23.22
When
the senate had done their best -so far as human wisdom could do so -to
make good the losses which Fortune had inflicted in such an uninterrupted
series of disasters, they at last turned their attention to the emptiness of the
Senate-house and the small number of those who attended the national
council. There had been no revision of the roll of the senate since L.
Aemilius and C. Flaminius were censors, though there had been such heavy
losses amongst the senators during the last five years on the field of battle, as
well as from the fatalities and accidents to which all are liable. In compliance
with the unanimous wish, the subject was brought forward by the praetor,
M. Aemilius, in the absence of the Dictator, who after the loss of Casilinum
had rejoined the army. Sp. Carvilius spoke at considerable length about the
dearth of senators, and also the very small number of citizens from whom
senators could be chosen. He went on to say that for the purpose of filling
up the vacancies, and also of strengthening the union between the Latins and
Rome, he should strongly urge that the full citizenship be granted to two
senators out of each Latin city, to be approved by the senate, and that these
men should be chosen into the senate in the place of those who had died.
The senate listened to these proposals with quite as much impatience as they
had previously felt at the demand of the Latins. A murmur of indignation
went through the House. T. Manlius in particular was heard asserting that
there was even still one man of the stock to which that consul belonged who
once in the Capitol threatened that he would kill with his own hand any Latin
whom he saw sitting in the senate. Q. Fabius Maximus declared that no
proposal had ever been mooted in the senate at a more inopportune time
than this; it had been thrown out at a moment when the sympathies of their
allies were wavering and their loyalty doubtful, and it would make them
more restless than ever; those rash inconsiderate words uttered by one man
ought to be stifled by the silence of all men. Whatever secret or sacred
matter had at any time imposed silence on that House, this most of all must
be concealed, buried, forgotten, considered as never having been uttered. All
further allusion to the subject was accordingly suppressed. It was ultimately
decided to nominate as Dictator a man who had been censor before, and was
the oldest man living who had held that office, in order that the roll of
senators might be revised. C. Terentius was recalled to nominate the
Dictator. Leaving a garrison in Apulia he returned to Rome by forced
marches, and the night after his arrival nominated, in accordance with
ancient custom M. Fabius Buteo to act as Dictator for six months without
any Master of the Horse.
