4.50
When this exclamation of
Postumius was reported to the soldiers it aroused
much more indignation in the camp. "What!" they
said, "is the embezzler of the spoils, the robber,
actually threatening his soldiers with punishment?"
Open as the expressions of resentment were, the
quaestor P. Sestius still thought that the
excitement could be repressed by the same exhibition
of violence by which it had been aroused. A lictor
was sent to a soldier who was shouting, this led to
uproar and disorder. The quaestor was struck by a
stone and got out of the crowd, the man who had hurt
him exclaimed that the quaestor had got what the
commander had threatened the soldiers. Postumius was
sent for to deal with the outbreak; he aggravated
the general irritation by the ruthless way in which
he made his investigations and the cruelty of the
punishments he inflicted. At last, when his rage
exceeded all bounds, and a crowd had gathered at the
cries of those whom he had ordered to be put to
death "under the hurdle," he rushed down from his
tribunal in a frenzy to those who were interrupting
the execution; the lictors and centurions tried in
all directions to disperse the crowd, and drove them
to such a pitch of exasperation that the tribune was
overwhelmed beneath a shower of stones from his own
army. When this dreadful deed was reported at Rome,
the consular tribunes urged the senate to order an
inquiry into the circumstances of the death of their
colleague, but the tribunes of the plebs interposed
their veto. That matter was closely connected with
another subject of dispute. The senate were
apprehensive lest the plebeians, either through
dread of an investigation or from feelings of
resentment, should elect the consular tribunes from
their own body, and they did their utmost
accordingly to secure the election of consuls. As
the tribunes of the plebs would not allow the senate
to pass a decree, and also vetoed the election of
consuls, matters passed to an interregnum. The
victory rested finally with the senate.
