Summary of book VIII.
THE Latins and Campanians revolted, and sending envoys
to the senate proposed as a condition of peace that one
of the two consuls should be chosen from the Latins.
after delivering these terms, their praetor Annius fell
from the Capitol, and so lost consciousness. Titus
Manlius the consul had his son beheaded, because he
had fought—albeit successfully—against the Latins in
defiance of his edict. in a battle which was going against
the Romans, Publius Decius, who was then consul, along
with Manlius, devoted himself in behalf of the army, and
having spurred his horse among the enemy, was slain, and
by his death restored the victory to the Romans. The
Latins surrendered. Titus Manlius, returning to the
City, was met by none of the young men. Minucia, a
Vestal virgin, was convicted of unchastity. The Ausonians were defeated; and their town being taken from
them, the colonies of Cales and Fregellae were established.
a number of matrons were discovered to be guilty of
poisoning, of whom very many drank off at once the
drugs they had prepared, and died. a law about poisoning
was then for the first time enacted. The Privernates,
having gone to war, were defeated and given citizenship.
The Neapolitans were beaten in war and in a siege, and
made submission. Quintus Publilius, who had besieged
them, was the first to have his authority extended and to
be granted a triumph as proconsul. The plebs were
relieved of imprisonment for debt on account of the lust
of Lucius Papirius, a creditor, who had sought to violate
the chastity of his debtor, Gaius Publilius. when Lucius
Papirius Cursor the dictator had returned from the army
to the City in order to renew the auspices, Quintus Fabius,
the master of the horse, tempted by the opportunity for
a successful action, fought the Samnites, against orders,
and gained a victory. for this reason it appeared that
the dictator would punish the master of the horse; but
Fabius fled to Rome, and though his cause was weak, was
begged off by the people. The book also contains
victories over the Samnites.
[p. 163]
