Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 10
D. Spillan, A.M., M.D., Cyrus Evans, Ed.

21. The depredations, committed on the lands of Campania, had occasioned a violent alarm at Rome; [2] and it happened, that about the same time intelligence was brought from Etruria, that, after the departure of Volumnius's army, all that country had risen up in arms; and that Gellius Egnatius, the leader of the Samnites, was causing the Umbrians to join in the insurrection, and tempting the Gauls with high offers. [3] Terrified at this news, the senate ordered the courts of justice to be shut, and a levy to be made of men of every description. [4] Accordingly not only free-born men and the younger sort were obliged to enlist, but cohorts were formed of the elder citizens, and the sons of freed-men were incorporated in the centuries. Plans were formed for the defence of the city, and the praetor, Publius Sempronius, was invested with the chief command. [5] However, the senate was exonerated of one half of their anxiety, by a letter from the consul, Lucius Volumnius, informing them that the army, which had ravaged Campania, had been defeated and dispersed: whereupon, they decreed a public thanksgiving for this success, in the name of the consul. [6] The courts were opened, after having been shut eighteen days, and the thanksgiving was performed with much joy. [7] They then turned their thoughts to devising measures for the future security of the country depopulated by the Samnites; and, with this view, it was resolved, that two colonies should be settled on the frontiers of the Vescian and Falernian territories; [8] one at the mouth of the river Liris, which has received the name of Minturnae; the other in the Vescian forest, which borders on the Falernian territory; where, it is said, stood Sinope, a city of Grecians, called thenceforth by the Roman colonists Sinuessa. [9] The plebeian tribunes were charged to procure an order of the commons, commanding Publius Sempronius, the praetor, to create triumvirs for conducting the colonies to those places. [10] But persons were not readily found to give in their names; because they considered that they were being sent into what was almost a perpetual advanced guard in a hostile country, not as a provision [p. 656]of land. [11] From these employments, the attention of the senate was drawn away by the Etrurian war, growing now more formidable; and by frequent letters from Appius, warning them not to neglect the disturbances in that quarter. [12] That four nations were uniting their arms, the Etrurians, the Samnites, the Umbrians, and the Gauls; and they had already formed two separate camps, because one spot was insufficient to contain so great a multitude. [13] In consequence, the time of the elections drawing nigh, the consul, Lucius Volumnius, was recalled to Rome, to hold them. Having summoned an assembly of the people before he should call the centuries to give their votes, he spoke at length on the great importance of the Etrurian war, and said, that “even at the time when he himself acted there, in conjunction with his colleague, the war was too weighty to be managed by one general or one army; [14] and that it was now reported, that the Umbrians had since that time joined them, and a numerous body of Gauls.” [15] He desired them to “bear in mind, that consuls were on that day to be chosen, who were to command in a war against four nations. For his own part, were he not confident that the Roman people would concur in appointing to the consulship the man who was allowed, beyond dispute, to be the first commander at present in the world, he would have immediately nominated a dictator.”