divination new modes of sacrificing; until a sense of public shame now
reached the leading men of the state, seeing in all the streets and
chapels extraneous and unaccustomed ceremonies of expiation for the
purpose of obtaining the favour of the gods. A charge was then given to
the ædiles, that they should see that no other than Roman gods should be
worshipped, nor in any other manner, save that of the country. Their
resentment against the Veientians was deferred till the following year,
Caius Servilius Ahala and Lucius Papirius Mugillanus being consuls. Then
also superstitious influences prevented the immediate declaration of war
or the armies being sent; they deemed it necessary that heralds should
be first sent to demand restitution. There had been battles fought
lately with the Veientians at Nomentum and Fidenæ; and after that a
truce, not a peace, had been concluded; of which both the time had
expired and they had renewed hostilities before the expiration. Heralds
however were sent; and when, according to ancient usage, they were sworn
and demanded restitution, their application was not listened to. Then
arose a dispute whether a war should be declared by order of the people,
or whether a decree of the senate would be sufficient. The tribunes, by
threatening that they would stop the levy, so far prevailed that the
consuls should take the sense of the people concerning the war. All the
centuries voted for it. In this particular also the commons showed a
superiority by gaining this point, that consuls should not be elected
for the next year.
[Footnote 157: _Fines_. The fines imposed in early times were certain
numbers of sheep or oxen; afterwards it was ordered by law that these
fines should be appraised and the value paid in money. Another law fixed
a certain rate at which the cattle should be estimated, 100 asses for an
ox, 10 for a sheep.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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