History of Rome

​Tullius was already leading his seventh first century, nor was there in the army a man more noble in his deeds, among those at least who had served in the infantry.

​He, preceding the line of soldiers, went to the tribunal, and Sulpicius was wondering not more at the crowd than at Tullius, the leader of the crowd, ​a soldier most obedient to commands, when he said: “If it is permitted to speak, dictator, the entire army, thinking that they have been condemned by you for cowardice, and almost abandoned without arms for the sake of ignominy, has entreated me to plead their cause before you.

​Indeed, even if we could be charged with having yielded ground anywhere, with having turned our backs to the enemy, or with having shamefully lost our standards, yet I should think it fair to obtain this from you, that you should allow us to correct our fault by courage and to wipe out the memory of our disgrace by new glory.

​Even the legions routed at the Allia, having afterwards set out from Veii, recovered by their courage the same homeland which they had lost through panic. For us, by the favor of the gods, and by your good fortune and that of the Roman people, both our strength and our glory are unimpaired.

​Although I should hardly dare to speak of glory, if the enemy mock us with every insult, hidden behind the rampart no differently than women, and you, our commander—which we bear with greater pain—judge your army to be without spirit, without weapons, without hands, and, before you had tested us, despaired of us so much that you judged yourself to be a commander of the maimed and the weak. For what other cause should we believe there is, ​why you, a veteran commander, most brave in war, should sit, as they say, with folded hands?

​For however the matter stands, it is truer that you seem to have doubted our courage than we yours. But if that plan of yours is not yours, but public, and some agreement of the patricians, and not the Gallic war, keeps us sent away from the city and from our household gods, I beg that you consider the things I shall say as spoken not by soldiers to their commander, but by the plebeians to the patricians—and if the plebeians should say that, just as you have your plans, so they will have theirs, who, pray, would be angry?

—that we are soldiers, not your slaves, sent to war, not into exile? That if anyone should give the signal and lead us into battle, we will fight as is worthy of men and Romans? That if there is no need of arms, we will spend our leisure at Rome rather than in the camp?

​Let these things be said to the patricians; of you, commander, we, your soldiers, beg that you give us the opportunity of fighting. We desire not only to win, but to win under your leadership, to present you with the glorious laurel, to enter the city with you in triumph, and following your chariot, to approach the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, giving thanks and rejoicing.”

​The prayers of the multitude followed the speech of Tullius, and from all sides they were shouting that he should give the signal, that he should order them to take up arms.