23.3
The women also, by private agreement amongst themselves, mourned a whole year for him, with a mourning which was honourable and enviable. In the following year, Agrippa Menemus and P. Postumius being consuls, P. Valerius, by universal consent the foremost Roman in the arts of war and peace, died, in the height of his glory, but so poor that means to defray his funeral expenses were lacking. He was therefore buried at the public charge, and the matrons mourned for him as they had done for Brutus (Livy, ii. 16, 7). He was buried, too, by express vote of the citizens, within the city, near the so-called Velia,See chapter x. 2. and all his family were to have privilege of burial there. Now, however, none of the family is actually buried there, but the body is carried thither and set down, and some one takes a burning torch and molds it under the bier for an instant, and then takes it away, attesting by this act that the deceased has the right of burial there, but relinquishes the honour. After this the body is borne away.
