Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 18, RHI-SCR

ROM [i
Rome. ced to this fecond ftation in the republic. Lartius, hav-
jng by this means fecured the Roman knights, relblved,
in the next place, to make the people refpect and fear
him. With this view he never appeared in public, with¬
out being attended by 24 lidfors, to whofe fafces he a-
gain added the axes which Poplicola Irad caufed to be
taken from them. The novelty of this fight was alone
fufficient to awe the feditious, and, without executions,
to fpread confternation throughout Rome. The murmurs
of the inferior claffes being by this means filenced, the
diftator commanded a cenfus to be taken, according to
the inftitution of King S'ervius. Every one, without ex¬
ception, brought in his name, age, the particulars of his
Number of eftate, &c. and there appeared to be in Rome 150,700
the Ro- men who were paft the age of puberty. Out of thefe
mans. the didlator formed four armies: the firft he command¬
ed himfelf; the fecond he gave to Cloelius his late col¬
league j the third to Sp. Caffius his general of the horfe;
and the fourth he left in Rome, under the command
of his brother Sp. Lartius, who was to guard the city.
The Latins not being fo forward in their preparations
as was expedited, all their hoftilities againft Rome this
campaign amounted to no more than the fending a de¬
tachment into the Roman territory to lay it wafte. The
dictator gained fome advantage over that party 5 and
the great humanity with which he treated the prifon-
ers and wounded, difpofed the Latins to liften the more
readily to the overtures which he at the fame time made
them for a fufpenfion of hoftilities. At length a truce
was agreed on for a year ; and then Lartius, feeing
the republic reftored to its former tranquillity, refigned
the diftatonhip, though the time appointed for its du¬
ration was not yet expired.
The following confulfhip of Sempronius Atratinus
and Minutius Angurinus, produced nothing memora¬
ble. But the next year the truce expired, when
Aulus Pofthumius and T. Virginius took pofleftion of
the confulfhip. Both Romans and Latins were bufied
in making the neceffary preparations for wfar. The
nobility of Latium, who were for the moft part in the
intereft of the Tarquins, having found means to ex¬
clude the citizens from the Latin diets, carried all
before them in thofe afiemblies: whereupon many of
the citizens removed with their families to Rome, where
they were well received. The Latins being bent up¬
on war, the fenate, notwithftanding the perfeft har¬
mony that reigned between them and the people,
thought it expedient to create a dictator. The two
confuls were therefore empowered to name one of them-
felves to that dignity whereupon Virginius readily
yielded it to his colleague Pofthumius, as the more able
commander. The new diflator, having created iEbu-
tius Elva his general of the horfe, and divided his army
into four bodies, left one of them, under the command
of Sempronius, to guard the city; and with the other
three, commanded by himfelf, Virginius, and Aibu-
tius, marched out againft the Latins, who, with an
army of 40.000 foot and 3000 horfe, under the com¬
mand of Sextus Tarquinius, Titus Tarquinius, and
Mamilius, had already made themfelves mafters of Cor-
bio, a ftrong-hold belonging to the republic, and put
R the garrifon to the fword. Pofthumius encamped in
Battle of t^ie nigh*- on a fteep hill near the lake Regillus, and
Regillus, Virginius on another hill over-againft him. Aibutius
was ordered to march fiiently in the night, with the
35 J ROM
cavalry and light-armed infantry, to take pofieflion of Rome,
a third hill upon the road by which provilions mult be —v—
brought to the Latins.
Before zEbutius had fortified his new camp, he was
vigoroufly attacked by Lucius Tarquinius, whom he
repulfed three times with great lofs, the didlator hav¬
ing fent him a timely reinforcement. After this, AE-
butius intercepted two couriers fent by the Volfci to
the Latin generals, and, by letters found upon them,
difeovered, that a conliderable army of the Volfci and
Herniei were to join the Latin forces in three days.
Upon this intelligence, Pofthumius drew his three bo¬
dies of troops together, which amounted in all to no
more than 24,000 foot and ICOO horfe, with a defign
to engage the enemy before the arrival of the fuccours
they expedled. Accordingly he encouraged his men,
and, with his army in battle-array, advanced to the
place where the enemy was encamped. The Latins,
who were much fuperior to the Romans in numbers,
and befides began to want provifions, did not decline the
engagement. Titus Tarquinius, at the head of the
Roman exiles and deferters, was in the centre, Mami¬
lius in the right wing, and Sextus Tarquinius in the
left. In the Roman army the diftator commanded in
the centre, AEbutius in the left wing, and Virginius in
the right.
The firft body which advanced was that of the dic¬
tator; and, as foon as it began to march, T. Tar¬
quinius, Tingling out the di£lator, ran full fpeed againll
him. The didlator did not decline the encounter, but,
flying at his adverfary, wounded him with a javelin in
the right fide. Upon this, the firft; line of the Latins
advanced to cover their general; but he being carried
out of the field, they made but a faint refiftanee when
charged by the troops of the di&ator. They were de-
ftitute of a leader; and therefore began to retire, when
Sextus Tarquinius, taking the place of !ik> brother,
brought them back to the charge, and renewed the
fight with fuch vigour, that the victory in the centre
was ftill doubtful. On the fide of Mamilius and AEbu-
tius, both parties, encouraged by tile example of their
leaders, fought with incredible bravery and refolution.
After a long and bloody conteft, the two generals
agreed to determine the doubtful vidfory by a fingle
combat. Accordingly the champions puftied on their
horfes againft each other. zEbutius with his lance
wounded Mamilius in the breaft; and Mamilius with
his fword zEbutius in the right arm. Neither of the
wounds were mortal; but, both generals falling from
their horfes, put an end to the combat. Marcus Va-
lerius, the brother of Poplieola, fupplying the place of
AEbutius, endeavoured, at the head of the Roman
hovfe, to break the enemy’s battalions; but was re¬
pulfed by the cavalry of the Roman royalifts. At the
fame time Mamilius appeared again in the van, with a
confiderable body of horfe and light-armed infantry.
Valerius, with the aftiftance of his two nephews, the
fons of Poplicola, and a chofen troop of volunteers,
attempted to break through the Latin battalions, in
order to engage Mamilius; but being furrounded by
the Roman exiles, he received a mortal wound in his
fide, fell from his horfe, and died. The dead body
was carried off by the two fons of Poplicola, in fpite
of the utmoft efforts of the exiles, and delivered to Va¬
lerius’s fervacts, who conveyed it to the Roman camp;
but