For these reasons, the conspirators judged it prudent not to test
the general feeling; but the boldest of their faction fell upon
Marcius in a body, and slew him there, none of those that were
present offering to defend him. But it quickly appeared that the
action was in nowise approved of by the majority of the Volscians,
who hurried out of their several cities to show respect to his
corpse; to which they gave honorable interment, adorning his
sepulchre with arms and trophies, as the monument of a noble hero
and a famous general. When the Romans heard tidings of his death,
they gave no other signification either of honor or of anger
toward him, but simply granted the request of the women, that they
might put themselves into mourning and bewail him for ten months,
as the usage was upon the loss of a father or a son or a brother;
that being the period fixed for the longest lamentation by the
laws of Numa Pompilius.
Marcius was no sooner deceased, than the Volscians felt the need
of his assistance. They quarreled first with the Aequians, their
confederates and friends, about the appointment of the general of
their joint forces, and carried their dispute to the length of
bloodshed and slaughter; and were then defeated by the Romans in a
pitched battle, where not only Tullus lost his life, but the
flower of their whole army was cut to pieces; so that they were
forced to submit and accept of peace upon very dishonorable terms,
becoming subjects of Rome, and pledging themselves to submission.
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