The surprise was heightened when after the retreat had been sounded, calm and bright weather returned. He felt that it would be an act of impiety to attack a second time a camp defended by some divine power. His warlike energies were turned to the devastation of the country. The other consul, Aemilius, conducted a campaign amongst the Sabines.
There, too, as the enemy kept behind their walls, their fields were laid waste.
The burning not only of scattered homesteads but also of villages with numerous populations roused the Sabines to action. They met the depredators, an indecisive action was fought, after which they moved their camp into a safer locality.
The consul thought this a sufficient reason for leaving the enemy as though defeated, and coming away without finishing the war.
T. Numicius Priscus and A. Verginius were the new consuls. The domestic disturbance continued through these wars,
and the plebeians were evidently not going to tolerate any further delay with regard to the Agrarian Law, and were pre-paring for extreme measures, when the smoke of burning farms and the flight of the country folk announced the approach of the Volscians. This checked the revolution which was now ripe and on the point of breaking out.
The senate was hastily summoned, and the consuls led the men liable for active service out to the war, thereby making the rest of the plebs more peaceably disposed.
The enemy retired precipitately, having effected nothing beyond filling the Romans with groundless fears.
Numicius advanced against the Volscians to