forward into the forum.  He commanded the tribunes to see to it that the tribes cast no more votes.  But on the contrary they ordered the people to continue as they had begun.  Camillus ordered his lictors to break up the assembly and proclaim that if a man lingered in the forum, the dictator would call out every man fit for service and march from Rome.  The tribunes ordered resistance and declared that if the dictator did not instantly recall his lictors and retract his proclamation, they, the tribunes, would, according to their right, subject him to a fine five times larger than the highest rate of the census, as soon as his dictatorship expired.  This was no idle threat, and Camillus retreated so fairly beaten as to abdicate immediately under the pretense of faulty auspices.[17] The plebeians adjourned satisfied with their day’s victory.  But before they could be again convened some influence was brought to bear upon them so that when the four bills were presented only the two concerning land and debts were accepted.  This was nothing less than a fine piece of engineering on the part of the patricians to defeat the whole movement and could have resulted in nothing less.  Licinius was disappointed but not confounded.  With a sneer at the selfishness as well as the blindness of those who had voted only for what they themselves most wanted he bade them take heed that they could not eat if they would not drink.[18] He refused to separate the bills.  The consent to their division would have been equivalent to consenting to the division of the plebeians.  His resolution carried the day.  The liberal patricians as well as the plebeians rallied to his support.  A moderate patrician, a relation of Licinius, was appointed dictator, and a member of the same house was chosen master of the horse.  These events prove that the liberal patricians were in the majority.  Licinius and Sextius were re-elected for the tenth time, A.C. 366, thus proving that the plebeians had decided to eat and drink.[19]

The fourth bill, concerning the decemvirs was almost instantly laid before the tribes and carried through them.  It was accepted by the higher assemblies and thus became a law.  It is not evident why this bill was separated from the others, especially when Licinius had declared that they should not be separated.  Possibly it was to smooth the way for the other three more weighty ones, especially the bill concerning the consulship.[20] There seems to have been an interruption here caused by an invasion of the Gauls.[21] As soon as this was over the struggle began again.  The tribes assembled.  “Will you have our bills?” asked Licinius and Sextius for the last time.  “We will,” was the reply.  It was amid more violent conflicts, however, than had yet arisen that the bills became laws[22] at last.