39.38
In the
assignment of provinces at the commencement of the year to the consuls and
praetors, Liguria, the only country where war was going on, was assigned to
the consuls. The allocation of provinces to the praetors was as follows: the
civic jurisdiction fell to C. Decimius Flavus; the alien, P. Cornelius Cethegus;
C. Sempronius Blaesus took Sicily; Q. Naevius Matho, Sardinia, and also the
investigation into the alleged cases of poisoning; A. Terentius Varro, Hither
Spain, and P. Sempronius Longus, Further Spain. From these two
last-mentioned provinces, two representatives of the praetors -L. Juventius
Thalna and T. Quinctius Varus -went to Rome and after explaining to the
senate the magnitude of the war in Spain which had now been terminated,
they made a request that for such a great success, honours should be paid to
the immortal gods and the praetors allowed to bring home their army. A two
days' thanksgiving was appointed; as to the return of the legions, the senate
ordered the matter to be adjourned till the question of the armies for the
consuls and praetors was considered. A few days later a decree was made
transferring to each of the consuls two of the legions which Appius Claudius
and M. Sempronius had had. The question of the armies in Spain gave rise to
a serious dispute between the new praetors and the friends of the praetors in
Spain. Each side was supported by tribunes of the plebs and by one of the
consuls. The one party threatened to veto any senatorial decree which
ordered the return of the armies; the other side declared that if such a veto
took place, they would stop all further business. The interests of the praetors
abroad proved the stronger, and a resolution was passed by the senate that
the new praetors should enrol 4000 Roman infantry and 300 cavalry, and
from the Latin allies 5000 infantry and 500 cavalry, as the force which they
were to take with them. When they had incorporated them with the four
legions in Spain, so that each legion should not contain more than 5000
infantry and 300 cavalry, they were to discharge the remainder; first, those
who had served their time, and then those who had shown exceptional
bravery in battle under Calpurnius and Quinctius.
