his grown-up sons, after they had possessed a kingdom recently so flourishing.  That others had been invited to Rome from foreign lands to succeed to the throne; that he, a king, while engaged in extending the Roman Empire by arms, had been driven out by his nearest relatives by a villainous conspiracy, that they had seized and divided his kingdom in portions among themselves, because no one individual among them was deemed sufficiently deserving of it:  and had given up his effects to the people to pillage, that no one might be without a share in the guilt.  That he was desirous of recovering his country and his kingdom, and punishing his ungrateful subjects.  Let them bring succour and aid him; let them also avenge the wrongs done to them of old, the frequent slaughter of their legions, the robbery of their land.  These arguments prevailed on the people of Veii, and with menaces they loudly declared, each in their own name, that now at least, under the conduct of a Roman general, their former disgrace would be wiped out, and what they had lost in war would be recovered.  His name and relationship influenced the people of Tarquinii, for it seemed a high honour that their countrymen should reign at Rome.  Accordingly, the armies of these two states followed Tarquin to aid in the recovery of his kingdom, and to take vengeance upon the Romans in war.  When they entered Roman territory, the consuls marched to meet the enemy.  Valerius led the infantry in a square battalion:  Brutus marched in front with the cavalry to reconnoitre.  In like manner the enemy’s horse formed the van of the army:  Arruns Tarquinius, the king’s son, was in command:  the king himself followed with the legions.  Arruns, when he knew at a distance by the lictors that it was a consul, and on drawing nearer more surely discovered that it was Brutus by his face, inflamed with rage, cried out:  “Yonder is the man who has driven us into exile from our native country!  See how he rides in state adorned with the insignia of our rank!  Now assist me, ye gods, the avengers of kings.”  He put spurs to his horse and charged furiously against the consul.  Brutus perceived that he was being attacked, and, as it was honourable in those days for the generals to personally engage in battle, he accordingly eagerly offered himself for combat.  They charged with such furious animosity, neither of them heedful of protecting his own person, provided he could wound his opponent, that each, pierced through the buckler by his adversary’s blow, fell from his horse in the throes of death, still transfixed by the two spears.  The engagement between the rest of the horse began at the same time, and soon after the foot came up.  There they fought with varying success, and as it were with equal advantage.  The right wings of both armies were victorious, the left worsted.  The Veientines, accustomed to defeat at the hands of the Roman soldiers, were routed and put to flight.  The Tarquinians, who were a new foe, not only stood their ground, but on their side even forced the Romans to give way.