The Volscians, indeed, bade him welcome right heartily; and their
goodwill towards him increased when they perceived what wrath he bore
against his native country. His host was a certain Attius Tullus, than
whom there was none among the Volscians either more powerful or more
hostile to Rome. So the two held counsel together how they might stir
up war. They knew, indeed, that the people could not easily be moved to
that which they had tried so often with ill success. For their spirits
were broken not only with many defeats which they had suffered in time
past from the men of Rome, but also from pestilence, which had of late
sorely troubled them. Nevertheless Attius had good hopes that he
might yet kindle their anger against the Romans; and this indeed he
accomplished, as shall now be told.
It chanced that in that year the great games at Rome were celebrated a
second time; and the reason why they were celebrated a second time
was this. On the day of the first celebration, early in the morning,
a certain householder drave one of his slaves through the marketplace,
beating him with rods. Afterwards the games began, and no man thought
that aught was amiss. But no long time after a certain Atinius, a man of
the people, dreamed a dream. He saw Jupiter, who spake to him saying,
"I liked not him that danced the first dance at my Games. Unless they be
celebrated again, and that right splendidly, there will be danger to the
city. And do thou go and tell this to the Consuls." Now the man was not
careless of the Gods, nevertheless because he stood in great fear of the
Consuls he went not, lest he should be laughed to scorn for idle words.
But this delay cost him dearly, for within a few days his son died.
And that he might not doubt what this great trouble might mean, the god
appeared to him yet again in a dream. "Hast thou had wages enough for
thy neglect of that which I commanded? Verily, thou shalt receive
yet more if thou tell not the matter straightway to the Consuls."
Nevertheless, though the matter was now more urgent, yet the man
delayed, and there fell upon him suddenly a great sickness and weakness.
Thereupon he called his kinsfolk together to counsel, and told them
all that he had seen and heard, how Jupiter had appeared to him in his
dream, and had threatened him with punishment, and what had thereupon
ensued When they heard these things, all with one consent agreed that
the man should be carried straightway in a litter to the market-place
into the presence of the Consuls. The Consuls commanded that he should
be taken into the senate-house, where, being set down, he related all
that had been told, to the great wonder of the Fathers. And when he
had finished speaking, lo! there followed another marvel. His sickness
departed from him in a moment, so that he that had been brought into the
senate-house without power to move any limb, now, having fulfilled the
command of the god, returned upon his feet to his own home.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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