Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita 3.46.5–7

Verginia's supporters dispatch riders to summon Verginius from camp while Icilius deliberately stalls over the question of sureties, buying time as the crowd offers to stand surety for him en masse.

 

Tier 1

Cum tempus iniuriae retentum esset et advocati puellae reliquissent, id constitutum est ut primum omnium duos industrios iuvenes, fratrem Icili et filium Numitoris, pergere ab eo loco recta ad portam, et Verginium vocari e castris quam celerrime;

Salutem puellae est in eo consilio. Is, qui Verginiam ab iniuria defendere potest, esse praesto ad tempus debet. Nuntii iussi pergunt rapidis equis et perferunt nuntium ad Verginium.

Cum Marcus Claudius, proclamans se esse dominus Verginiae, postularet ut Icilius clamationem faciat et daret sponsores. Icilius dicebat id ipsum adi, terrens tempus caute, ut nuntii in castra praeciperent. Omnes cives praesentes manum suam tollebant, et quisque se paratum esse ad spondendum (to sponsor, offer surety for) Icilio ostendebat.

Written by Robert Amstutz

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