Publicola

In the following year Publicola was consul again, for the fourth time, when there was expectation of a war within the Sabines and Latins combined.[*](Livy gives a very brief account of this war (ii. 16, 2-6).) At the same time also a sort of superstitious terror seized upon the city because all the women who were pregnant were delivered of imperfect offspring, and all births were premature. Wherefore by direction of the Sibylline books, Publicola made propitiatory sacrifices to Pluto, and renewed certain games that had been recommended by Apollo, and after he had thus made the city more cheerful in its mopes and expectations from the gods, he turned his attention to what it feared from men. For their enemies were plainly making great preparations and a powerful league against them.

Now there was among the Sabines one Appius Clausus,[*](Attius Clausus among the Sabines, Appius Claudius among the Romans, according to Livy, ii. 16, 4. ) a man whose wealth made him powerful, as his personal prowess made him illustrious, but who was most eminent for his lofty character and for his great eloquence. He could not, however, escape the fate of all great men, but was an object of jealous hate, and when he tried to stop the war, those who hated him charged him within trying to increase the power of Rome, with a view to making himself tyrant and master of his own country.

Perceiving that the multitude gave a ready ear to these stories, and that he himself was obnoxious to the war party and the military, he feared the issue, but with a large and powerful coterie of friends and kinsmen to defend him, continued his opposition. This made the Sabines put off and delay the war.