believing what they had heard
the king say, fought with the greater ardour. The alarm is now
transferred to the enemy; they had both heard what had been pronounced
so audibly, and a great part of the Fidenates, as having been joined as
colonists to the Romans, understood Latin. Therefore, that they might
not be intercepted from the town by a sudden descent of the Albans from
the hills, they take to flight. Tullus presses forward, and having
routed the wing of the Fidenates, returned with greater fury against the
Veientes, disheartened by the panic of the others: nor did they sustain
his charge; but the river, opposed to them behind, prevented a
precipitate flight. Whither when their flight led, some, shamefully
throwing down their arms, rushed blindly into the river; others, while
they linger on the banks, doubting whether to fly or fight, were
overpowered. Never before had the Romans a more desperate battle.

[Footnote 41: The part which he reserves for himself and the Albans is
to play the traitors to Tullus in the hour of need, wearing meanwhile
the mark of friendship to Rome.]

[Footnote 42: The fact is, that the subject population rose up against
the Roman colonists, drove them out of the town, and asserted their
independence. Nieb. i. 24. 5.]

[Footnote 43: The Tiber and the Anio.]

[Footnote 44: _Erigit_--"he makes it halt," from the French _faire
alte_, or formerly _haut_, because soldiers then stand upright and hold
their spears erect.]

28. Then the Alban army, that had been spectators of the fight, was
marched down into the plains. Mettus congratulates Tullus on his defeat
of the enemy; Tullus on his part addresses Mettus with great civility.
He orders the Albans to unite their camp with the Romans, which he
prayed might prove beneficial to both; and prepares a sacrifice of
purification for the next day. As soon as it was light, all things being
in readiness, according to custom, he commands both armies to be
summoned to an assembly. The heralds,[45] beginning at the outside,
summoned the Albans first. They, struck[46] too with the novelty of the
thing, in order to hear the Roman king harangue, crowded next to him.
The Roman legions, under arms, by concert surrounded them; a charge had
been given to the centurions to execute their orders without delay. Then
Tullus begins as follows: "Romans, if ever before at any other time in
any war there was (an occasion) on which you should return thanks, first
to t