[Marcus] Mallius, a patrician; when the Celts were attacking Rome, he saved that [city] and was deemed worthy of the greatest honors.[1] Later, noticing an old man who had often served as a soldier being taken into bondage by a money-lender, he repaid the debt on his behalf and gaining a good reputation among everyone he waived the debts of his own debtors. Advancing in reputation, he also repaid [debts] on behalf of others and urged on by his popularity he now advised universal cancellations of debts, or he asked the people to return to the lenders the land that was still unreturned and undistributed to this point.