32.29
Before
the consuls and praetors left for their respective provinces steps were taken
to expiate various portents which had been announced. The temples of
Vulcan and Summanus in Rome and one of the gates with a portion of the
wall at Fregellae were struck by lightning; at Frusino the sky became lit up
during the night; at Aesula a two-headed lamb with five feet was born; at
Formiae two wolves entered the town and mauled several people who fell in
their way; at Rome a wolf entered the City and even made his way into the
Capitol. C. Atinius, one of the tribunes of the plebs, carried a proposal for
founding five colonies on the coast, two at the mouths of the Volturnus and
Liternus, one at Puteoli, one at the Castrum Salerni, and finally Buxentum. It
was decided that each colony should consist of 300 households, and three
commissioners were appointed to supervise the settlement. They were to
hold office for three years. The commissioners were M. Servilius Geminus,
Q. Minucius Thermus and Tiberius Sempronius Longus. When they had
raised the required force and completed all the necessary business, both
sacred and secular, both the consuls left for Gaul. Cornelius took the direct
road to the Insubres, who in conjunction with the Cenomani were in arms;
Q. Minucius bent his course to the left side of Italy towards the Adriatic, and
marching his army to Genua began operations in the direction of Liguria.
Two fortified towns, Clastidium and Litubium, both belonging to the
Ligurians, and two of their communities, the Celeiates and the Cerdiciates,
surrendered. All the tribes on this side the Po were now reduced except the
Boii in Gaul and the Ilvates in Liguria. It was stated that 15 fortified towns
and 20,000 men surrendered.