22.33
About
the same time a Carthaginian spy who for two years had escaped detection
was caught in Rome, and after both his hands were cut off, he was sent
away. Twenty-five slaves who had formed a conspiracy in the Campus
Martius were crucified; the informer had his liberty given to him and 20,000
bronze ases. Ambassadors were sent to Philip, King of Macedon, to demand
the surrender of Demetrius of Pharos, who had taken refuge with him after
his defeat, and another embassy was despatched to the Ligurians to make a
formal complaint as to the assistance they had given the Carthaginian in men
and money, and at the same time to get a nearer view of what was going on
amongst the Boii and the Insubres. Officials were also sent to Pineus, King
of Illyria, to demand payment of the tribute which was now in arrears, or, if
he wished for an extension of time, to accept personal securities for its
payment. So, though they had an immense war on their shoulders, nothing
escaped the attention of the Romans in any part of the world, however
distant. A religious difficulty arose about an unfulfilled vow. On the occasion
of the mutiny amongst the troops in Gaul two years before, the praetor, L.
Manlius, had vowed a temple to Concord, but up to that time no contract
had been made for its construction. Two commissioners were appointed for
the purpose by M. Aemilius, the City praetor, namely, C. Pupius and Caeso
Quinctius Flamininus, and they entered into a contract for the building of the
temple within the precinct of the citadel. The senate passed a resolution that
Aemilius should also write to the consuls asking one of them, if they
approved, to come to Rome to hold the consular elections, and he would
give notice of the elections for whatever day they fixed upon. The consuls
replied that they could not leave the army in the presence of the enemy
without danger to the republic, it would be therefore better for the elections
to be held by an interrex than that a consul should be recalled from the front.
The senate thought it better for a Dictator to be nominated by the consul for
the purpose of holding the elections. L. Veturius Philo was nominated; he
appointed Manlius Pomponius Matho his Master of the Horse. Their election
was found to be invalid, and they were ordered to resign office after holding
it for four days; matters reverted to an interregnum.
