40.35
The
consuls' province remained quiet. M. Baebius was recalled to Rome to
conduct the elections. A. Postumius Albinus Luscus and C. Calpurnius Piso
were the new consuls. The praetors elected were Tiberius Sempronius
Gracchus, L. Postumius Albinus, P. Cornelius Mammula, Ti. Minucius
Molliculus, A. Hostilius Mancinus and C. Maenius. All these magistrates
entered upon office on the Ides of March. At the beginning of his year of
office A. Postumius introduced to the senate L. Minucius, a staff officer, and
two military tribunes, T. Maenius and L. Terentius Massiliota, who had
come from Q. Fulvius Flaccus in Hither Spain. They gave a report of the two
victorious battles, the surrender of the Celtiberi and the establishment of
order throughout the province, and told the senate that there was no need of
the pay which was usually sent nor of any supply of corn to the army for that
year. They then requested that honour might be paid to the immortal gods
for these successes and that Q. Fulvius should be allowed to bring back on
his departure from Spain the army whose courage had been of such service
to him and to many praetors before him. This was not only due to them, but
it was all but inevitable, for the soldiers were in such a determined mood that
it appeared impossible to keep them any longer in the province, and if they
were not disbanded, they were prepared to leave without orders, or if they
were kept back by a strong hand, would break out into a dangerous mutiny.
The senate ordered the consuls to take Liguria as their province.
Then the praetors balloted for their provinces. Hither Spain fell to Tiberius
Sempronius. As he was to succeed Q. Fulvius he did not want the province
to be robbed of the veteran army and accordingly made the following speech
in the senate: "I ask you, L. Minucius, since you report that the province is in
a settled state, whether it is your belief that the Celtiberi will always keep
their word so that this province can be held without the presence of an army?
If you can neither assure yourself nor give us any guarantee of their
remaining permanently at peace, and still hold that in any case an army must
be kept there, would you advise the senate to send such reinforcements as
will only allow the time-expired soldiers to be released, the recruits being
incorporated in the old army, or would you say that the veteran legions
should be withdrawn and fresh ones enrolled and sent there, when the
contempt felt for these raw recruits might possibly excite even the less
aggressive barbarians to resume hostilities? To say that you have pacified
and settled a province whose inhabitants are naturally warlike and aggressive
may be easier than to do it. According to what I hear only a few
communities, mainly those where we have made our winter quarters, have
submitted to our authority; those further off are in arms. Under these
circumstances, senators, I declare at the outset that I am ready to take the
government of the province with the army which is there now. If Flaccus
brings his legions with him, I shall select for my winter quarters places
already pacified, and shall not expose my new soldiers to a most fierce
enemy."
