31.8
After this
speech they separated for the voting. The result was in favour of the consul's
proposal, they resolved on war. Thereupon, the consuls, acting on a
resolution of the senate, ordered special prayers and supplications for three
days, and at all the shrines intercessions were offered up that the war which
the Roman people had ordered against Philip might have a happy and
prosperous issue. The fetials were consulted by the consul as to whether it
was necessary for the declaration of war to be conveyed personally to King
Philip, or whether it would be sufficient if it were published in one of his
frontier garrison towns. They declared that either mode of procedure would
be correct. The senate left it to the consul to select at his discretion one of
them, not being a member of the senate, to make the declaration of war. The
next business was the formation of the armies for the consuls and praetors.
The consuls were ordered to disband the old armies and, each of them, to
raise two fresh legions. As the conduct of the new war, which was felt to be
a very serious one, was entrusted to Sulpicius, he was allowed to reenlist as
volunteers as many as he could out of the army which P. Scipio had brought
back from Africa, but on no account to compel any of the veterans to join
against his will. The consuls were to give to each of the praetors, L. Furius
Purpurio and Q. Minucius Rufus, 5000 men from the Latin contingents as an
army of occupation for their provinces, the one in Gaul, the other in
Bruttium. Q. Fulvius Gallo also was ordered to select men belonging to the
Latin and allied contingents from the army which the consul P. Aelius had
commanded, beginning with those who had seen the shortest service until he
had made up a force of 5000 men. This army was for the defence of Sicily.
M. Valerius Falto, who had had Campania for his province during the
previous year, was to make a similar selection from the army in Sardinia,
which province he was to take charge of as propraetor. The consuls received
instructions to raise two legions in the City as a reserve to be sent wherever
there was need for their services, as many of the Italian nationalities had
taken the side of Carthage in the late war, and were seething with anger.
