to Rome, accompanied by a great number of dependents.  The rights of citizenship and land on the other side of the Anio were bestowed on them.  This settlement was called the old Claudian tribe, and was subsequently increased by the addition of new tribesmen who kept arriving from that district.  Appius, being chosen into the senate, was soon after advanced to the rank of the highest in that order.  The consuls entered the territories of the Sabines with a hostile army, and when, both by laying waste their country, and afterward by defeating them in battle, they had so weakened the power of the enemy that for a long time there was no reason to dread the renewal of the war in that quarter, they returned to Rome in triumph.  The following year, Agrippa Menenius and Publius Postumius being consuls, Publius Valerius, by universal consent the ablest man in Rome, in the arts both of peace and war, died covered with glory, but in such straitened private circumstances that there was not enough to defray the expenses of a public funeral:  one was given him at the public charge.  The matrons mourned for him as they had done for Brutus.  The same year two Latin colonies, Pometia and Cora,[18] revolted to the Auruncans.[19] War was commenced against the Auruncans, and after a large army, which boldly met the consuls as they were entering their frontiers, had been defeated, all the operations of the Auruncan war were concentrated at Pometia.  Nor, after the battle was over, did they refrain from slaughter any more than when it was going on:  the number of the slain was considerably greater than that of the prisoners, and the latter they put to death indiscriminately.  Nor did the wrath of war spare even the hostages, three hundred in number, whom they had received.  This year also the consuls celebrated a triumph at Rome.

The succeeding consuls, Opiter Verginius and Spurius Cassius, first endeavoured to take Pometia by storm, and afterward by means of mantlets [20] and other works.  But the Auruncans, stirred up against them more by an irreconcilable hatred than induced by any hopes of success, or by a favourable opportunity, having sallied forth, more of them armed with lighted torches than swords, filled all places with fire and slaughter.  Having fired the mantlets, slain and wounded many of the enemy, they almost succeeded in slaying one of the consuls, who had been thrown from his horse and severely wounded:  which of them it was, authorities do not mention.  Upon this the Romans returned to the city unsuccessful:  the consul was taken back with many more wounded, with doubtful hope of his recovery.  After a short interval, sufficient for attending to their wounds and recruiting their army, they attacked Pometia with greater fury and increased strength.  When, after the mantlets and the other military works had been repaired, the soldiers were on the point of mounting the walls, the town surrendered.  Yet, though the town had surrendered, the Auruncans were treated with no less cruelty than if it had been taken by assault:  the chief men were beheaded:  the rest, who were colonists, were sold by auction, the town was razed, and the land sold.  The consuls obtained a triumph more from having violently gratified their[21] resentment than in consequence of the importance of the war thus concluded.