25.7
When he
had finished speaking they prostrated themselves at the knees of Marcellus.
He told them that he had not the authority or the power to grant their
request, but said that he would write to the senate and would be guided
entirely by their decision. The despatch was delivered into the hands of the
new consuls and read by them to the senate. After discussing its contents,
the senate decided that they saw no reason why the safety of the republic
should be entrusted to soldiers who had deserted their comrades at Cannae.
If M. Claudius, the propraetor, thought otherwise, he was to act as he
thought best in the interests of the State, but only on this condition, that
none of them should get their discharge or receive any reward for valour or
be conveyed back to Italy as long as the enemy remained on Italian soil.
After this an election was held by the City praetor, in accordance with a
decision of the senate and a resolution of the plebs, for the appointment of
special commissioners of works. Five commissioners were chosen to
undertake the repair of the walls and towers of the City, and two boards,
each consisting of three members, were selected; one to inspect the contents
of the temples and to make an inventory of the offerings; the other to rebuild
the temples of Fortune and Mater Matuta inside the Porta Carmentalis and
the temple of Spes outside, all of which had been destroyed by fire the
previous year. Frightful storms occurred: on the Alban Mount it rained
stones incessantly for two days. Many places were struck by lightning, two
buildings in the Capitol, the rampart of the camp above Suessula in many
places, two sentinels being killed. The wall and some of the towers at Cumae
were not only struck, but even thrown down by the lightning. At Reate a
huge rock was seen to fly about, and the sun was unusually red, in fact the
colour of blood. By reason of these portents a day was set apart for special
intercessions, and for several days the consuls devoted their attention to
religious matters, and special services were held for nine days. The betrayal
of Tarentum had long been an object of hope with Hannibal and of suspicion
with the Romans, and now an incident which occurred outside its walls
hastened its capture. Phileas had been a long time in Rome, ostensibly as the
Tarentine envoy. He was a restless character and chafed under the inaction in
which he seemed likely to spend the greater part of his life. The hostages
from Tarentum and Thurii were kept in the Hall of Liberty, but not under
strict surveillance, because it was neither for their own interest nor for that
of their city to play the Romans false. Phileas found means of access to them
and had frequent interviews, in which he won them over to his design, and
by bribing two of the watchmen he brought them out of confinement as soon
as it was dark, and they made their secret escape from Rome. As soon as it
was light their flight became known throughout the City, and a party was
sent in pursuit. They were caught at Tarracina and brought back; then they
were marched into the Comitium and, with the approval of the people,
scourged with rods and thrown from the Rock.
