himself about the passing of the law, the space of two months was allowed the consuls to examine into the law:  on condition that, when they had satisfied the people as to what secret designs were concealed under it, [35] they should then allow them to give their votes.  The granting of this respite established tranquility in the city.  The Aequans, however, did not allow them long rest:  in violation of the treaty which had been made with the Romans the year before, they conferred the chief command on Gracchus Cloelius.  He was then by far the chief man among the Aequans.  Under the command of Gracchus they advanced with hostile depredations into the district of Labici, from thence into that of Tusculum, and, laden with booty, pitched their camp at Algidum.  To that camp came Quintus Fabius, Publius Volumnius, Aulus Postumius, ambassadors from Rome, to complain of the wrongs committed, and to demand restitution in accordance with the treaty.  The general of the Aequans commanded them to deliver to the oak the message they brought from the Roman senate; that he in the meantime would attend to other matters.  An oak, a mighty tree, whose shade formed a cool resting-place, overhung the general’s tent.  Then one of the ambassadors, when departing, cried out:  “Let both this consecrated oak and all the gods hear that the treaty has been broken by you, and both lend a favourable ear to our complaints now, and assist our arms presently, when we shall avenge the rights of gods and men that have been violated simultaneously.”  As soon as the ambassadors returned to Rome, the senate ordered one of the consuls to lead his army into Algidum against Gracchus, to the other they assigned as his sphere of action the devastation of the country of the Aequans.  The tribunes, after their usual manner, attempted to obstruct the levy, and probably would have eventually succeeded in doing so, had not a new and additional cause of alarm suddenly arisen.

A large force of Sabines, committing dreadful devastation advanced almost up to the walls of the city.  The fields were laid waste, the city was smitten with terror.  Then the commons cheerfully took up arms; two large armies were raised, the remonstrance of the tribunes being of no avail.  Nautius led one against the Sabines, and, having pitched his camp at Eretum,[36] by trifling incursions, mostly by night, he so desolated the Sabine territory that, in comparison with it, the Roman borders seemed almost undamaged by the war.  Minucius neither had the same good fortune nor displayed the same energy in conducting his operations:  for after he had pitched his camp at no great distance from the enemy, without having experienced any reverse of importance, he kept himself through fear within the camp.  When the enemy perceived this, their boldness increased, as usually happens, from the fears of others; and, having attacked his camp by night, when open force availed little, they drew lines of circumvallation around it on the following day.