[Frag.  XLIX]

1. ¶ The Romans were being frightened by an oracle of the Sibyl which urged the necessity of guarding against the Gauls when a thunderbolt should fall upon the Capitol near the temple of Apollo. (Mai, p. 185.)

[Sidenote:  B.C. 225 (a.u. 529)] 2. ¶ The Gauls became dejected on seeing that the Romans had taken beforehand the most favorable locations.  All men if they obtain the object of their first aim proceed more readily toward their subsequent goals, but if they miss it, lose interest in everything else.  They, however, after the Gallic fashion and more than is usual with the rest of mankind, lay hold very eagerly of what they desire and cling most tenaciously to any success, but if they meet with the slightest obstacle have no hope left for the future.  Folly makes them inclined to expect whatsoever they wish, and their spirited temperament ready to carry out whatsoever they undertake.  They are given to violent anger and dash headlong into enterprises, and for that reason they have within themselves no quality of endurance (since it is impossible for reckless audacity to prevail for any time), and if they once suffer any setback they are unable (especially by reason of the fear to which they then fall a prey) to recover themselves:  they are plunged into a state of panic corresponding to their previous fearless daring.  In a brief period they rush vehemently to the most opposite extremes, since they can furnish no motive based on calculation for either action. (Mai, p. 185.)

3. ¶ AEmilius on conquering the Insubres celebrated a triumph and in it conveyed the foremost captives clad in armor up to the Capitol, making jests upon them because he had heard that they had sworn not to remove their breastplates before they had ascended the Capitol. (Mai, p. 186.  Zonaras, 8, 20.)

[Frag.  L]

¶ If any of the details, even the smallest, that were customary in festivals had been missed, they renewed the ceremonial proceedings at any rate a second and a third time, and even more times still, so far as was possible in one day, till everything seemed to them to have been done faultlessly. (Mai, p. 186.  Zonaras, 8, 20.)

[Frag.  LI]

[Sidenote:  B.C. 219 (a.u. 535)] ¶ Demetrius, elated by his position as guardian of Pineus and by the fact that he had married the latter’s mother Triteuta (Teuta was dead), was hateful to the natives and injured the property of neighboring tribes.  So they summoned him before them (since it appeared that it was by misusing the friendship of the Romans that he was able to wrong those peoples) as soon as they heard of it.  When he refused compliance and actually assailed their allies, they made a campaign against Issa, where he was. (Valesius, p.593.  Zonaras, 8, 20.)

[Frag.  LII]