Leaf from a handwritten fifteenth century History of Rome / by Livy. English translation of: Leaf from a handwritten fifteenth century History of Rome / by Livy. Luz-Alterman, Jeffrey. (OBVERSE) Livy, Book VII, chapters 28-29 ... had the spirit of pirates. Firstly, in this manner the conflict was brought to an end. Nevertheless, the dictator, because they had brought on the war and carried themselves in the fight without shirking, turned also to the gods for assistance: between bouts of fighting, he promised a temple to Juno Moneta. This finalized the outcome. With victory, he returned to Rome and abdicated his office. The Senate ordered two officers to create the temple commensurate with the greatness of the Roman people. A site was fixed within the Citadel, where once the house of M. Manlius Capitolinus had stood. The consuls used the dictator's army for war against the Volsci and by launching a reckless attack took Sora from the enemy. In the subsequent year, the temple of Moneta was vowed and dedicated, when C. Marcius Rutulus was consul for the third time and T. Manlius Torquatus was consul for the second. Immediately, a prophetic sign followed the dedication, like the ancient sign of Mount Alban: for it rained stones and night's curtain was seen to stretch into day, and when the books were consulted with due diligence the city was filled with fear. The Senate resolved to appoint a dictator to decide a period of festival. They appointed P. Valerius Publicola and Q. Fabius Ambustus as Master of the Horse. They decreed that not only the Roman tribes but the adjoining nations too go to make supplications and they set out an order on which day each would pray. The next year, the people handed down grave judgements against usurers who were prosecuted by the aediles. And the state for no remembered reason, reverted to an interregnum. At the end of the interregnum, and this may be why it was created, both elected consuls were patricians: M. Valerius Corvus for the third time, and A. Cornelius Cossus. Henceforth, wars of greater magnitude in that the enemies were strong, that they came from distant lands, and that the wars lasted for great periods of time, must be related. For in this year, war came with the Samnites, a people strong in arms and in raw materials. And when the war with the Samnites ended, war with Pyrrhus began with varying success, and war with Carthage followed that. How great the weight of these events! How often to come into extreme danger so that the greatness of the empire might be raised to the level where it might hardly be maintained. But the cause of the war between the Samnites and the Romans, who had been allies, came from without and did not arise from within themselves. Being stronger and better armed, the Samnites unjustly attacked the helpless Sidicini who were shortly driven to seek aid from the wealthy Campani. The Campani brought reputation but no real strength to their allies. Enfeebled by luxury, they had encountered a people made strong by use of arms and they were beaten in the fields of Sidicino. After being defeated, the Samnites ignored the Sidicini and brought war against the Campani, the bastion of their neighbors, from whom they would as easily win victory but here with greater glory and more plunder. They captured the Tifata hills overlooking Capua, defended them well, and climbed in battle-array down from that place and onto the plain that lies between Capua and the Tifata hills. b28 Text