35.10
The
year was now drawing to a close and the canvassing for the consular
elections was keener than had ever been known before. There were many
strong candidates, both patrician and plebeian, in the field. The patrician
candidates were P. Cornelius, the son of Cneius Scipio, who had lately
returned from his province in Spain with a brilliant record; L. Quinctius
Flamininus, who had commanded the fleet off Greece, and Cn. Manlius
Volso. The plebeian candidates were C. Laelius, Cn. Domitius, C. Livius
Salinator and Manius Acilius. But all men's eyes were turned to Quinctius
and Cornelius, for as they were both patricians they were competing for the
same place and they each possessed strong recommendations, for each had
covered himself with military glory. But it was the brothers of the two
candidates who most of all made the contest such an exciting one, for they
were the two most brilliant commanders of their day. Scipio had the more
splendid reputation, but its very splendour exposed him all the more to
jealousy; Quinctius' reputation was of more recent growth, as his triumph
had been celebrated during the year. Moreover, the former had been
continually before the public eye for nearly ten years, a circumstance which
tends to diminish the reverence felt for great men as people become surfeited
with their praises. He had been made consul for the second time after his
final defeat of Hannibal, and also censor. In the case of Quinctius, all his
claims to popular favour were founded upon his recent successes; since his
triumph he had not sought for nor received anything from the people. He
said that he was canvassing for his own brother, not for a step-brother; for
one who had as lieutenant shared with him the management of the war;
whilst he commanded on land his brother commanded at sea. By these
arguments he succeeded in beating his competitor, though his competitor
was supported by his brother Africanus, by the house of the Cornelii -it was
a Cornelius who was conducting the election -and by the splendid
testimonial which the senate gave when they pronounced Africanus to be the
best man among all the citizens and most worthy to receive the Mater Idaea
on her arrival from Pessinus. L. Quinctius and Cneius Domitius Ahenobarbus
were the two elected, so that even in the case of the plebeian candidate C.
Laelius, Scipio, who had been working for him, was unable to secure his
return. The next day the praetors were elected. The successful candidates
were L. Scribonius Libo, M. Fulvius Centumalus, A. Atilius Serranus, M.
Baebius Tamphilus, L. Valerius Tappo and Q. Salonius Sarra. M. Aemilius
Lepidus and L. Aemilius Paulus distinguished themselves as aediles this year.
They inflicted fines on a large number of graziers, and out of the proceeds
they had gold-plated shields made, which they placed on the pediment of the
temple of Jupiter. They also built an arcade outside the Porta Trigemina, and
in connection with it a wharf on the Tiber, and a second arcade leading from
the Porta Fontinalis to the altar of Mars in the Campus Martius.
