Ab urbe condita

Apart from the pestilence and the famine, there was no trouble either at home or abroad during these two years, but as soon as these causes of anxiety had disappeared, all the usual sources of disturbance in the commonwealth —dissensions at home, wars abroad —broke out afresh.

Manlius[*](Agrarian Disputes —Capture of Carventum.) Aemilius and C. Valerius Potitus were the new consuls. The Aequi made preparations for war, and the Volscians, without the sanction of their government, took up arms and assisted them as

volunteers. On the report of these hostile movements —they had already crossed over into the Latin and Hernican territories —the consul Valerius commenced to levy troops. He was obstructed by M. Menenius, the proposer of an agrarian law, and under the protection of this tribune, no one who objected to serve would take the

oath. Suddenly the news came that the citadel of Carventum had been seized by the

enemy. This humiliation gave the senate an opening for stirring up popular resentment against Menenius, while it afforded to the other tribunes, who were already prepared to veto his agrarian law, stronger justification for opposing their