From Book 2

[2.1] [509 VC] Brutus made the people swear that they would never tolerate that someone would be king in Rome.

[2.2] He forced his colleague Tarquinius Collatinus, who was suspect because of his relation to the Tarquinii, to give up consulate and citizenship.

[2.3] He ordered the possessions of the king to be destroyed, and dedicated the land to Mars; it is called Field of Mars.

[2.4] He ordered the decapitation of young noblemen, among whom were his own and his brother's sons, because they had conspired to bring back the kings.

[2.5] The slave who had denounced the conspiracy, whose name was Vindicius, was given freedom. (From his name, the word for release is derived.)

[2.6] When he^note[Brutus.] lead an army against the kings, who had started a war with the united troops from Veii and Tarquinii, he died in a duel together with Arruns, the son of Superbus; the married women mourned for a year.

[2.7] Consul Publius Valerius [Publicola] granted the people the right of appeal.

[2.8] The Capitol was dedicated.

[2.9] [508 VC] When king Porsenna of Clusium, continuing the war on behalf of the Tarquinii, arrived on the Janiculum, he was unable to cross the Tiber because of the bravery of Horatius Cocles,

[2.10] who, when others destroyed the wooden bridge, single-handed resisted the Etruscansand, when the bridge collapsed, jumped, still carrying his arms, into the river and swam to his friends.

[2.11] Another example of courage was that of Mucius [Scaevola],

[2.12] who entered the enemy camp to kill Porsenna, but slew his scribe (whom he believed to be the king), was arrested and held his hand on an altar, which was used for sacrifices, let his hand burn and declared that there were three hundred men like him.

[2.13] Impressed by their courage, Porsenna opened negotiations and put an end to the war when he received hostages.

[2.14] One of them was a young woman named Cloelia, who deceived her guards, swam to her relatives, and, when she had been sent back, was honorably released by Porsenna and received an equestrian statue.

[2.15] [496 VC] Dictator Aulus Postumius successfully fought against Tarquinius Superbus, who continued the war with the army of Latins.

[2.16] [504 VC] Appius Claudius migrated from the Sabines to Rome.

[2.17] Because of this, the Claudian district was created, and the number of district was expanded to twenty.

[2.18] [494 VC] When, because of the servitude of debtors, the plebs seceded to the Holy Mountain, they came back from their rebellion after receiving advise from Menenius Agrippa.

[2.19] When this man died, he received a state funeral, because he was so poor.

[2.20] Five tribunes of the plebs were created.

[2.21] [492 VC] Corioli, a Volscian town, was captured by the talent and work of Gnaeus Marcius, who was surnamed Coriolanus.

[2.22] [491 VC] When Titus Latinius, a plebeian, had been warned in a vision that he had to inform the Senate about some religious affair, and neglected his duty, he lost his son and his feet were lame, but when he was carried to the Senate on a bed and informed them, he regained the command of his feet and returned home.

[2.23] [488 VC] When Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus, who had been exiled, was made leader of the Volscians and led an enemy army against the city, first envoys were sent, then priests, begging him not to attack his own country, but he did not return until his mother Veturia and wife Volumnia asked the same.

[2.24] [486 VC] The first agrarian bill was passed.

[2.25] Former consul Spurius Cassius was condemned for attempting to become king and was killed.

[2.26] [484 VC] The Vestal virgin Opillia [Oppia] was buried alive because of unchastity.

[2.27] [479 VC] When the neighboring Veientans became more irritating than dangerous, the Fabius family asked to be charged with the war, and sent out three hundred and six armed men, who were killed by the enemies near the river Cremera, except for one.

[2.28] [470 VC] Consul Appius Claudius unsuccessfully fought against the Volscians because his army did not obey him, and ordered that one of every ten soldiers should be killed with rods.

[2.29] It^note[Book 2.] also contains accounts of the wars against the Volscians, Hernicians, and Veientans, and the struggle between the patricians and the plebs.