refuse, and so war might be proclaimed with a clear conscience.  Their commission was executed in a more dilatory manner by the Albans:  being courteously and kindly entertained by Tullus, they gladly took advantage of the king’s hospitality.  Meanwhile the Romans had both been first in demanding satisfaction, and upon the refusal of the Alban, had proclaimed war upon the expiration of thirty days:  of this they gave Tullus notice.  Thereupon he granted the Alban ambassadors an opportunity of stating with what demands they came.  They, ignorant of everything, at first wasted some time in making excuses:  That it was with reluctance they would say anything which might be displeasing to Tullus, but they were compelled by orders:  that they had come to demand satisfaction:  if this was not granted, they were commanded to declare war.  To this Tullus made answer, “Go tell your king, that the king of the Romans takes the gods to witness, that, whichever of the two nations shall have first dismissed with contempt the ambassadors demanding satisfaction, from it they [the gods] may exact atonement for the disasters of this war.”  This message the Albans carried home.

Preparations were made on both sides with the utmost vigour for a war very like a civil one, in a manner between parents and children, both being of Trojan stock:  for from Troy came Lavinium, from Lavinium, Alba, and the Romans were descended from the stock of the Alban kings.  However, the result of the war rendered the quarrel less distressing, for the struggle never came to regular action, and when the buildings only of one of the cities had been demolished, the two states were incorporated into one.  The Albans first invaded the Roman territories with a large army.  They pitched their camp not more than five miles from the city, and surrounded it with a trench, which, for several ages, was called the Cluilian trench, from the name of the general, till, by lapse of time, the name, as well as the event itself, was forgotten.  In that camp Cluilius, the Alban king, died:  the Albans created Mettius Fufetius dictator.  In the meantime Tullus, exultant, especially at the death of the king, and giving out that the supreme power of the gods, having begun at the head, would take vengeance on the whole Alban nation for this impious war, having passed the enemy’s camp in the night-time, marched with a hostile army into the Alban territory.  This circumstance drew out Mettius from his camp:  he led his forces as close as possible to the enemy; thence he despatched a herald and commanded him to tell Tullus that a conference was expedient before they came to an engagement; and that, if he would give him a meeting, he was certain he would bring forward matters which concerned the interests of Rome no less than of Alba.  Tullus did not reject the offer:  nevertheless, in case the proposals made should prove fruitless, he led out his men in order of battle:  the Albans on their side marched out also.  After both armies