The reduction of the city of Fidenm by the Romans, incited the Latins to make a vigorous attempt against Rome. A spirit of mutiny, however, arose among the nobles and the lower classes. They loudly de manded a remission of their debts; and though various expedients were proposed to quiet this turbulent dis position, yet it was found necessary to place the com monwealth under a dictator, with absolute power. When the popular concurrence was obtained to this measure, Titus Lartius, one of the consuls, was elect ed to the high office. Lartius chose Sp. Cassius gene ral of the horse, which gave him the second station in the republic; and from the pomp and state in which the dictator always appeared, the seditious were over awed, and the Romans again united against their common enemies. Lartius raised four armies, and having succeeded by his skill and his moderation in restoring the republic to its former tranquillity, he re signed the dictatorship. • A new war having been excited by the Tarquins, Posthumius was appointed dictator. With an army of 40,000 foot and 3000 horse, commanded by himself, by Virginius, and Ebutius Elva, general of the horse, he encamped on a steep hill, near Lake Regillus, while Virginius posted himself on another opposite,and Ebu tius occupied a third eminence. Lucius Tarquin at tacked Ebutius, but he was thrice repulsed with great loss. Having learned from two intercepted couriers that in a few days the Volsci and Hernici were to join the Latin forces, Posthumius immediately gave them battle. At the commencement of the affair Titus Tar quinius engaged the dictator in single combat; being wounded in the side by Posthumius's javelin, the Latins began to retire; but being rallied by Sextus Tarquinius, the field was contested with great vio lence. The generals on both sides displayed great skill and personal bravery; and when victory was doubtful, it was agreed to decide it by single combat. Ebutius and Mamilius were thus brought into contact, and in a short time both of them were wounded and fell from their horses. Marcus Valerius, who suc ceeded Ebutius in his command, renewed the general engagement, but he was immediately wounded, and his nephews, the two sons of Poplicola also fell. The Roman left wing thus disheartened by the loss of their leaders, began to give way; but Posthumius, with a body of Roman knights, brought them back to the charge, and obliged the enemy to retire in confusion. At that critical juncture Titus Herminius rallied some of the flying troops, and fell upon some close bat talions under Mamilius; he slew Mamilius with his own hand, but he himself received a fatal wound while he was stripping the body of his enemy.
While the battle was raging between Sextus Tar quinius and the Roman left, under Virginius, which had begun to give way, it was unexpectedly supported by the dictator. The career of Sextus being thus checked, he threw himself in distraction in the middle of the Roman knights, and perished bravely among their swords. The Latin army was thus entirely routed and destroyed, and when the Volsci and Her nici arrived next day, they found it more prudent to retire than to try their strength with a victorious though exhausted army.
The Latins yielded entire submission to the Roman power, and having agreed to abandon the Roman exiles, Tarquin retired to Aristodemus, king of Cumw, where he died in the 90th year of his age, and the 14th of his exile.
No sooner were the Romans delivered from their foreign enemies, than they began to oppress each other at home. The Patricians and the Plebeians cherished opposing interests; and in the midst of the disturb ances which were thus excited, the Volsci, Hernici, and Sabines advanced to the gates of the city. P. Servilius succeeded in raising a small army, with which he defeated the enemy in a pitched battle, and took and plundered their capital. He then marched against the armies who had entered Latium, and com pelled them to retire into their own territories.
Notwithstanding these successes Rome was again agitated with fresh dissensions. The Sabines invaded the republic and were beaten; but the army revolted and retired precipitately to a hill, afterwards called Mons Sacer, about three miles from Rome, where they continued till the Senate agreed to institute tribunes of the people, whose persons were to be sacred, and who were to have the power of preventing any law from being passed which was prejudicial to the people.
The people being thus reconciled to the Senate by the predominance thus given to their own order, made no opposition to the levies which were required against the Volsci. The Consul Cominius,-after de feating them in battle, and taking Longula and Po lusia, marched against Corioli, a city strongly fortified. The scaling party being repulsed at the first attempt, were rallied by Caius Marcius, who led them back to the walls, and made himself master of the city. He afterwards marched against the Antiates, who had come to relieve the city, and defeated them after dis playing the greatest bravery.
The Consul Cominius assembled the army next morning, pronounced a panegyric upon Marcius, put a crown upon his head, and bestowed upon him the surname of Coriolanus. The army returned to Rome, and the arts of peace flourished for awhile.
The neglect of agriculture, which had arisen from the revolt of the army, occasioned a severe and de structive famine; and it was only by the breaking out of a dreadful pestilence among the Volsci that Rome was protected from their incursions. The distresses and hunger of the lower orders excited disturbances in Rome, which the tribunes of the people made it their business to exasperate. The most violent and inde cent contentions took place; and when a large supply of corn arrived from Gelon, King of Sicily, Corio lanus insisted that it should not be distributed till the grievances of the senate were redressed.
The resentment which this proposal excited, en couraged the tribunes of the people to devise charges against that intrepid warrior. They charged him with aspiring to the sovereignty, and accused him of having embezzled the plunder of Actium. Summoned to stand trial before the people, this great general, who had saved his country, appeared unconcerned before the august tribunal. Neither his sorrow nor his elo quence could save him. He was condemned to per petual exile; and having returned home to take leave of his wife, his children, and his mother Veturia, he took refuge with Tullus Atticus, a powerful Volscian.
The Volscians soon found reason for availing them selves of the injury done to Coriolanus, and war having been formally proclaimed, the Volscians laid waste the Roman territory, with a powerful army, commanded by Coriolanus and Tullus. The most unexampled suc cess followed all their operations, and the city itself was speedily invested by their triumphant arms. When the Romans saw no hope but in submission, they sent embassy after embassy to avert the fate which awaited them; hut when all these attempts proved the pontiffs, the priests, and the virgins returned from the inflexible Coriolanus, despair seized upon all ranks, and hurried the old and young to the shelter of the altars. The last resource, however, was suggested. A deputation of Roman matrons, attended by Veturia, and Volumnia, the mother, and the wife of Coriolanus, and by his own children, set off to the hostile camp, to make a last intercession for their country. When he saw from afar the approach of the mournful train, Coriolanus assembled his officers to witness the resolution which he had summoned up for the interview; but when he learned that his wife and mother were amongst the supplicants, the sternness of the warrior could not re sist the claims of natural affection. The eloquence with which they pleaded for their country was irre sistible, and raising •his mother from her feet, he ex claimed, ." Thou bast saved Rome, but lost your son." The besieging army was withdrawn; but the lenity which was thus shown to the Romans was avenged by the Volsci, who slew Coriolanus during an insurrec tion of the people which followed their return from Rome.