23.31
The
first day the senate met for business at the Capitol they passed a decree that
the war-tax for that year should be doubled, and that half the whole amount
should be collected at once to furnish pay for all the soldiers, except those
who had been present at Cannae. As regarded the armies they decreed that
Ti. Sempronius should fix a day on which the two City legions were to
muster at Cales, and that they should march from there to Claudius' camp
above Suessula. The legions there, mostly made up from the army which
fought at Cannae, were to be transferred by App. Claudius Pulcher to Sicily
and the legions in Sicily were to be brought to Rome. M. Claudius Marcellus
was sent to take command of the army which had been ordered to assemble
at Cales and he received orders to conduct it to Claudius' camp. Ti.
Maecilius Croto was sent by App. Claudius to take over the old army and
conduct it to Sicily. At first people waited in silent expectation for the consul
to hold an Assembly for the election of a colleague, but when they saw that
M. Marcellus, whom they particularly wished to have as consul this year
after his brilliant success as praetor, was kept out of the way, murmurs
began to be heard in the Senate-house. When the consul became aware of
this he said, "It is to the interest of the State, senators, that M. Claudius has
gone into Campania to effect the exchange of armies, and it is equally to the
interest of the State that notice of election should not be given until he has
discharged the commission entrusted to him and returned home, so that you
may have for your consul the man whom the circumstances of the republic
call for and whom you most of all wish for." After this nothing more was
said about the election till Marcellus returned.
Meanwhile the two commissioners were appointed for the
dedication of temples: T. Otacilius Crassus dedicated the temple to Mens, Q.
Fabius Maximus the one to Venus Erycina. Both are on the Capitol,
separated only by a water channel. In the case of the three hundred
Campanian knights, who after loyally serving their time in Sicily had now
come to Rome, a proposal was made to the people that they should receive
the full rights of Roman citizenship and should be entered on the roll of the
burghers of Cumae, reckoning from the day previous to the revolt of the
Campanians from Rome. The main reason for this proposal was their
declaration that they did not know to what people they belonged, as they had
abandoned their old country and had not yet been admitted as citizens into
that to which they had returned. On Marcellus' return from the army notice
was given of the election of a consul in the place of L. Postumius. Marcellus
was elected by a quite unanimous vote in order that he might take up his
magistracy at once. Whilst he was assuming the duties of the consulship
thunder was heard; the augurs were summoned and gave it as their opinion
that there was some informality in his election. The patricians spread a report
that as that was the first time that two plebeian consuls were elected
together, the gods were showing their displeasure. Marcellus resigned his
office and Q. Fabius Maximus was appointed in his place; this was his third
consulship. This year the sea appeared to be on fire; at Sinuessa a cow
brought forth a colt; the statues in the temple of Juno Sospita at Lanuvium
sweated blood and a shower of stones fell round the temple. For this portent
there were the usual nine days' religious observances; the other portents
were duly expiated.
