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they　marched　directly　to　the　Alps；　to　find　out　the　country　which
yielded　such　fruit；　pronouncing　all　others　barren　and　useless。　He　that
first　brought　wine　among　them　and　was　the　chief　instigator　of　their
coming　into　Italy　is　said　to　have　been　one　Aruns；　a　Tuscan；　a　man　of
noble　extraction；　and　not　of　bad　natural　character；　but　involved　in
the　following　misfortune。　He　was　guardian　to　an　orphan；　one　of　the
richest　of　the　country；　and　much　admired　for　his　beauty；　whose　name
was　Lucumo。　From　his　childhood　he　had　been　bred　up　with　Aruns　in　his
family；　and　when　now　grown　up　did　not　leave　his　house；　professing　to
wish　for　the　enjoyment　of　his　society。　And　thus　for　a　great　while　he
secretly　enjoyed　Aruns's　wife；　corrupting　her；　and　himself　corrupted
by　her。　But　when　they　were　both　so　far　gone　in　their　passion　that　they
could　neither　refrain　their　lust　nor　conceal　it；　the　young　man
seized　the　woman　and　openly　sought　to　carry　her　away。　The　husband；
going　to　law；　and　finding　himself　overpowered　by　the　interest　and
money　of　his　opponent；　left　his　country　and；　hearing　of　the　state　of
the　Gauls；　went　to　them；　and　was　the　conductor　of　their　expedition
into　Italy。
　　At　their　first　coming　they　at　once　possessed　themselves　of　all
that　country　which　anciently　the　Tuscans　inhabited；　reaching　from
the　Alps　to　both　the　seas；　as　the　names　themselves　testify；　for　the
North　or　Adriatic　Sea　is　named　from　the　Tuscan　city　Adria；　and　that　to
the　south　the　Tuscan　Sea　simply。　The　whole　country　is　rich　in
fruit…trees；　has　excellent　pasture；　and　is　well　watered　with　rivers。
It　had　eighteen　large　and　beautiful　cities；　well　provided　with　all　the
means　for　industry　and　wealth；　and　all　the　enjoyments　and　pleasures　of
life。　The　Gauls　cast　out　the　Tuscans；　and　seated　themselves　in　them。
But　this　was　long　before。
　　The　Gauls　at　this　time　were　besieging　Clusium；　a　Tuscan　city。　The
Clusinians　sent　to　the　Romans　for　succour；　desiring　them　to
interpose　with　the　barbarians　by　letters　and　ambassadors。　There　were
sent　three　of　the　family　of　the　Fabii；　persons　of　high　rank　and
distinction　in　the　city。　The　Gauls　received　them　courteously；　from
respect　to　the　name　of　Rome；　and；　giving　over　the　assault　which　was
then　making　upon　the　walls；　came　to　conference　with　them；　when　the
ambassadors　asking　what　injury　they　had　received　of　the　Clusinians
that　they　thus　invaded　their　city；　Brennus；　King　of　the　Gauls；　laughed
and　made　answer：　〃The　Clusinians　do　us　injury；　in　that；　being　able
only　to　till　a　small　parcel　of　ground；　they　must　needs　possess　a　great
territory；　and　will　not　yield　any　part　to　us　who　are　strangers；　many
in　number；　and　poor。　In　the　same　nature；　O　Romans；　formerly　the
Albans；　Fidenates；　and　Ardeates；　and　now　lately　the　Veientines　and
Capenates；　and　many　of　the　Faliscans　and　Volscians；　did　you　injury；
upon　whom　ye　make　war　if　they　do　not　yield　you　part　of　what　they
possess；　make　slaves　of　them；　waste　and　spoil　their　country；　and
ruin　their　cities；　neither　in　so　doing　are　cruel　or　unjust；　but　follow
that　most　ancient　of　all　laws；　which　gives　the　possessions　of　the
feeble　to　the　strong；　which　begins　with　God　and　ends　in　the　beasts；
since　all　these；　by　nature；　seek　the　stronger　to　have　advantage　over
the　weaker。　Cease；　therefore；　to　pity　the　Clusinians　whom　we
besiege；　lest　ye　teach　the　Gauls　to　be　kind　and　compassionate　to　those
that　are　oppressed　by　you。〃　By　this　answer　the　Romans；　perceiving　that
Brennus　was　not　to　be　treated　with；　went　into　Clusium；　and
encouraged　and　stirred　up　the　inhabitants　to　make　a　sally　with　them
upon　the　barbarians；　which　they　did　either　to　try　their　strength　or　to
show　their　own。　The　sally　being　made；　and　the　fight　growing　hot
about　the　walls；　one　of　the　Fabii；　Quintus　Ambustus；　being　well
mounted；　and　setting　spurs　to　his　horse；　made　full　against　a　Gaul；　a
man　of　huge　bulk　and　stature；　whom　he　saw　riding　out　at　a　distance
from　the　rest。　At　the　first　he　was　not　recognized；　through　the
quickness　of　the　conflict　and　the　glittering　of　his　armour；　that
precluded　any　view　of　him；　but　when　he　had　overthrown　the　Gaul；　and
was　going　to　gather　the　spoils；　Brennus　knew　him；　and；　invoking　the
gods　to　be　witness；　that；　contrary　to　the　known　and　common　law　of
nations；　which　is　holily　observed　by　all　mankind；　he　who　had　come　as
an　ambassador　had　now　engaged　in　hostility　against　him；　he　drew　off
his　men；　and　bidding　Clusium　farewell；　led　his　army　directly　to
Rome。　But　not　wishing　that　it　should　look　as　if　they　took　advantage　of
that　injury；　and　were　ready　to　embrace　any　occasion　of　quarrel；　he
