Appius Herdonius summoned the slaves to liberty from the Capitol: "that he had espoused the cause of every most unfortunate individual, in order to bring back to their country those driven out by oppression, and to remove the grievous yoke from the slaves.

That he had rather that were done under the authority of the Roman people.

If there be no hope in that quarter, that he would rouse the Volscians and AEqui, and would try all extremities." [Footnote 121: _Incerto hoste_, it being as yet uncertain who the enemy was.] 16.

The matter began to disclose itself more clearly to the patricians and the consuls; besides those things, however, which were openly declared, they dreaded lest this might be a scheme of the Veientes or Sabines; and, as there were so many of the enemy in the city, lest the Sabine and Etrurian troops might come on according to a concerted plan; and then lest their eternal enemies, the Volscians and AEqui, should come, not to ravage their territories, as before, but to their very city, already in part taken.

Many and various were their fears; among others, the most prominent was their dread of the slaves, lest each might harbour an enemy in his own house, one whom it was neither sufficiently safe to trust, nor to deny[122] confidence to him lest, by not trusting him, he might become more incensed.