nted readily, (so
keenly did these states vie in inveterate hatred against the Romans,)
preparations for war were made with the utmost vigour. The Hernicians
came to the knowledge of it, and warned the Romans that the Ecetrans had
revolted to the AEquans; the colony of Antium also was suspected, because
when the town was taken, a great number of the inhabitants had fled
thence for refuge to the AEquans: and these proved the bravest soldiers
during the war with the AEquans. Afterwards the AEquans being driven into
the towns, this rabble withdrawing privately, when they returned to
Antium, seduced from the Romans the colonists who were already disposed
to treachery of their own accord. The matter not being yet ripe, when it
was announced to the senate that a defection was intended, the consuls
were charged to inquire into the business by summoning to Rome the
leading men of the colony. When those persons attended without
reluctance, being conducted to the senate by the consuls, they so
answered to the questions put to them, that they were dismissed more
suspected than they had come. Upon this war was considered as
inevitable. Spurius Fusius, one of the consuls to whom that province had
fallen, having marched against the AEquans, found the enemy committing
depredations in the country of the Hernicians; and being ignorant of
their numbers, because they had never been seen all together, he rashly
hazarded an engagement with an army not a match for their forces. Being
beaten from his ground at the first onset, he betook himself to his
camp: nor was that an end of the danger: for both on the next night and
the following day, his camp was beset and assaulted with such vigour,
that not even a messenger could be sent from thence to Rome. The
Hernicians brought an account both that a defeat had taken place, and
that the army was besieged: and they struck such terror into the senate,
that a charge was given to the other consul Posthumius, that he should
"take care that the commonwealth sustained no injury,"[107] which form
of a decree has ever been deemed to be one of extreme exigency. It
seemed most advisable that the consul himself should remain at Rome to
enlist all who were able to bear arms: that Titus Quintius should be
sent as pro-consul[108] to the relief of the camp with the army of the
allies: to complete that army the Latins and Hernicians, and the colony
of Antium, were ordered to supply Quintius with subitary soldiers (s