sent　a　herald　to　demand　the　man　in　punishment；　and　in　the　meantime
marched　leisurely　on。
　　The　senate　being　met　at　Rome；　among　many　others　that　spoke　against
the　Fabii；　the　priests　called　fecials　were　the　most　decided；　who；　on
the　religious　ground；　urged　the　senate　that　they　should　lay　the
whole　guilt　and　penalty　of　the　fact　upon　him　that　committed　it；　and　so
exonerate　the　rest。　These　fecials　Numa　Pompilius；　the　mildest　and
justest　of　kings；　constituted　guardians　of　peace；　and　the　judges　and
determiners　of　all　causes　by　which　war　may　justifiably　be　made。　The
senate　referring　the　whole　matter　to　the　people；　and　the　priests
there；　as　well　as　in　the　senate；　pleading　against　Fabius；　the
multitude；　however；　so　little　regarded　their　authority；　that　in
scorn　and　contempt　of　it　they　chose　Fabius　and　the　rest　of　his
brothers　military　tribunes。　The　Gauls；　on　hearing　this；　in　great
rage　threw　aside　every　delay；　and　hastened　on　with　all　the　speed
they　could　make。　The　places　through　which　they　marched；　terrified　with
their　numbers　and　the　splendour　of　their　preparations　for　war；　and
in　alarm　at　their　violence　and　fierceness；　began　to　give　up　their
territories　as　already　lost；　with　little　doubt　but　their　cities
would　quickly　follow；　contrary；　however；　to　expectation；　they　did　no
injury　as　they　passed；　nor　took　anything　from　the　fields；　and；　as　they
went　by　any　city；　cried　out　that　they　were　going　to　Rome；　that　the
Romans　only　were　their　enemies；　and　that　they　took　all　others　for
their　friends。
　　Whilst　the　barbarians　were　thus　hastening　with　all　speed；　the
military　tribunes　brought　the　Romans　into　the　field　to　be　ready　to
engage　them；　being　not　inferior　to　the　Gauls　in　number　（for　they
were　no　less　than　forty　thousand　foot）；　but　most　of　them　raw　soldiers；
and　such　as　had　never　handled　a　weapon　before。　Besides；　they　had
wholly　neglected　all　religious　usages；　had　not　obtained　favourable
sacrifices；　nor　made　inquiries　of　the　prophets；　natural　in　danger
and　before　battle。　No　less　did　the　multitude　commanders　distract　and
confound　their　proceedings；　frequently　before；　upon　less　occasions；
they　had　chosen　a　single　leader；　with　the　title　of　dictator；　being
sensible　of　what　great　importance　it　is　in　critical　times　to　have
the　soldiers　united　under　one　general　with　the　entire　and　absolute
control　placed　in　his　hands。　Add　to　all；　the　remembrance　of　Camillus's
treatment；　which　made　it　now　seem　a　dangerous　thing　for　officers　to
command　without　humouring　their　soldiers。　In　this　condition　they
left　the　city；　and　encamped　by　the　river　Allia；　about　ten　miles　from
Rome；　and　not　far　from　the　place　where　it　falls　into　the　Tiber；　and
here　the　Gauls　came　upon　them；　and；　after　a　disgraceful　resistance；
devoid　of　order　and　discipline；　they　were　miserably　defeated。　The　left
wing　was　immediately　driven　into　the　river；　and　there　destroyed；　the
right　had　less　damage　by　declining　the　shock；　and　from　the　low　grounds
getting　to　the　tops　of　the　hills；　from　whence　most　of　them
afterwards　dropped　into　the　city；　the　rest；　as　many　as　escaped；　the
enemy　being　weary　of　the　slaughter；　stole　by　night　to　Veii；　giving
up　Rome　and　all　that　was　in　it　for　lost。
　　This　battle　was　fought　about　the　summer　solstice；　the　moon　being
at　full；　the　very　same　day　in　which　the　sad　disaster　of　the　Fabii
had　happened；　when　three　hundred　of　that　name　were　at　one　time　cut　off
by　the　Tuscans。　But　from　this　second　loss　and　defeat　the　day　got　the
name　of　Alliensis　from　the　river　Allia；　and　still　retains　it。　The
question　of　unlucky　days；　whether　we　should　consider　any　to　be　so；　and
whether　Heraclitus　did　well　in　upbraiding　Hesiod　for　distinguishing
them　into　fortunate　and　unfortunate；　as　ignorant　that　the　nature　of
every　day　is　the　same；　I　have　examined　in　another　place；　but　upon
occasion　of　the　present　subject；　I　think　it　will　not　be　amiss　to　annex
a　few　examples　relating　to　this　matter。　On　the　fifth　of　their　month
Hippodromius；　which　corresponds　to　the　Athenian　Hecatombaeon；　the
Boeotians　gained　two　signal　victories；　the　one　at　Leuctra；　the　other
at　Ceressus；　about　three　hundred　years　before；　when　they　overcame
Lattamyas　and　the　Thessalians；　both　which　asserted　the　liberty　of
Greece。　Again；　on　the　sixth　of　Boedromion；　the　Persians　were　worsted
by　the　Greeks　at　Marathon；　on　the　third；　at　Plataea；　as　also　at
Mycale；　on　the　twenty…fifth；　at　Arbela。　The　Athenians；　about　the
full　moon　in　Boedromion；　gained　their　sea…victory　at　Naxos　under　the
conduct　of　Chabrias；　on　the　twentieth；　at　Salamis；　as　we　have　shown　in
our　treatise　on　Days。　Thargelion　was　a　very　unfortunate　month　to　the
barbarians；　for　in　it　Alexander　overcame