31.49
Through speeches of this kind delivered
by him and his friends, the personal influence of the praetor, who was on the
spot, outweighed the dignity and authority of the absent consul, and by an
overwhelming majority a triumph was decreed to L. Furius. So L. Furius as
praetor celebrated a triumph over the Gauls during his magistracy. He
brought into the treasury 320,000 ases and 100,500 pounds of silver. No
prisoners were led in procession before his chariot, nor were any spoils
exhibited, nor was he followed by his soldiers. It was obvious that everything
except the actual victory was at the disposal of the consul. The Games which
Scipio had vowed when he was proconsul in Africa were celebrated with
great splendour. A decree was made for the allotment of land to his soldiers;
each man was to receive two jugera for every year he had served in Spain or
in Africa, and the decemviri managed the allotment. Commissioners were
also appointed to fill up the number of colonists at Venusia, as the strength
of that colony had been diminished in the war with Hannibal. C. Terentius
Varro, T. Quinctius Flamininus and P. Cornelius, the son of Cnaeus Scipio,
were the commissioners who undertook the task. During this year C.
Cornelius Cethegus who was holding Spain as propraetor routed a large
army of the enemy in the Sedetan district. 15,000 Spaniards are said to have
been killed in that battle and seventy-eight standards taken. On his return to
Rome to conduct the elections, C. Aurelius did not, as was anticipated, make
it a ground of complaint that the senate had not awaited his return or given
him the opportunity of discussing the matter with the praetor. What he did
complain of was the way in which the senate had passed the decree granting
the triumph without hearing any of those who had taken part in the war or
indeed any one at all except the man who was to enjoy the triumph. "Our
ancestors," he said, "laid it down that the lieutenants-general, the military
tribunes, the centurions and the soldiers should be present in order that the
people of Rome might have visible proof of the victory won by the man for
whom such an honour was decreed. Was there a single soldier out of the
army which fought with the Gauls, or even a single camp-follower from
whom the senate might have enquired as to the truth or falsehood of the
praetor's report?" After making this protest he fixed the day for the elections.
The new consuls were L. Cornelius Lentulus and P. Villius Tappulus. Then
followed the election of praetors. Those returned were L. Quinctius
Flamininus, L. Valerius Flaccus, L. Villius Tappulus and Cn. Baebius
Tamphilus.
Provisions were remarkably cheap that year. A great quantity of
corn had been brought from Africa and the curule aediles, M. Claudius
Marcellus and Sex. Aelius Paetus, distributed it to the people at two ases the
modius. They also celebrated the Roman Games on a splendid scale and
repeated them a second day. Five bronze statues from the proceeds of fines
were placed by them in the treasury. The Plebeian Games were celebrated
three times by the aediles, L. Terentius Massiliota and Cn. Baebius
Tamphilus, the latter being praetor-designate. Funeral Games were also
exhibited in the Forum for four days on the occasion of the death of M.
Valerius Laevinus by his sons, Publius and Marcus; they also gave a
gladiatorial spectacle in which five-and-twenty pairs fought together. One of
the Keepers of the Sacred Books, M. Aurelius Cotta, died and Manlius
Acilius Glabrio was appointed to succeed him. It so happened that the curule
aediles who were elected were both unable to take up their duties at once;
Gaius Cornelius Cethegus was elected while absent in Spain where he held
command; C. Valerius Flaccus was in Rome when he was elected, but as he
was a Flamen of Jupiter he could not take the oaths, and it was not permitted
to hold any magistracy for more than five days without doing so. Flaccus
asked that this condition might be waived in his case and the senate decreed
that if an aedile should provide some one, with the approval of the consuls,
to take the oaths for him, the consuls might if they thought good arrange
with the tribunes for the matter to be referred to the plebs. L. Valerius
Flaccus, praetor-designate, was brought forward to take the oaths for his
brother. The tribunes brought the matter before the plebs, and the plebs
decided that it should be just as though the aedile himself had taken them. In
the case of the other aedile, the tribunes requested the plebs to appoint two
men to command the armies in Spain, and the plebs resolved that the curule
aedile C. Cornelius should come home to take up his duties and that L.
Manlius Acidinus should retire from his province after having held it for
many years. They then made an order that Cn. Cornelius Lentulus and T,
Stertinius should have the full powers of proconsuls in Spain.
End of Book 31