"
Tullus, on hearing this, was extremely rejoiced, and giving him
his right hand, exclaimed, "rise, Marcius, and be of good courage;
it is a great happiness you bring to Antium, in the present you
make us of yourself; expect everything that is good from the
Volscians." he then proceeded to feast and entertain him with
every display of kindness, and for several days after they were in
close deliberation together on the prospects of a war.
Although the Volscians had sworn to a truce of arms for the space
of two years, the Romans themselves soon furnished them with a
pretence, by making proclamation, out of some jealousy or
slanderous report, at an exhibition of games, that all the
Volscians who had come to see them should depart from the city
before sunset. some affirm that this was a contrivance of Marcius,
who sent a man privately to the consuls, falsely to accuse the
Volscians of intending to fall upon the Romans during the games,
and to set the city on fire. This public affront aroused their
hostility to the Romans; and Tullus, perceiving it, took advantage
of it, aggravating the fact, and working on their indignation,
till he persuaded them, at last, to despatch ambassadors to Rome,
requiring the Romans to restore that part of their country and
those towns which they had taken from the Volscian in the late
war.
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