Ab urbe condita

After examining the position of the city, he gave orders for all the buildings outside the wall —and there was a considerable population in the suburbs —to be destroyed in order to render the approach easier. Not long afterwards, Nola was taken, either by the Dictator or by the consul, C. Junius, for both accounts are given.

Those who give the credit of the capture to the consul state that Atina and Calatia were also taken by him, and they explain the appointment of Poetilius by saying that he was nominated Dictator for the purpose of driving in the nail on the outbreak of an epidemic.

Colonies were sent out this year to Suessa and Pontia; Suessa had belonged to the Auruncans, and the island of Pontia had been inhabited by the Volscians, as it lay off their coast.

The senate also authorised the settlement of a colony at Interamna on the Casinus, but it fell to the succeeding consuls, M. Valerius and P. Decius, to appoint the commissioners and send out the colonists to the number of 4000.

The[*](The Censorship of Appius Claudius.) Samnite war was now drawing to a close, but before the senate could dismiss it entirely from their thoughts there was a rumour of war on the side of Etruria.

With the one exception of the Gauls, no nation was more dreaded at that time, owing to their proximity to Rome and their vast population.

One of the consuls remained in Samnium to finish the war, the other, P. Decius, was detained in Rome by serious illness, and on instructions from the senate, nominated C. Junius Bubulcus Dictator.

In view of the seriousness of the emergency the Dictator compelled all who were liable for service to take the military oath, and used his utmost endeavours to have arms and whatever else was required in readiness. Notwithstanding the great preparations he was making, he had no intention of assuming the aggressive, and had quite made up his mind to wait until the Etruscans made the first move The Etruscans were equally energetic in their preparations, and equally reluctant to commence hostilities.

Neither side went outside their own frontiers. This year (312 B.C.> was signalised by the censorship of Appius Claudius. His claim to distinction with posterity rests mainly upon his public works, the road[*](The Via Appia. This famous road, one of the greatest engineering works in the Old World, extended from Rome to Capua, a distance of about 120 miles, and was carried through deep cuttings, over the hills, and on vast substructures of stones through the valleys. It was subsequently extended to Brundisium.) and the aqueduct[*](the Appian Aqueduct was the first of fourteen which were successively constructed to supply the Romans with pure water. It was nearly eight miles in length and ran almost the whole way underground.) which bear his name.

He carried out these undertakings single-handed, for, owing to the odium he incurred by the way he

revised the senatorial lists and filled up the vacancies, his colleague, thoroughly ashamed of his conduct, resigned. In the obstinate temper which had always marked his house, Appius continued to hold office alone.

[*](If a censor died or resigned before the legal expiry of this office his colleague as a rule resigned also rather than bear the responsibility of such vast powers alone.) It was owing to his action that the Potitii, whose family had always possessed

the right of ministering at the Ava Maxima of Hercules, transferred that duty to some temple servants, whom they had instructed in the various

observances. There is a strange tradition connected with this, and one well calculated to create religious scruples in the minds of any who would disturb the established order of ceremonial usages. It is said that though when the change was made there were twelve branches of the family of the Potitii[*](They are first introduced to us on p. 10, Vol. I.) comprising thirty adults, not one member, old or young, was alive twelve months

later. Nor was the extinction of the Potitian name the only consequence; Appius himself some years afterwards was struck with blindness by the unforgetting wrath of the gods.

The consuls for the following year were C. Junius Bubulcus (for the third time) and Q. Aemilius Barbula (for the second time). At the beginning of their year of office they laid a complaint before the Assembly touching the unscrupulous way in which vacancies in the senate had been filled up, men having been passed over who were far superior to some who had been selected, whereby the whole senatorial order had been sullied and disgraced.

They declared that the selection had been made solely with a view to popularity and out of sheer caprice, and that no regard whatever had been paid to the good or bad characters of those chosen.

They then gave out that they should ignore them altogether, and at once proceeded to call over the names of the senators as they appeared on the roll before Appius Claudius and C. Plautius were made censors. Two official posts were for the first time this year placed at the disposal of the people, both of a military character. One was the office of military tribune ; sixteen were henceforth appointed by the people for the four legions; these had hitherto been selected by the Dictators and consuls, very few places being left to the popular vote. L. Atilius and C. Marcius, tribunes of the plebs, were responsible for that measure.

The other was the post of naval commissioner; the people were to appoint two to superintend the equipment and refitting of the fleet. This provision was due to M. Decius, a tribune of the plebs.

An incident of a somewhat trifling character occurred this year which I should have passed over did it not appear to be connected with religious customs. The guild of flute-players[*](The guild of flute-players was from very early times a large and wealthy one, as they attended most of the sacrificial functions and games, and as a rule supplied the music at funerals. They were not only well paid but treated with great respect, a feeling which Livy does not appear to share. Their annual festival, alluded to here, when they perambulated the City was on June 13. The censors' prohibition may have been called for by their excessive hilarity on this occasion, an explanation which Livy's account renders probable.) had been forbidden by the censors to hold their annual banquet in the temple of Jupiter, a privilege they had enjoyed from ancient times Hugely disgusted, they went off in a body to Tibur, and not one was left in the City to perform at the sacrificial rites.