35.8
Meanwhile the date of the elections was
approaching, and L. Cornelius, after handing over his command to M.
Claudius, went to Rome. After expatiating in the senate upon his services
and the state in which he had left the province, he took the senators to task
for not having paid due honour to the immortal gods, now that such a
serious war had been terminated by a single victorious battle. He then asked
the House to decree a public thanksgiving, and at the same time a triumph
for him. Before the question was put, however, Q. Metellus, who had filled
the offices of consul and dictator, said that the despatch which L. Cornelius
had sent to the senate and the letter which M. Marcellus had sent to most of
the senators were in conflict with one another, and the discussion of this
question had been adjourned in order that it might take place when the
writers of these letters were present. He had been expecting, therefore, that
the consul, who knew that his lieutenant had made statements reflecting on
him, would bring him with him when he had to come to Rome, especially as
the army ought really to have been handed over to Tiberius Sempronius,
who had the imperium, and not to a staff officer. It seemed now as if the man
had been purposely kept out of the way who could have repeated his written
statements face to face with his opponent and established them if possible,
while any groundless charge he made could have been disproved until at last
the truth had been clearly ascertained. He gave it as his opinion, therefore,
that none of the decrees which the consul asked for should, for the present at
all events, be made. As the consul still persisted in asking the senate to
decree a public thanksgiving and authorise him to ride in triumph through the
City, two of the tribunes of the plebs, M. Titinius and C. Titinius, said that
they would exercise their right of veto if a resolution of the senate were
passed to that effect.
