An event of a still more horrible nature opened the eyes of the Romans to a deep sense of the oppression under which they groaned. Appius conceived an in controllable passion for Virginia, the daughter of Vir ginius, a centurion. This lady, who was only fifteen years of age, possessed the most exquisite beauty, and was betrothed to Julius, formerly a tribune of the people. Appius would have himself married Virgi nia, had the new laws permitted the Patricians to in termarry with the Plebeians; but finding that impos sible, he adopted the most flagitious measures for gain ing possession of her person. He bribed one Claudius to maintain that Virginia was his slave, and to refer the question to the decision of his own tribunal. The cause accordingly came on ; the miscreant Claudius maintained that she was born of a female slave in his own house, and that that slave sold her to the wife of Virginius when she was born; and he offered to pro duce witnesses to these facts. Appius decided that Virginia should be kept by Claudius till Virginius's arrival; but the clamours of the multitude became so violent that Claudius fled from their fury, and Appius was obliged to suspend his judgment. The following day was fixed for the trial. Appius wrote to the Ge neral to confine Virginius, who was with the army, about eleven miles from Rome; btit these letters were intercepted by the friends of the centurion, who made him acquainted with the plot which had been laid against his own liberty, as well as the honour of his only daughter. Indignant and bent on revenge, the centurion obtained leave to go to Rome, and appeared next day at the tribunal of Appius, conducting his only daughter, clad in the deepest mourning. When Clau dius had repeated his story, Virginius declared that his wife had many children, that hundreds had seen her pregnant; and that Virginia had been nursed by her. The people saw at once the justice of his cause, but the brutal consul did not hesitate to adjudge her to Claudius, and to order the lictors to carry her away. Virginius apparently acquiescing in the sen tence, wished permission to take a farewell of his child; and while he was supporting his distracted daughter in his arms, he seized a knife, and buried it in her breast. Brandishing in his hand the bloody weapon, he exclaimed, " By this blood, Appius, devote thy head to the infernal and running wildly through the city, he roused the.people to arms, and hastening to the camp, he spread the same flame through the army, who instantly left their generals, and again took their stations on Mount Aventine. The army which opposed the Sabines, joined them in large parties, and all the attempts of Appius to quell the general insurrection were utterly fruitless. The Senate yielded to the wishes of the army. The de cemyirs were abolished. Appius died by his own hands in prison. Oppius, one of his colleagues, shared the same fate, and the other decemvirs fled from the country.
The demands of the popular party now became more clamorous, and the Senate was obliged to pass a law which permitted the Plebeians to intermarry with the Patricians. Still, however, they were not satisfied, and had recourse to their former plan of re fusing to enlist upon the approach of an enemy. In order to remedy this evil, it was agreed to appoint military tribunes, who should have the power of con suls ; but this measure, though carried into effect, was neither useful nor popular; and consuls were again appointed, who were to be assisted by censors, chosen every fifth year. The first two censors were Papirius and Sempronius; and the office was filled for 100 years by Patricians.
The tranquillity which followed these changes, though enlivened by the triumph gained by the Consul Geganius, over the Volsci, was disturbed by a famine which occasioned new discontents. In this conjunc ture, Spurius Mzelius, an opulent merchant, bought np all the corn in Tuscany, and distributing it among the poor, he acquired a sort of influence which prompt ed him to aim at the sovereignty of Rome. The plot
which he had for this purpose organized was detected by Minucius. The election of a dictator was again resorted to, and Cincinnatus, at the age of 80, was again summoned to the deliverance of his country. Mxlius was commanded to appear before him, but having refused to obey, Attila, master of the horse, killed him on the spot. Cincinnatus commended the heroism of Attila, and ordered the house of Mzelitts to be demolished, and his goods divided among the poor.
The insolence of the Veientes induced the Romans to resolve upon the destruction of their capital. This resolution, however, was more easily made than exe cuted. The Roman army which invested Veii, con tinned their operations with various success for ten years. The loss which they sustained had become very alarming to the state, and a law was on that ac count made, that the bachelors should marry the widows of the soldiers who were slain. Vigorous measures, however, now became necessary, and Furl us Camillus was chosen dictator, for the purpose of putting an end to the war. Already distinguished as a military tribune and as a consul, he had acquired the confidence of the people. Unable to take Veil by force of arms, he contrived by arduous labour to carry a mine beneath the citadel. When the operations were nearly finished, he wrote to the Senate, request ing that all who wished to partake in the plunder of Veii should repair to the army; and having directed his men how to get through the breach, his legions entered without opposition, to the utter consternation of the besieged, who were unable to make any effectual resistance. The fortunate issue of this siege, while it rewarded the victors, gained a splendid triumph for the general who achieved it.
The same good fortune attended the arms of Camil lus, in an expedition against the Falisci. When the capital Falerii was vigorously resisting the Roman arms, a schoolmaster contrived to decoy the children whom he taught to the Roman camp, for the purpose of putting them into the hands of Camillus. Horrified with this act of treachery, Camillus ordered the mis creant to be stripped, to have his hands tied behind his back, and to be whipped into the town by his own scholars. Struck by the generosity of this action, the magistrates of Falerii submitted to the Senate; and the city was received into an alliance with the con querors.
Notwithstanding these signal triumphs, Camillus speedily felt the ingratitude of his countrymen. Petty charges were constantly brought against him, and. resolving to avoid the ignominy of a trial, he embraced his wife and children, quitted Rome; and as he was about to leave its gates, lie turned his face to the capitol, and with uplifted hands lie prayed to the gods, that his country might one clay be sensible of their injustice and ingratitude.
The destinies of Rome soon required to be guided by the spirit of Camillus. An army of Gauls under Brennus, had been for some years occupying the country from Ravenna to Picinum, and were slowly advancing to the Roman territories. At the insti gation of Arunx, a wealthy Clusian, who had been ill used by the magistrates, Brennus laid siege to Clusi um. The Romans sent three young patricians of the Fabian family to offer their mediation between the Gauls and the Clusini; but they accompanied this offer with the taunting request, to know the pretences which a remote nation could have upon Hetruria. Brcnnus replied, that every thing was the property of the brave; that his right lay in his sword; and that the Romans themselves had in all their conquests acknow ledged no other right than that which the strong ex ercises over the defenceless.