31.2
Just
about the same time envoys arrived from King Attalus and also from Rhodes
with the information that Philip was trying to gain the States of Asia Minor.
The reply made to both deputations was that the situation in Asia was
engaging the attention of the senate. The question of war with Macedonia
was referred to the consuls, who were at the time in their respective
provinces. In the meanwhile, C. Claudius Nero, M. Aemilius Lepidus and P.
Sempronius Tuditanus were sent on a mission to Ptolemy, king of Egypt, to
announce the final defeat of Hannibal and the Carthaginians and to thank the
king for having remained a staunch friend to Rome at a critical time, when
even her nearest allies deserted her. They were further to request him, in
case Philip's aggressions compelled them to declare war against him, that he
would maintain his old friendly attitude towards the Romans. During this
period P. Aelius, the consul who was commanding in Gaul, learnt that the
Boii, prior to his arrival, had been raiding the territories of friendly tribes. He
hastily raised a force of two legions in view of this disturbance and
strengthened it with four cohorts from his own army. This force, thus
hurriedly collected, he entrusted to C. Ampius, a prefect of allies, and
ordered him to march through the canton of Umbria called Sapinia and
invade the country of the Boii. He himself marched over the mountains by an
open road. Ampius crossed the enemy's frontier, and after devastating his
country without meeting any resistance, he selected a position at the fortified
post of Mutilum as a suitable place for cutting the corn which was now ripe.
He commenced the task without previously examining the neighbourhood or
posting armed parties in sufficient strength to protect the foragers, who had
laid aside their weapons and were intent on their work. Suddenly he and his
foragers were surprised by the Gauls who appeared on all sides. The panic
and disorder extended to the men on guard; 7000 men who were dispersed
through the cornfields were killed, amongst them C. Ampius himself, the rest
fled to the camp. The following night the soldiers, as they had no regular
commander, decided to act for themselves, and leaving most of their
possessions behind made their way through almost impassable forests to the
consul. Beyond ravaging the Boian country and making a league with the
Ligurian Ingauni the consul did nothing worth mentioning in his province
before his return to Rome.
