covetousness, had more influence. The tribes, when convened, decided
that the district was the public property of the Roman people. Nor can
it be denied that it might have been so, if they had gone to other
judges; but, as it is, the infamy of the decision is not in any
way diminished by the justice of the cause: nor did it appear more
disgraceful or more repulsive to the people of Aricia and of Ardea,
than it did to the Roman senate. The remainder of the year continued
free from disturbances both at home and abroad. [74]

Footnotes:

[Footnote 1: The ager publicus or public land consisted of the landed
estates which had belonged to the kings, and were increased by land
taken from enemies who had been captured in war. The patricians had
gained exclusive occupation of this, for which they paid a nominal
rent in the shape of produce and tithes: the state, however, still
retained the right of disposal of it. By degrees the ager publicus
fell into the hands of a few rich individuals, who were continually
buying up smaller estates, which were cultivated by slaves, thus
reducing the number of free agricultural labourers.]

[Footnote 2: Directly, rather than by lot as was usual.]

[Footnote 4: In later times the censor performed this office.--D.O.]

[Footnote 5: This decree was practically a bestowal of absolute
power.--D.O.]

[Footnote: In later times the proconsul was the consul of the previous
year, appointed to act as such over one of the provinces.--D.O.]

[Footnote 7: This gate was on the west side, in the rear, farthest
from the enemy: it was so called from the decumanus, a line drawn from
east to west, which divided the camp into two halves: see note in
revised edition of Prendeville's Livy.]

[Footnote 8: August 1st]

[Footnote 9: The consular year, not the civil one, which began in
January: the time at which the consuls entered upon office varied very
much until B.C. 153, when it was finally settled that the date of
their doing so should be January 1st.]

[Footnote 10: Called "Via Praenestina" beyond Gabii.]

[Footnote 11: That is, broke up camp.--D.O.]

[Footnote 12: The people of Rome had been divided in early times into
thirty c