44.18
It very
soon became clear to everybody that L. Aemilius was not going to show any
lack of energy in the prosecution of the war; amongst other proofs of this
was the exclusive attention he gave night and day to everything that had to
do with it. The very first thing he did was to ask the senate to send a
commission to Macedonia to inspect the armies and the fleet and to report
from their own personal knowledge what was required for the land and sea
forces. They were also to find out what they could about the king's troops
and how much of the country was under our control and how much under
the king's, and whether the Romans were still encamped in mountainous and
difficult country, or whether they had cleared all the passes and reached open
country. Then with regard to our allies they were to ascertain who were still
faithful, who were making their fidelity depend upon the issue of the war,
and what States were openly hostile. They were further to find out what
amount of supplies had been accumulated; from what sources further
supplies could be brought by land or sea; and what were the results of the
year's campaign by land and sea. When accurate information on these points
had been received, it would be possible to form definite plans for the future.
The senate authorised the consul Cn. Servilius to send as commissioners into
Macedonia those whom L. Aemilius approved of. Those selected were C.
Domitius Ahenobarbus, A. Licinius Nerva, and L. Baebius. They started in
two days' time. As the year was closing, reports came in of two showers of
stones: one in the Roman district, the other on Veientine ground.
Intercessions and sacrifices were offered for nine days on each occasion.
Two members of the priesthood died this year: P. Quinctilius Varus, a
Flamen of Mars, and M. Claudius Marcellus, a keeper of the Sacred Books.
Cn. Octavius was appointed in his place. It has been noted as a sign of the
increasing scale on which the Circus games were conducted that in those of
the curule aediles P. Cornelius Scipio Nasica and P. Lentulus, sixty-three
African panthers and forty bears and elephants formed part of the show.
