allies, and was therefore lowered in the estimation of his countrymen,
commanded, in order that by another gift he might win the affections
of the citizens, that the money received for the Sicilian corn should
be refunded to the people. That, however, the people spurned as
nothing else than a ready money bribe for regal authority: so
uncompromisingly were his gifts rejected, as if there was abundance of
everything, in consequence of their inveterate suspicion that he was
aiming at sovereign power. As soon as he went out of office, it is
certain that he was condemned and put to death. There are some
who represent that his father was the person who carried out the
punishment: that he, having tried the case at home, scourged him and
put him to death, and consecrated his son's private property to Ceres;
that out of this a statue was set up and inscribed, "Presented out of
the property of the Cassian family." In some authors I find it stated,
which is more probable, that a day was assigned him to stand his
trial for high treason, by the quaestors,[50] Caeso Fabius and Lucius
Valerius, and that he was condemned by the decision of the people;
that his house was demolished by a public decree: this is the spot
where there is now an open space before the Temple of Tellus.[51]
However, whether the trial was held in private or public, he was
condemned in the consulship of Servius Cornelius and Quintus Fabius.
The resentment of the people against Cassius was not lasting. The
charm of the agrarian law, now that its proposer was removed, of
itself entered their minds: and their desire of it was further kindled
by the meanness of the senators, who, after the Volscians and Æquans
had been completely defeated in that year, defrauded the soldiers of
their share of the booty; whatever was taken from the enemy, was sold
by the consul Fabius, and the proceeds lodged in the public treasury.
All who bore the name of Fabius became odious to the commons on
account of the last consul: the patricians, however, succeeded in
getting Cæso Fabius elected consul with Lucius Æmilius. The commons,
still further aggravated at this, provoked war abroad by exciting
disturbance at home;[52] in consequence of the war civil dissensions
were then discontinued. Patricians and commons uniting, under the
command of Æmilius, overcame the Volscians and Æquans, who renewed
hostilities, in a successful engagement. The retreat, however,
destroyed more of the enemy than the battle; so perseveringly did the
cavalry pursue them when routed. During the same year, on the ides of
July,[53]the Temple of Castor was dedicated: it had been vowed during
the Latin war in the dictatorship of Postumius: his son, who was
elected duumvir for that special purpose, dedicated it.
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