And in the councils of all the states of Etruria the leading men openly stated, "that the Roman power was eternal, unless they were distracted by disturbances among themselves.

That this was the only poison, this the bane discovered for powerful states, to render great empires mortal.
That this evil, a long time retarded, partly by the wise measures of the patricians, partly by the forbearance of the commons, had now proceeded to extremities.

That two states were now formed out of one: that each party had its own magistrates, its own laws.

That though at first they were accustomed to be turbulent during the levies, still that these same individuals had ever been obedient to their commanders during war; that military discipline being still retained, no matter what might be the state of the city, it had been possible to withstand the evil; that now the custom of not obeying their superior followed the Roman soldier even to the camp.

That in the last war in the very field, in the very heat of battle, by consent of the army the victory was voluntarily surrendered to the vanquished AEqui: that the standards were deserted, the general abandoned on the field, and that the army had returned to the camp without orders.