Such was the engagement at the lake Regillus. The dictator and
master of the horse returned to the city in triumph.

[Footnote 82: By giving up the advantage of their horses, and forgetting
their superiority of rank.]

21. For the next three years there was neither settled peace nor open
war. The consuls were Q. Claelius and T. Lartius. After them A.
Sempronius and M. Minucius. In their consulship, a temple was dedicated
to Saturn, and the Saturnalia appointed to be kept as a festival. Then
A. Postumius and T. Virginius were chosen consuls. In some authors I
find that the battle at the lake Regillus was not fought till this year,
and that A. Postumius, because the fidelity of his colleague was
suspected, laid down his office, and thereupon was created dictator.
Such great mistakes of dates perplex one with the history of these
times, the magistrates being arranged differently in different writers,
that you cannot determine what consuls succeeded certain consuls,[83]
nor in what particular year every remarkable action happened, by reason
of the antiquity, not only of the facts, but also of the historians.
Then Ap. Claudius and P. Servilius were elected consuls. This year was
remarkable for the news of Tarquin's death. He died at Cumae, whither he
had fled to the tyrant Aristodemus, after the reduction of the power of
the Latins. The senate and people were elated by this news. But with the
senators their satisfaction was too extravagant, for by the chief men
among them oppression began to be practised on the people to whom they
had to that day been attentive to the utmost of their power. The same
year the colony which king Tarquin had sent to Signia was recruited by
filling up the number of the colonists. The tribes at Rome were
increased to twenty-one. And the temple of Mercury was dedicated the
fifteenth of May.

[Footnote 83: Qui consules secundum quosdam, who were the consuls that
came after certain consuls.]

22. During the Latin war, there had been neither peace nor war with the
nation of the Volscians; for both the Volscians had raised auxiliary
troops to send to the Latins had not so much expedition been used by the
Roman dictator, and the Roman employed this expedition that he might not
have to contend in one and the same battle with the Latin and the
Volscian. In resentment of this, the consuls marched their army into the
Volscian territory; the unexpected proceeding alarmed the Volscians, who
dreaded no cha