Ab urbe condita

In company with the Master of the Horse the Dictator proceeded to the Assembly, proclaimed a suspension of all public business, ordered the shops to be closed throughout the City, and forbade the transaction of any private business whatever.

Then he ordered all who were of military age to appear fully armed in the Campus Martius before sunset, each with five days' provisions and twelve palisades.

Those who were beyond that age were required to cook the rations for their neighbours, whilst they were getting their arms ready and looking for palisades.

So the soldiers dispersed to hunt for palisades; they took them from the nearest places , no one was interfered with, all were eager to carry out the Dictator's edict.

The formation of the army was equally adapted for marching or, if circumstances required for fighting; the Dictator led the legions in person, the Master of the Horse was at the head of his cavalry.

To both bodies words of encouragement were addressed suitable to the emergency, exhorting them to march at extra speed, for there was need of haste if they were to reach the enemy at night; a Roman army with its consul had been now invested for three days, it was uncertain what a day or a night might bring forth, tremendous issues often turned on a moment of time.

The men shouted to one another, “Hurry on, standard-bearer!” “Follow up, soldiers!” to the great gratification of their leaders. They reached Algidus at midnight, and on finding that they were near the enemy, halted.

The Dictator, after riding round and reconnoitring as well as he could in the night the position and shape of the camp, commanded the military tribunes to give orders for the baggage to be collected together and the soldiers with their arms and palisades to resume their places in the ranks.

His orders were carried out. Then, keeping the formation in which they had marched, the whole army, in one long column, surrounded the enemies' lines. At a given signal all were ordered to raise a shout; after raising the shout each man was to dig a trench in front of him and fix his palisade.