A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

" Woe to
the vanquished!
"
Plutarch,
Camillus, 28.
Camillus
comes to the
rescue.
Plutarch,
Camillus, 29.
3^4 The Early Republic
and timid ; and now rendered wakeful and wild by hunger,
they quickly perceived the Gauls climbing up, and rushing
noisily to the place, awoke the garrison.
The Gauls, feeling that they were discovered, no longer
preserved silence, but violently assaulted the place. The
Romans snatched whatever arms came first to hand and
ran to repel them.
First of all Manlius, a man of consular
rank, strong of body and full of courage, fell in with two of
the enemy. As one of them lifted up his battle-axe, Manlius
cut off the right hand with his sword, while he dashed
his shield into another's face and threw him backward
down the cliff. Then he stood upon the wall, and with the
help of those who gathered round him, beat off the rest, for
not many had reached the top or effected anything equal
to the boldness of the attempt.
After thus escaping the
danger, the Romans threw their sentinel down the rock,
whereas on Manlius they conferred by vote a reward for
his bravery.
(Afterward the Romans on the Capitoline Mount came
to terms with the enemy.)
Brennus, the Gallic chief, and
Sulpicius, a Roman leader of the commons, met, and it was
agreed that the Romans should pay a thousand pounds of
gold, and that on receiving it, the Gauls should at once
leave the country. Both parties swore to observe these
conditions; but while the gold was being weighed, the
Gauls at first stealthily tampered with the scales and then
openly pulled the beam, so that the Romans became angry.
Thereupon Brennus insolently took off his sword and belt
and threw them into the scale; and when Sulpicius asked,
"What is this?" he replied, "Woe to the vanquished!"
While the Romans were thus disputing with the Gauls
and with one another, Camillus with his army was at the
gates.
Learning what was going on within, he ordered the