Curiosities & wonders > Titus Livius' Roman history

TITUS LIVIUS*
4-48
Book V.
that it had been better Veii had never been taken, than
Home be thus deserted.
As the Patricians abstained from all violence, and on-
Iv employed prayers and entreaties upon this occasion,
which they mingled with frequent mention of the gods,
it became a point of religion with most of the tribes, so
that the law was rejected, thoughMt was only by ai ma¬
jority of one of the tribes. The senate were so overjoy¬
ed at this victory, that the next day, upon a motion
made by the consuls, the senate enacted, that seven acres
of the lands of Veii should be assigned to each commoner;
not only to every father of a family,' but to every single
person of free condition in his family, as an inducement
to them to marry and bring up children.
CHAP. XXXI.
New enemies start up against Rome. A. R. 360.
r HE people wore so sensible of this obligation, that they
suffered the comitia to be held for electing consuls, with¬
out the least opposition. The fasces were accordingly
transferred to L. Valerius Potitus, and M. Manlius, who
afterwards gotthe sirname of Capitolinus. These consuls
celebrated the great games which M. Furius had vowed,
when dictator in the Vejentian war.
This year also, the temple of queen Juno, vowed by
the same dictator, during the same war, was dedicated ;
when, by all accounts, the zeal of the Roman ladies
rendered the ceremony particularly splendid. With the
j£qui there was an action at the Algidos, but of no great
consideration, as the enemy were routed almost before
they had struck a stroke: Valeriush’ad a triumph decreed
him, because he pursued the enemy farther, and did
more execution than Manlius, who was only honoured
with an ovation.
In this same year, anew war broke out with the Volsi-
nienses, against whom no new army could be led, because
a famine and pestilence, occasioned by an excessive hot
and dry season, then raged in the Roman territory.
This gave the Volsinienses so much assurance, that in