CHAPTER IX.

CORIOLANUS AND CINCINNATUS.

B.C. 458.

All the time these struggles were going on between the patricians and the plebeians at home, there were wars with the neighboring tribes, the Volscians, the Veians, the Latins, and the Etruscans. Every spring the fighting men went out, attacked their neighbors, drove off their cattle, and tried to take some town; then fought a battle, and went home to reap the harvest, gather the grapes and olives in the autumn, and attend to public business and vote for the magistrates in the winter. They were small wars, but famous men fought in them. In a war against the Volscians, when Cominius was consul, he was besieging a city called Corioli, when news came that the men of Antium were marching against him, and in their first attack on the walls the Romans were beaten off, but a gallant young patrician, descended from the king Ancus Marcius, Caius Marcius by name, rallied them and led them back with such spirit that the place was taken before the hostile army came up; then he fought among the foremost and gained the victory. When he was brought to the consul's tent covered with wounds, Cominius did all he could to show his gratitude--set on the young man's head the crown of victory, gave him the surname of Coriolanus in honor of his exploits, and granted him the tenth part of the spoil of ten prisoners. Of them, however, Coriolanus only accepted one, an old friend of the family, whom he set at liberty at once. Afterwards, when there was a great famine in Rome, Coriolanus led an expedition to Antium, and brought away quantities of corn and cattle, which he distributed freely, keeping none for himself.

1. Who was consul during the war with the Volscians?
2. Who was he besieging?
3. Called what?
4. What did he find out?
5. Who was fought off?
6. Who was a descendant of Ancus Marcius?
7. Who won?
8. What year was this?
9. A.C.?
10. B.C.?
11. What were the 2 groups fighting at home?
12. What other conflict were there?
13. Which ones?
14. What else?
15. Any others?
16. Who else?
17. What kind of things were harvested?
18. What else did the men do at home?
19. Anything else?
20. What time of year did they fight?

Numbered answers:
1. Cominius was
2. a city
3. Corioli
4. the men of Antium were marching against him
5. the Romans
6. Caius Marcius
7. Coriolanus
8. 458
9. No
10. Yes
11. the patricians and the plebeians
12. wars with the neighboring tribes
13. the Volscians
14. the Veians
15. the Latins
16. the Etruscans
17. grapes and olives
18. attend to public business
19. vote for the magistrates
20. Every spring