224 POPLICOLA.

highest reputation, was very influential, and left the Claudian house behind him, inferior to none in Rome. The departure of these men rendered things quiet amongst the Sabines; yet the chief of the community would not suffer them to settle into peace, but resented that Clausus now, by turning deserter, should disappoint that revenge upon the Romans, which, while at home, he had unsuccessfully opposed. Coming with a great army, they sat down before Fidenae, and placed an ambuscade of two thousand men near Rome, in wooded and hollow spots, with a design that some few horsemen, as soon as it was day, should go out and ravage the country, com- manding them upon their approach to the town so to retreat as to draw the enemy into the ambush. Poplicola, however, soon advertised of these designs by deserters, disposed his forces to their respective charges. Postu- mius Balbus, his son-in-law, going out with three thou- sand men in the evening, was ordered to take the hills, under which the ambush lay, there to observe their mo- tions ; his colleague, Lucretius, attended with a body of the lightest and boldest men, was appointed to meet the Sabine horse ; whilst he, with the rest of the army, encompassed the enemy. And a thick mist rising acciden- tally, Postumius, early in the morning, with shouts from the hills, assailed the ambuscade, Lucretius charged the light-horse, and Poplicola besieged the camp ; so that on all sides defeat and ruin came upon the Sabines, and without any resistance the Romans killed them in their flight, their very hopes leading them to then* death, for each division, presuming that the other was safe, gave up all thought of fighting or keeping their ground ; and these quitting the camp to retire to the ambuscade, and the ambuscade flying to the camp, fugitives thus met fugi-

tives, and found those from whom they expected succor