vancing against them in arms.
They march to Aricia with a determined army, come to an engagement not
far from thence, and in one battle put an end to the war.

27. After the defeat of the Auruncians, the people of Rome, victorious
in so many wars within a few days, were expecting the promises of the
consul and the engagement of the senate (to be made good). But Appius,
both through his natural pride, and in order to undermine the credit of
his colleague, issued his decrees regarding borrowed money, with all
possible severity. And from this time, both those who had been formerly
in confinement were delivered up to their creditors, and others also
were taken into custody. When this happened to a soldier, he appealed to
the colleague, and a crowd gathered about Servilius: they represented to
him his promises, severally upbraided him with their services in war,
and with the scars they had received. They loudly called upon him to lay
the matter before the senate, and that, as consul, he would relieve his
fellow citizens, as a general, his soldiers. These remonstrances
affected the consul, but the situation of affairs obliged him to back
out; so completely had not only his colleague, but the whole body of the
patricians, adopted an entirely opposite course. And thus, by acting a
middle part, he neither escaped the odium of the people, nor gained the
favour of the senators. The fathers looked upon him as a weak,
popularity-hunting consul, and the people considered him as a deceiver.
And it soon appeared that he was as odious to them as Appius himself. A
dispute had happened between the consuls, as to which should dedicate
the temple of Mercury. The senate referred the affair from themselves to
the people, and ordained that to whichsoever of them the dedication
should be granted by order of the people, he should preside over the
markets, establish a company of merchants, and perform the functions of
a pontifex maximus. The people gave the dedication of the temple to M.
Laetorius, the centurion of the first legion, that it might plainly
appear to have been done not so much out of respect to a person on whom
an honour above his rank had been conferred, as to affront the consuls.
Upon this one of the consuls particularly, and the senators, were highly
incensed. But the people had acquired courage, and proceeded in a manner
quite different from what they had at first intended. For when they
despaired of redress from the consuls and