Ab urbe condita

“Senators,” he said, “our military operations in Latium have by the gracious favour of the gods and the bravery of our troops been brought to a successful close.

The hostile armies were cut down at Pedum and the Astura, all the Latin towns and the Volscian Antium have either been stormed or have surrendered and are now held by your garrisons.

We are growing weary of their constant renewal of hostilities, it is for you to consult as to the best means of binding them to a perpetual peace.

The immortal gods have made you so completely masters of the situation that they have put it into your bands to decide whether there shall be henceforth a Latium or not.

So far, then, as the Latins are concerned, you can secure for yourselves a lasting peace by either cruelty or kindness. Do you wish to adopt ruthless measures against a people that have surrendered and been defeated?

It is open to you to wipe out the whole Latin nation and create desolation and solitude in that country which has furnished you with a splendid army of allies which you have employed in many great wars. Or do you wish to follow the example of your ancestors and make Rome greater by conferring her citizenship on those whom she has defeated?

The materials for her expansion to a glorious height are here at hand. That is assuredly the most firmly-based empire, whose subjects take a delight in rendering it their obedience.

But whatever decision you come to, you must make haste about it You are keeping so many peoples in suspense, with their minds distracted between hope and fear, that you are bound to relieve yourselves as soon as possible from your anxiety about them, and by exercising either punishment or kindness to pre-occupy minds which a state of strained expectancy has deprived of the power of thought.

Our task has been to put you in a position to take the whole question into consultation, your task is to decree what is best for yourselves and for the republic.”

The leaders of the senate applauded the way in which the consul had introduced the motion, but as the circumstances differed in different cases they thought that each case ought to be decided upon its merits, and with the view of facilitating discussion they requested the consul to put the name of each place separately.

Lanuvium received the full citizenship and the restitution of her sacred things, with the proviso that the temple and grove of Juno Sospita should belong in common to the Roman people and the citizens living at Lanuvium.

Aricium, Nomentum, and Pedum obtained the same political rights as Lanuvium.

Tusculum retained the citizenship which it had had before, and the responsibility for the part it took in the war was removed from the State as a whole and fastened on a few individuals.

The Veliternians, who had been Roman citizens from old times, were in consequence of their numerous revolts severely dealt with; their walls were thrown down, their senate deported and ordered to live on the other side of the Tiber[*](As rebels, their lives were forfeited, but the sentence was commuted into one of perpetual banishment amongst an alien nationality.);