And on the present occasion I would gladly remain quiet and silent, were not the present struggle also appertaining to my country's interests, to be wanting to which, as long as life lasts, were base in others, in Camillus impious.

For why have we recovered it?
Why have we rescued it when besieged out of the hands of the enemy, if we ourselves desert it when recovered?
And when, the Gauls being victorious, the entire city captured, both the gods and the natives of Rome still retained and inhabited the Capitol and citadel, shall even the citadel and the Capitol be deserted, now when the Romans are victorious and the city has been recovered?
And shall our prosperous fortune cause more desolation to this city than our adverse caused?
Truly if we had no religious institutions established together with the city, and regularly transmitted down to us, still the divine power has so manifestly interested itself in behalf of the Roman state on the present trying occasion, that I should think that all neglect of the divine worship was removed from the minds of men.

For consider the events of these latter years one after the other, whether prosperous or adverse; you will find that all things succeeded favourably with us whilst we followed the gods, and unfavourably when we neglected them.

Now, first of all the Veientian war--of how many years' duration, with what immense labour waged!--was not brought to a termination, until the water was discharged from the Alban lake by the admonition of the gods.

What, in the name of heaven, regarding this recent calamity of our city?
did it arise, until the voice sent from heaven concerning the approach of the Gauls was treated with slight?
until the law of nations was violated by our ambassadors, and until such violation was passed over by us with the same indifference towards the gods, when it should have been punished by us?
Accordingly vanquished, made captives and ransomed, we have suffered such punishments at the hands of gods and men, as that we are now a warning to the whole world.