Curiosities & wonders > Titus Livius' Roman history

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TITUS L1VIUS'
Book II.
one of that fathily, they would certainly have paid the
compliment to his father Valerius, who had been consul,
aud given proofs of his merit.
When the dictator was first created at Ronie, and the
people saw the axes carried before him, they were struck
with prodigious awe, and became very submissive and
obedient. For it was not now, as under the consular
government, wher6, the power being equal, they might
have influence on one of them; or, at any rate, appeal
to the people. Here there was no alternative, but ab¬
solute submission and obedience. The Sabines too, were
not without their fears, when they heard that a dictator
was created at Rome, more especially being persuaded,
that they were the pbject against whom he was pointed.
Wherefore they sent ambassadors to sue for peace, re-
questing of the dictator and senate, that they would par¬
don the folly of the youth. They received for answeo
that they could easily forgive the folly of the young men,
but the petulance of the old, who were constantly hatch¬
ing one war after another, could not so easily be over¬
looked. They continued however, their negotiations
about a peace, which would at last have been conclud¬
ed, had the Sabines thought proper to comply with a
demand of reimbursing the Romans in the expence they
had been at in their preparations for war. War was
accordingly proclaimed, but a truce privately concluded
kept all quiet for that year.
CHAP. XIX.
War with the Latins.
T[ HE consuls were Servius Sulpitius, and Manius Tul-
lus; but during their administration, nothing remarkable
happened. They were succeeded by T. iEbutius, and
■0. Veturius. During theii; consulship, Fideuae was be¬
sieged, Crustumefia taken • and from the Latins, Prte-
jneste revolted to the Romans. Upon this, the war
with the Latins, which had been gathering for some
years, immediately broke out. The dictator, A. Post-
humius, and his general of the h6r^e, marching at the
head of a numerous arrriy of horse fend foot to' the lake