# CHAPTER XXVIII.—_That to neglect the redress of Grievances, whether public or private, is dangerous for a Prince or Commonwealth._

Certain Gauls coming to attack Etruria, and more particularly Clusium
its chief city, the citizens of Clusium sought aid from Rome; whereupon
the Romans sent the three Fabii, as envoys to these Gauls, to notify to
them, in the name of the Roman people, that they must refrain from
making war on the Etruscans. From what befell the Romans in connection
with this embassy, we see clearly how far men may be carried in
resenting an affront. For these envoys arriving at the very moment when
the Gauls and Etruscans were about to join battle, being readier at
deeds than words, took part with the Etruscans and fought in their
foremost ranks. Whence it came that the Gauls recognizing the Roman
envoys, turned against the Romans all the hatred which before they had
felt for the Etruscans; and grew still more incensed when on making
complaint to the Roman senate, through their ambassador, of the wrong
done them, and demanding that the Fabii should be given up to them in
atonement for their offence, not merely were the offenders not given up
or punished in any way, but, on the contrary, when the comitia met were
created tribunes with consular powers. But when the Gauls found these
men honoured who deserved to be chastised, they concluded that what had
happened had been done by way of slight and insult to them, and,
burning with fury and resentment, hastened forward to attack Rome,
which they took with the exception of the Capitol.

Now this disaster overtook the Romans entirely from their disregard of
justice. For their envoys, who had violated the law of nations, and had
therefore deserved punishment, they had on the contrary treated with
honour. And this should make us reflect, how carefully all princes and
commonwealths ought to refrain from committing like wrongs, not only
against communities, but also against particular men. For if a man be
deeply wronged, either by a private hand or by a public officer, and be
not avenged to his satisfaction, if he live in a republic, he will seek
to avenge himself, though in doing so he bring ruin on his country; or
if he live under a prince, and be of a resolute and haughty spirit, he
will never rest until he has wreaked his resentment against the prince,
though he knows it may cost him dear. Whereof we have no finer or truer
example than in the death of Philip of Macedon, the father of
Alexander. For Pausanias, a handsome and high-born youth belonging to
Philip’s court, having been most foully and cruelly dishonoured by
Attalus, one of the foremost men of the royal household, repeatedly
complained to Philip of the outrage; who for a while put him off with
promises of vengeance, but in the end, so far from avenging him,
promoted Attalus to be governor of the province of Greece. Whereupon,
Pausanias, seeing his enemy honoured and not punished, turned all his
resentment from him who had outraged, against him who had not avenged
him, and on the morning of the day fixed for the marriage of Philip’s
daughter to Alexander of Epirus, while Philip walked between the two
Alexanders, his son and his son-in-law, towards the temple to celebrate
the nuptials, he slew him.

This instance nearly resembles that of the Roman envoys; and offers a
warning to all rulers never to think so lightly of any man as to
suppose, that when wrong upon wrong has been done him, he will not
bethink himself of revenge, however great the danger he runs, or the
punishment he thereby brings upon himself.