ear more
than any other nation. They once lost their city at their hands, and
afterwards passed a law that the priests should be exempt from all
military service, except in case of another war with Gaul. Their alarm
was shown both by their preparations (for it is said that never before
or since were there so many thousand Romans under arms), and by their
extraordinary sacrifices. For though they never observe the barbarous
ceremonies of foreigners, but as far as possible are humane and like
the Greeks in their religion, on the outbreak of this war they were
compelled to follow certain prophecies in the Sibylline books, and
bury alive two Greeks, a man and a woman, and likewise two Gauls, in
the place called the Cattle Market: and in accordance with these
prophecies they still up to this day in the month of November perform
religious mysteries, which may not be seen or spoken of by either
Greeks or Gauls.

IV. At the beginning of the war the Romans were some times victorious
and sometimes defeated, without coming to any decisive action, until
the consulate of Flaminius and Furius, who led a great army against
the Insubrians. Then the river that passes through Picenum ran blood,
and it was said that three moons were seen at the city of Ariminum,
and the augurs, who watch the omens at the consular elections,
declared that the appointment of these consuls was wrong and of evil
omen for the people. Hereupon the Senate immediately sent despatches
to the camp recalling the consuls, that they might as soon as possible
return and lay down their office and so undertake nothing as consuls
against the enemy. Flaminius, when he received these despatches, did
not open them before he had routed the barbarians in battle and
overrun their country. So when he returned to Rome loaded with spoil,
the people did not go out to meet him, but, because he had not at once
obeyed his orders, and had treated them with insolent contempt, very
nearly refused him his triumph, and after the triumph reduced him to a
private station, forcing both him and his colleague to give up their
office. So much regard had the Romans for religion, that they would
not on occasions of the greatest good fortune overlook any neglect of
the prophecies and customs of their ancestors, holding it more
important for the safety of the state that their generals should
reverence the gods than that they should conquer the enemy.

V. As an example of this, Tiberius Sempronius,