overwhelmed with shame by reason of the infamous and unworthy choice
made of senators, had abdicated his office. Appius possessing that
inflexibility Of temper, which, from the earliest times, had been the
characteristic of his family, held on the censorship by himself. By
direction of the same Appius, the Potitian family, in which the office
of priests attendant on the great altar of Hercules was hereditary,
instructed some of the public servants in the rites of that solemnity,
with the intention to delegate the same to them. A circumstance is
recorded, wonderful to be told, and one which should make people
scrupulous of disturbing the established modes of religious
solemnities: for though there were, at that time, twelve branches of
the Potitian family, all grown-up persons, to the number of thirty,
yet they were every one, together with their offspring, cut off within
the year; so that the name of the Potitii became extinct, while the
censor Appius also was, by the unrelenting wrath of the gods, some
years after, deprived of sight.

30. The consuls of the succeeding year were, Caius Junius Bubulcus a
third time, and Quintus Aemilius Barbula a second. In the commencement
of their office, they complained before the people, that, by the
improper choice of members of the senate, that body had been
disgraced, several having been passed over who were preferable to the
persons chosen in; and they declared, that they would pay no regard to
such election, which had been made without distinction of right or
wrong, merely to gratify interest or humour: they then immediately
called over the list of the senate, in the same order which had
existed before the censorship of Appius Claudius and Caius Plautius.
Two public employments, both relating to military affairs, came this
year into the disposal of the people; one being an order, that sixteen
of the tribunes, for four legions, should be appointed by the people;