he French say, _great
and short_. For entering the field with strong armies, they brought to a
speedy conclusion whatever wars they had with the Latins, the Samnites,
or the Etruscans.

And if we take note of all the wars in which they were engaged, from the
foundation of their city down to the siege of Veii, all will be seen to
have been quickly ended some in twenty, some in ten, and some in no more
than six days. And this was their wont: So soon as war was declared they
would go forth with their armies to meet the enemy and at once deliver
battle. The enemy, on being routed, to save their country from pillage,
very soon came to terms, when the Romans would take from them certain
portions of their territory. These they either assigned to particular
persons, or made the seat of a colony, which being settled on the
confines of the conquered country served as a defence to the Roman
frontier, to the advantage both of the colonists who had these lands
given them, and of the Roman people whose borders were thus guarded at
no expense to themselves. And no other system of defence could have been
at once so safe, so strong, and so effectual. For while the enemy were
not actually in the field, this guard was sufficient; and when they came
out in force to overwhelm the colony, the Romans also went forth in
strength and gave them battle; and getting the better of them, imposed
harder terms than before, and so returned home. And in this way they
came gradually to establish their name abroad, and to add to their
power.

These methods they continued to employ until they changed their system
of warfare, which they did during the siege of Veii; when to enable them
to carry on a prolonged war, they passed a law for the payment of their
soldiers, whom, up to that time they had not paid, nor needed to pay,
because till then their wars had been of brief duration. Nevertheless,
while allowing pay to their soldiers that they might thus wage longer
wars, and keep their armies longer in the field when employed on distant
enterprises, they never departed from their old plan of bringing their
campaigns to as speedy an end as place and circumstances allowed, nor
ever ceased to plant colonies.

Their custom of terminating their wars with despatch, besides being
natural to the Romans, was strengthened by the ambition of their
consuls, who, being appointed for twelve months only, six of which they
had to spend in the city, were eager to bring the