the State, as it almost seemed) came
to grief. They all held sway at once on equal terms and chose from
among the patricians some most brazen youths, through whom, as their
agents, they committed many acts of violence. At last, toward the end
of the year, they compiled a few additional statutes written upon two
tablets, all of which were the product of their own individual
judgment. From these not harmony, but greater disputes, were destined
to fall to the lot of the Romans.

The so-called twelve tablets were thus created at that time. But
besides doing this the lawgivers in question, when their year of
office had expired, still maintained control of affairs, occupying the
city by force; and they would not convene the senate nor the people,
lest, if they came together, they should depose them. And when the
AEqui and the Sabines now stirred up war against the Romans, these
officials by arrangement with their adherents gained their object of
having the conduct of the wars entrusted to them. Of the decemvirate
Servius Oppius and Appius Claudius remained at home: the other eight
set out against the enemy.

Absolutely all [Sidenote: FRAG. 22^3] THE INTERESTS, however, OF STATE
AND CAMP ALIKE WERE THROWN INTO CONFUSION, AND HENCE CONTENTION AGAIN
AROSE. The leaders of the force had invaded the land of the Sabines
and sent a certain Lucius Sicius, who was accounted a strong tower in
warfare and likewise one of the most prominent representatives of the
populace, with companions, avowedly to seize a certain position; but
they had the man slain by the party that had been sent out with him.
The report was brought into camp that the man with others had been
killed by the foe, and the soldiers went out to gather up the dead
bodies. They found not one corpse belonging to the enemy but many of
their own race, whom Sicius had killed in his own defence when they
attacked him. And when they saw that the dead were lying all around
him and had their faces turned toward him, they suspected what had
been done and furthermore raised a tumult.--There was still another
incident that had a bearing on the situation.

Lucius Virginius, a man of the people, had a daughter of surpassing
beauty whom he intended to bestow in marriage upon Lucius Icilius,[12]
a person of similar rank in society. For this maiden Claudius
conceived a passion, and not otherwise able to attain his ends he
arranged with certain men to declare her a slave: he was to be t