28.9
Just at
the close of this summer Quintus Fabius, the son of Maximus, who was on
the staff of the consul M. Livius, came to Rome to inform the senate that the
consul considered L. Porcius and his legions sufficient for the defence of
Gaul, in which case he, Livius, and his consular army might be safely
withdrawn. The senate recalled not only Livius, but his colleague as well, but
the instructions given to each differed. M. Livius was ordered to bring his
troops back, but Nero's legions were to remain in their province, confronting
Hannibal. The consuls had been in correspondence with each other and had
agreed that as they had been of the same mind in their conduct of public
affairs, so, though coming from opposite directions, they should approach
the City at the same time. Whichever should be the first to reach Praeneste
was to wait there for his colleague, and, as it happened, they both arrived
there on the same day. After despatching a summons for the senate to meet
at the temple of Bellona in three days' time they went on together towards
the City. The whole population turned out to meet them with shouts of
welcome, and each tried to grasp the consuls' hands; congratulations and
thanks were showered upon them for having, by their efforts, rendered the
commonwealth safe. When the senate was assembled they followed the
precedent set by all victorious generals and laid before the House a report of
their military operations. Then they made request that in recognition of their
energetic and successful conduct of public affairs special honours should be
rendered to the gods and they, the consuls, should be allowed to enter the
City in triumph The senators passed a decree that their request should be
granted out of gratitude to the gods in the first place, and then, next to the
gods, out of gratitude to the consuls. A solemn thanksgiving was decreed on
their behalf, and each of them was allowed to enjoy a triumph.
As they had been in perfect agreement as to the management of
their campaign, they decided that they would not have separate triumphs,
and the following arrangement was made: As the victory had been won in
the province assigned to Livius, and as it had fallen to him to take the
auspices on the day of battle, and further, as his army had been brought back
to Rome, whilst Nero's army was unable to leave its province, it was decided
that Livius should ride in the chariot at the head of his soldiers, and C.
Claudius Nero alone on horseback. The triumph thus shared between them
enhanced the glory of both, but especially of the one who allowed his
comrade to surpass him in honour as much as he himself surpassed him in
merit. "That horseman," men said to one another, "traversed Italy from end
to end in six days, and at the very time when Hannibal believed him to be
confronting him in Apulia he was fighting a pitched battle with Hasdrubal in
Gaul. So one consul had checked the advance of two generals, two great
captains from the opposite corners of Italy, by opposing his strategy to the
one and meeting the other in person. The mere name of Nero had sufficed to
keep Hannibal quiet in his camp, and as to Hasdrubal, what brought about
his defeat and destruction but Nero's arrival in the field? The one consul may
ride in a chariot with as many horses as he pleases, the real triumph belongs
to the other who is borne on horseback through the City; even if he went on
foot Nero's renown would never die, whether through the glory he acquired
in war, or the contempt he showed for it in his triumph." These and similar
remarks from the spectators followed Nero till he reached the Capitol. The
money they brought into the treasury amounted to 300,000 sesterces and
80,000 of bronze coinage. M. Livius' largesse to his soldiers amounted to
fifty-six ases per man, and C. Nero promised to give the same amount to his
men as soon as he rejoined his army. It is remarked that in their jests and
songs the soldiers on that day celebrated the name of C. Claudius Nero more
frequently than that of their own consul; and that the members of the
equestrian order were full of praises for L. Veturius and Q. Caecilius, and
urged the plebs to make them consuls for the coming year. The consuls
added considerably to the weight of this recommendation when on the
morrow they informed the Assembly with what courage and fidelity the two
officers had served them.
