The consul, vexed at this, ordered the lictors to seize Vindicius. They
forced their way through the crowd, tried to lay hold of him, and struck
those who defended him, but the friends of Valerius stood in front of
him and beat them off, and the people raised a shout for Brutus. He
returned, and when silence was restored said that he had, as a father,
full power to condemn his sons to death, but that as for the other
culprits, their fate should be decided by the free vote of the citizens,
and that any one might come forward and address the people. The people,
however, would listen to no speeches, but voted unanimously for their
death, and they were all beheaded.
Collatinus, it seems, had been viewed with suspicion before because of
his connection with the royal family, and his second name, Tarquinius,
was odious to the people. After these events, having utterly failed as
consul, he voluntarily laid down that office, and left the city. So now
there was another election, and Valerius received the due reward of his
patriotism and was gloriously made consul. Thinking that Vindicius ought
to receive something for his services, he made him a freedman, the first
ever made in Rome, and allowed him to vote in whatever tribe he chose to
be enrolled. The other freedmen were not allowed the suffrage till, long
after, it was given them by Appius to obtain popularity among them. The
whole ceremony is up to the present day called _vindicta_, after
Vindicius, we are told.
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