240 MARCELLUS.

their own forces, raised from among the other Gaul? aids of mercenary soldiers, called Gsesata?. And it was a sort of miracle, and special good fortune for Rome, that the Gallic war was not coincident with the Punic, but that the Gauls had with fidelity stood quiet as spectators, while the Punic war continued, as though they had been imder en- gagements to await and attack the victors, and now only were at liberty to come forward. Still the position itself, and the ancient renown of the Gauls, struck no little fear into the minds of the Romans, who were about to under- take a war so near home and upon their own borders ; and regarded the Gaiils, because they had once taken their city, with more apprehension than any people, as is apparent from the enactment which from that time forth provided, that the high-priests should enjoy an exemi> tion from all military duty, except only in Gallic insur- rections. The great preparations, also, made by the Romans for war, (for it is not reported that the people of Rome ever had at one time so many legions in arms, either before or since,) and their extraordinary sacrifices, were plain argu- ments of their fear. For though they were most averse to barbarous and cruel rites, and entertained more than any nation the same pious and reverent sentiments of the gods with the Greeks ; yet, when this war was coming upon them, they then, from some prophecies in the Sibyls' books, put alive under ground a pair of Greeks, one male, the other female ; and likewise two Gauls, one of each sex, in the market called the beastrmarket : * con- tinuing even to this day to offer to these Greeks and Gauls certain secret ceremonial observances in the month of November. In the beginning of this war, in which the Romans sometimes obtained remarkable victories, sometimes were • The Forum Boarinm.