y by advancing the public weal. That both a plurality of
tribunes, if there were need of such plurality, would be ready to assist
the consuls; and that even one would be sufficient against all. Only let
the consuls and leading members of the senate take care to gain over, if
not all, at least some of the tribunes, to the commonwealth and the
senate." The senators, convinced by the counsels of Appius, both
collectively addressed the tribunes with kindness and civility, and the
men of consular rank, according as each possessed personal influence
over them individually, partly by conciliation, partly by authority,
prevailed so far as to make them consent that the powers of the
tribunitian office should be beneficial to the state; and by the aid of
four tribunes against one obstructor of the public good, the consuls
complete the levy. They then set out to the Veientian war, to which
auxiliaries had flocked from all parts of Etruria, collected not so much
for the sake of the Veientians, as because they had formed a hope that
the Roman state might be destroyed by internal discord. And in the
councils of all the states of Etruria the leading men openly stated,
"that the Roman power was eternal, unless they were distracted by
disturbances among themselves. That this was the only poison, this the
bane discovered for powerful states, to render great empires mortal.
That this evil, a long time retarded, partly by the wise measures of the
patricians, partly by the forbearance of the commons, had now proceeded
to extremities. That two states were now formed out of one: that each
party had its own magistrates, its own laws. That though at first they
were accustomed to be turbulent during the levies, still that these same
individuals had ever been obedient to their commanders during war; that
military discipline being still retained, no matter what might be the
state of the city, it had been possible to withstand the evil; that now
the custom of not obeying their superior followed the Roman soldier even
to the camp. That in the last war in the very field, in the very heat of
battle, by consent of the army the victory was voluntarily surrendered
to the vanquished AEqui: that the standards were deserted, the general
abandoned on the field, and that the army had returned to the camp
without orders. That without doubt, if perseverance were used, Rome
might be conquered by her own soldiery. That nothing else was necessary
than to declare and