Ab urbe condita

I am more concerned to bring you all back wealthy men than to have a large number of men for my fighting force.”

With this compact army full of confidence and hope —all the more so because he felt no need of a great host —he marched to the town of Aharna, which was not far from the enemy, and from there went on to Appius camp.

He was still some miles distant from it when he was met by some soldiers sent to cut wood who were accompanied by an armed escort. When they saw the lictors marching in front of him, and heard that it was Fabius their consul, they were overjoyed and thanked the gods and the people of Rome for having sent him to them as their commander.

As they pressed round the consul to salute him, Fabius asked them where they were going, and on their replying that they were going to cut wood, “What do you say?”

he inquired; “surely you have a ramparted camp?” They informed him that they had a double rampart and fosse round the camp, and yet they were in a state of mortal fear.

“Well, then,” he replied, “go back and pull down your stockade, and you will have quite enough wood.” They returned into camp and began to demolish the rampart, to the great terror of those who

had remained in camp, and especially of Appius himself, until the news spread from one to another that they were acting under the orders of Q. Fabius, the consul. On the following day the camp was shifted, and Appius was sent back to Rome to take up his duties as praetor.

From that time the Romans had no standing camp. Fabius said that it was bad for the army to remain fixed in one spot; it became more healthy and active by frequent marches and change of position.

They made as long and frequent marches as the season allowed, for the winter was not yet over. As soon as spring set in, he left the second legion at Clusium, formerly called Camars, and placed L. Scipio in charge of the camp as propraetor.

He then returned to Rome to consult the senate as to future operations. He may have taken this step on his own initiative after finding from personal observation that the war was a bigger thing than he had believed it to be from the reports received, or he may have been summoned home by the senate; both reasons are assigned by our authorities.