36.2
Such
were the decrees made by the senate up to the actual allocation of the
provinces. Then at last the consuls balloted, and Greece fell to Acilius, Italy
to Cornelius. When this was settled a senatus consultum was passed in the
following terms: "Whereas the Roman people have at this time ordered that
there be war with Antiochus and with all who are under his rule, the consuls
shall on this behalf issue orders for a public intercession and M. Acilius shall
vow Great Games to Jupiter and gifts and offerings to all the shrines.'' This
vow was made by the consul in the following formula, as dictated by P.
Licinius the Pontifex Maximus: "If the war which the people has ordered to
be taken in hand against King Antiochus be brought to such a close as the
senate and people of Rome desire, then all the Roman people shall celebrate
in thy honour, Jupiter, Great Games for the space of ten days, and oblations
of money shall be made to all thy shrines in such wise as the senate shall
decree. Whatsoever magistrate shall hold these Games, whensoever and
wheresoever he shall celebrate them, may they be deemed to be duly and
rightly celebrated and the oblations duly and rightly offered!" Then the
consul proclaimed special intercessions to be offered for two days. After the
balloting for the consular provinces the praetors drew for theirs. M. Junius
Brutus obtained the two civil jurisdictions; Bruttium fell to A. Cornelius
Mammula; Sicily to M. Aemilius Lepidus; Sardinia to L. Oppius Salinator;
the command of the fleet to C. Livius Salinator; and Further Spain to L.
Aemilius Paullus.
The distribution of the armies amongst them was as follows: The
new levies which had been raised by L. Quinctius the preceding year were
assigned to A. Cornelius, and his duty was to protect the whole of the coast
round Tarentum and Brundisium. It was decreed that L. Aemilius Paullus
should take over the army which M. Fulvius had commanded as proconsul
the year before and also raise 3000 fresh infantry and 300 cavalry for service
in Further Spain, two-thirds to consist of allied troops, the remainder being
Romans. A reinforcement of the same strength was sent to C. Flaminius,
who was continued in his command in Hither Spain. M. Aemilius Lepidus
was ordered to take over the province and army of Sicily from L. Valerius,
whom he was to succeed, and if it seemed advisable he was to retain him as
propraetor and divide the province with him; one section was to extend from
Agrigentum to Pachynum, the other from Pachynum to Tyndareum. L.
Valerius was also to guard the latter coast with twenty ships of war. Lepidus
was further commissioned to requisition two-tenths of all the corn in the
island and have it conveyed to Greece. L. Oppius was ordered to make the
same requisition in Sardinia, the corn, however, was not to be sent to Greece
but to Rome. C. Livius, the praetor who was to command the fleet, received
instructions to sail to Greece with twenty vessels which had completed their
armament and take over the ships which Atilius had commanded. The
repairing and fitting out of the ships in the dockyards was placed in the
hands of M. Junius, and he was to select the crews of these vessels from
freedmen.
