26.36
As
there seemed to be no solution of the difficulty and a kind of mental torpor
appeared to beset the senate, the consul Laevinus came to the rescue. "As
the magistrates," he said, "take precedence of the senate and the senate of
the people in honour and dignity; so they ought to lead the way in
discharging unpleasant and difficult tasks. If, in laying any obligation on an
inferior, you have first decided that it is binding on you and those connected
with you, you will find that all are more ready to obey you. They do not feel
an expense to be burdensome when they see each of their leaders bearing
more than his due share of it. We want the Roman people to have fleets and
to equip them, we want each citizen to furnish rowers and not to shirk his
duty; then let us impose the burden on ourselves first of all. Let us, every
one of us, bring our gold and silver and bronze money, tomorrow, to the
treasury, only reserving the rings for ourselves, our wives and our children,
and the bullae for our boys. Those who have wives and daughters may keep
an ounce of gold for each of them. With regard to silver, those who have
occupied curule chairs should keep the plating on their horse-trappings and
two pounds of silver that they may have a dish and saltcellar for the gods.
All the other senators should keep only one pound of silver. In the case of
bronze coin let us retain 5000 ases for each household. All the rest of our
gold and silver and money let us place in the hands of the commissioners of
the treasury. No formal resolution should be passed; our contributions must
be strictly voluntary; and our mutual rivalry to assist the commonwealth may
stir up the equestrian order to emulate us, and after them, the plebs. This is
the only course which we consuls have been able to devise after our lengthy
discussion, and we beg you to adopt it with the help of the gods. As long as
the commonwealth is safe, each man's property is safe under its protection,
but if you desert it, it will be in vain that you try to keep what you have."
These suggestions were so favourably received that the consuls were even
thanked for them. No sooner did the senate adjourn, than they each brought
their gold and silver and bronze to the treasury, and they were so eager to be
among the first to have their names inscribed in the public register that the
commissioners were not able to take over the amounts or the clerks to enter
them fast enough. The equestrian order showed quite as much zeal as the
senate, and the plebs were not behind the equestrian order. In this way,
without any formal order or compulsion by the magistrates, the full
complement of rowers was made up, and the State put in a position to pay
them. As the preparations for war were now complete the consuls started for
their respective provinces.
