senate, upon seeing a debtor
led to the court, they flew together from all quarters. And neither the
decree of the consul could be heard in consequence of the noise and
clamour, nor, when he had pronounced the decree, did any one obey it.
All was managed by violence, and the entire dread and danger with
respect to personal liberty, was transferred from the debtors to the
creditors, who were severally abused by the crowd in the very sight of
the consul. In addition to all this, the dread of the Sabine war spread,
and when a levy was decreed, nobody gave in his name; Appius being
enraged, and bitterly inveighing against the ambitious arts of his
colleague, who by his popular silence was betraying the republic, and
besides his not passing sentence against the debtors, likewise neglected
to raise the levies, after they had been voted by the senate. Yet he
declared, that "the commonwealth was not entirely deserted, nor the
consular authority altogether debased. That he alone would vindicate
both his own dignity and that of the senators." When a daily mob,
emboldened by licentiousness, stood round him, he commanded a noted
ringleader of the sedition to be apprehended. He, as the lictors were
carrying him off, appealed to the people; nor would the consul have
allowed the appeal, because there was no doubt regarding the judgment of
the people, had not his obstinacy been with difficulty overcome, rather
by the advice and influence of the leading men, than by the clamours of
the people; so much resolution he had to bear the weight of their odium.
The evil gained ground daily, not only by open clamours, but, which was
far more dangerous, by a secession and by secret meetings. At length the
consuls, so odious to the commons, went out of office: Servilius liked
by neither party, Appius highly esteemed by the senators.

28. Then A. Virginius and T. Vetusius enter on the consulship. Upon this
the commons, uncertain what sort of consuls they were to have, held
nightly meetings, some of them upon the Esquiline, and others upon the
Aventine hill, that they might not be confused by hasty resolutions in
the forum, or take their measures inconsiderately and without concert.
The consuls, judging this proceeding to be of dangerous tendency, as it
really was, laid the matter before the senate. But they were not allowed
after proposing it to take the votes regularly; so tumultuously was it
received on all sides by the clamours and indignation of