39.56
During
the year the proconsul A. Terentius fought some successful actions with the
Celtiberi not far from the Ebro in the Ausetanian country, and stormed
several places which they had fortified there. Further Spain was quiet during
the year owing to the long illness of P. Sempronius, and the Lusitanians,
receiving no provocation, remained, fortunately, quiet. Nor did Q. Fabius do
anything worth mentioning in Liguria. M. Marcellus was recalled from
Histria and his army disbanded. He returned to Rome to conduct the
elections. The new consuls were Cnaeus Baebius Tamphilus and L. Aemilius
Paulus. The latter had been curule aedile with M. Aemilius Lepidus who five
years before had won his consulship after two previous defeats. The new
praetors were Q. Fulvius Flaccus, M. Valerius Laevinus, P. Manlius for the
second time, M. Ogulnius Gallus, L. Caecilius Denter, and C. Terentius
Istra. At the end of the year there were intercessions owing to portents. It
was firmly believed that a rain of blood had fallen for two days in the temple
precinct of Concord, and it was reported that not far from Sicily a new island
had been thrown up by the sea. Valerius Antias is our authority for stating
that Hannibal died this year, and that in addition to T. Quinctius Flamininus,
whose name is well known in connection with that incident, L. Scipio
Asiaticus and P. Scipio Nasica were sent to Prusias on that occasion.
End of Book 39
