23.20
The
town of Casilinum was given back to the Campanians, and a garrison of 700
men from Hannibal's army was placed in it in case the Romans should attack
it after Hannibal's departure. The senate decreed that double pay and an
exemption for five years from further service should be granted to the
Praenestine troops. They were also offered the full Roman citizenship, but
they preferred not to change their status as citizens of Praeneste. There is
more obscurity as to what happened to the Perusians, as there is no light
thrown upon it by any monument of their own or any decree of the senate.
The people of Petelia, who alone of all the Bruttii had remained friendly to
Rome, were now attacked not only by the Carthaginians, who were
overrunning that district, but also by the rest of the Bruttii who had adopted
the opposite policy. Finding themselves helpless in the presence of all these
dangers, they sent envoys to Rome to ask for support. The senate told them
that they must look after themselves, and on hearing this they broke into
tears and entreaties and flung themselves on the floor of the vestibule. Their
distress excited the deep sympathy of both senate and people, and the
praetor, M. Aemilius asked the senators to reconsider their decision. After
making a careful survey of the resources of the empire, they were compelled
to admit that they were powerless to protect their distant allies. They advised
the envoys to return home and now that they had proved their loyalty to the
utmost they must adopt such measures as their present circumstances
demanded. When the result of their mission was reported to the Petelians,
their senate was so overcome by grief and fear that some were in favour of
deserting the city and seeking refuge wherever they could, others thought
that as they had been abandoned by their old allies they had better join the
rest of the Bruttii and surrender to Hannibal. The majority, however, decided
that no rash action should be taken, and that the question should be further
debated. When the matter came up the next day a calmer tone prevailed and
their leading statesmen persuaded them to collect all their produce and
possessions from the fields and put the city and the walls into a state of
defence.
