35.9
The
censors who had been elected during the previous year were Sextus Aelius
Paetus and C. Cornelius Cethegus. Cornelius closed the lustrum. The
assessment returns gave the number of citizens as 243,704. There was an
enormous rainfall that year and the low-lying parts of the City were
inundated by the Tiber. Near the Porta Flumentana some buildings collapsed
and fell in ruins. The Porta Coelimontana was struck by lightning and the
wall adjacent was struck in several places. At Aricia and Lanuvium and on
the Aventine there were showers of stones. It was reported from Capua that
a huge swarm of wasps flew into the forum and settled in the temple of
Mars, and that they were carefully collected and burnt. In consequence of
these portents the Keepers of the Sacred Books were ordered to consult
them. Sacrifices were offered for nine days, public intercessions were
appointed and the City underwent lustration. During this time M. Porcius
Cato dedicated the chapel of Victoria Virgo near the temple of Victory,
which he had vowed two years previously. During the year a Latin colony
was settled at the Castrum Frentinum in the territory of Thurium. The
commissioners who superintended the colonisation were A. Manlius Volso,
L. Apustius Fullo and Q. Aelius Tubero, the latter of whom had brought in
the bill for its settlement. The colonists comprised 3000 infantry and 300
cavalry, a small number in proportion to the amount of land available. Thirty
jugera might have been allotted to each infantryman and 60 to each of the
cavalry, but on the advice of Apustius a third of the land was reserved,
which could, were it desired, be assigned to fresh colonists. The infantry
received 20 jugera and the cavalry 40 each.