24.8
"If Italy
were at peace, or if we had on our hands such a war and such an enemy as to
allow room for less care on our part, I should consider any one who sought
to check the eagerness with which you have come here to confer honour on
the men of your choice as very forgetful of your liberties. But in this war, in
dealing with this enemy, none of our generals has ever made a single mistake
which has not involved us in the gravest disasters, and therefore it is only
right that you should exercise your franchise in the election of consuls with
as much circumspection as you show when going armed into battle. Every
man must say to himself, 'I am nominating a consul who is to be a match for
Hannibal.' It was during this year that Vibellius Taurea, the foremost of the
Campanian knights challenged and was met by Asellus Claudius, the finest
Roman horseman, at Capua. Against a Gaul, who once offered his defiance
on the bridge over the Anio, our ancestors sent T Manlius, a man of
undaunted courage and prowess. Not many years later it was in the same
spirit of fearless confidence, I will make bold to say, that M. Valerius armed
himself against the Gaul who challenged him in the same way to single
combat. Just as we desire to have our infantry and cavalry stronger, or if that
is impossible at least equal to the enemy, so we should look for a
commander equal to his. Even if we choose as our commander the finest
general in the republic, still he is only chosen for a year, and immediately
after his election he will be pitted against a veteran and permanent strategist
who is not shackled by any limitations of time or authority, or prevented
from forming and executing any plans which the necessities of war may
require. In our case, on the other hand, the year is gone simply in making
preparations and commencing a campaign. I have said enough as to the sort
of men you ought to elect as your consuls; let me say a word about the men
in whose favour the first vote has already been given. M. Aemilius Regillus is
a Flamen or Quirinus; we cannot discharge him from his sacred duties
without neglecting our duty to the gods nor can we keep him at home
without neglecting proper attention to the war. Otacilius married my sister's
daughter and has children by her, but the obligations you have conferred on
me and my ancestors are not such that I can place private relationship before
the welfare of the State. In a calm sea any sailor, any passenger, can steer the
ship, but when a violent storm arises and the vessel is driven by the wind
over the raging waters then you want a man who is really a pilot. We are not
sailing now in smooth water, already we have almost foundered in the many
storms that have overtaken us, and therefore you must use the utmost
foresight and caution in choosing the man who is to take the helm.
"As for you, T. Otacilius, we have had some experience of your
conduct of comparatively unimportant operations, and you have certainly not
shown any grounds for our entrusting you with more important ones. There
were three objects for which we equipped the fleet this year which you
commanded: it was to ravage the African coast, to render the coast of Italy
safe for us, and, what was most important of all, to prevent any
reinforcements, money, or supplies from being sent from Carthage to
Hannibal. If T. Otacilius has carried out -I will not say all, but -any one of
these objects for the State, then by all means elect him consul. But if, whilst
you were in command of the fleet, everything required reached Hannibal safe
and sound from home, if the coast of Italy has this year been in greater
danger than the coast of Africa, what possible reason can you give why they
should put you up, most of all, to oppose Hannibal? If you were consul we
should have to follow the example of our forefathers and nominate a
Dictator, and you could not take it as an insult that somebody amongst all
the citizens of Rome was looked upon as a better strategist than yourself. It
is of more importance to you, T. Otacilius, than it can be to any one else that
you should not have a burden placed upon your shoulders whose weight
would crush you. And to you, my fellow-citizens, I appeal most solemnly to
remember what you are about to do. Imagine yourselves standing in your
armed ranks on the field of battle; suddenly you are called upon to choose
two commanders under whose auspicious generalship you are to fight. In the
same spirit choose the consuls today to whom your children must take the
oath, at whose edict they must assemble, under whose tutelage and
protection they must serve. Trasumennus and Cannae are melancholy
precedents to recall, but they are solemn warnings to guard against similar
disasters. Usher! call back the century of juniors in the tribe of the Anio to
give their votes again."
