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History of Rome (Ab Urbe Condita) by Livy
Translated by Rev. Canon Roberts
Book II Chapter 51: The Etruscans threaten Rome.[477-6 BC]
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When this disaster occurred, Gaius Horatius and Titus Menenius were consuls. Menenius was at once sent against the Tuscans, flushed with their recent victory. Another unsuccessful action was fought, and the enemy took possession of the Janiculum. The City, which was suffering from scarcity as well as from the war, would have been invested -- for the Etruscans had crossed the Tiber -- had not the consul Horatius been recalled from the Volsci. The fighting approached so near the walls that the first battle, an indecisive one, took place near the temple of Spes, and the second at the Colline gate. In the latter, although the Romans gained only a slight advantage, the soldiers recovered something of their old courage and were better prepared for future campaigns.

The next consuls were Aulus Verginius and Spurius Servilius. After their defeat in the last battle, the Veientines declined an engagement. There were forays. From the Janiculum as from a citadel they made raids in all directions on the Roman territory; nowhere were the cattle or the country-folk safe. They were ultimately caught by the same stratagem by which they had caught the Fabii. Some cattle were purposely driven in different directions as a decoy; they followed them and fell into an ambuscade; and as their numbers were greater, the slaughter was greater. Their rage at this defeat was the cause and commencement of a more serious one. They crossed the Tiber by night and marched up to an attack on Servilius' camp, but were routed with great loss, and with great difficulty reached the Janiculum. The consul himself forthwith crossed the Tiber and entrenched himself at the foot of the Janiculum. The confidence inspired by his victory of the previous day, but still more the scarcity of corn, made him decide upon an immediate but precipitate move. He led his army at daybreak up the side of the Janiculum to the enemies' camp; but he met with a more disastrous repulse than the one he had inflicted the day before. It was only by the intervention of his colleague that he and his army were saved. The Etruscans caught between the two armies, and retreating from each alternately were annihilated. So the Veientine war was brought to a sudden close by an act of happy rashness.

Event: War of Rome with Veii

Cum haec accepta clades est, iam C. Horatius et T. Menenius consules erant. Menenius aduersus Tuscos uictoria elatos confestim missus. Tum quoque male pugnatum est, et Ianiculum hostes occupauere; obsessaque urbs foret, super bellum annona premente- transierant enim Etrusci Tiberim—, ni Horatius consul ex Volscis esset reuocatus. Adeoque id bellum ipsis institit moenibus, ut primo pugnatum ad Spei sit aequo Marte, iterum ad portam Collinam. Ibi quamquam paruo momento superior Romana res fuit, meliorem tamen militem, recepto pristino animo, in futura proelia id certamen fecit. A. Verginius et Sp. Seruilius consules fiunt. Post acceptam proxima pugna cladem Veientes abstinuere acie; populationes erant, et uelut ab arce Ianiculo passim in Romanum agrum impetus dabant; non usquam pecora tuta, non agrestes erant. Capti deinde eadem arte sunt qua ceperant Fabios. Secuti dedita opera passim ad inlecebras propulsa pecora praecipitauere in insidias; quo plures erant, maior caedes fuit. Ex hac clade atrox ira maioris cladis causa atque initium fuit. Traiecto enim nocte Tiberi, castra Seruili consulis adorti sunt oppugnare. Inde fusi magna caede in Ianiculum se aegre recepere. Confestim consul et ipse transit Tiberim, castra sub Ianiculo communit. Postero die luce orta nonnihil et hesterna felicitate pugnae ferox, magis tamen quod inopia frumenti quamuis in praecipitia, dum celeriora essent, agebat consilia, temere aduerso Ianiculo ad castra hostium aciem erexit, foediusque inde pulsus quam pridie pepulerat, interuentu collegae ipse exercitusque est seruatus. Inter duas acies Etrusci, cum in uicem his atque illis terga darent, occidione occisi. Ita oppressum temeritate felici Veiens bellum.