Curiosities & wonders > Titus Livius' Roman history

TITUS LIVIUS’
426
Book V.
ed several light armed cohorts to ravage the Roman
lands.
They flattered themselves that the Romans would suf¬
fer this injury to pass with impunity, not to burden them¬
selves with a new war, or at least resent it so feebly, that
they would obtain an easy victory. The Romans were
not so much concerned about their depredations, as they
were enraged at the baseness of the action. For which
reason they made no great preparations to make sure of
their revenge; nor did they long defer it.
A. Posthumius, and L. Julius, being prevented from
making a levy in form by the interposition of the tri¬
bunes, got together an army of volunteers, whom they
had engaged by their persuasions, and striking obliquely
through the country of the Caere, surprised the Tarqui-
nienses on their return from pillaging, laden with plun-
deri Many were killed on the spot; and they were alt
eased of their burdens.
The Romans having recovered the plunder of their
lands, returned to Rome. The sufferers had two days
allowed them to pick out what belonged to them; on the
third, such effects as were not claimed, as belonging foe
the most part to the enemy, were sold at public vendue,
and the proceeds divided among the soldiers. The event
of the other wars, especially that with the Vejentes, was
still very uncertain. And the Romans depending now
no longer on human resources, relied entirely on fate and
the gods. When the deputies returned from Delphi
with the answer of that oracle, it agreed exactly with
the prisoners report. It ran as follows : ‘ By all means,
‘ Romans, drain the lake of Alba, but take care that the
* water reach not the sea, in one continued stream ; car-
' ry it off by small detached drains, till it insensibly lose
‘ itself in the ground: then push on the siege with vi-
* gour, and remember, that those very fates, whose de-
‘ crees are now revealed, give you the victory over a
* city, which” you have been besieging for so many
* years. When the war is finished, and you victorious,
* bring a large present to my temple ; and see to re-es-
‘ tablish the religious rites of your country, with the
* usual ceremonies that have been neglected.1