41.9
The
senate then decreed that the provinces which were in a state of war -Sardinia and Histria -should be assigned to the consuls. Two legions were
ordered to be raised for Sardinia, each consisting of 5200 infantry and 300
cavalry; the Latin allies were to supply 12,000 infantry and 600 cavalry. In
case the consul wished to take ships from the dockyard, ten quinqueremes
were placed at his disposal. The same strength of infantry and cavalry was
decreed for Histria as for Sardinia. The consuls also received instructions to
despatch a force of one legion with its complement of cavalry and 5000
infantry and 250 cavalry from the allies to M. Titinius in Spain. Before the
consuls balloted for their provinces various portents were reported. A stone
fell from the sky into the grove of Mars in the Crustumerian district; on
Roman land a boy was born without all his limbs, and a four-footed snake
was seen; at Capua numerous buildings in the forum were struck by
lightning; at Puteoli two shops had been set on fire by a similar stroke. While
these were being reported, a wolf entered the City by the Colline Gate in
broad daylight and was chased till it escaped through the Esquiline Gate,
amidst great excitement on the part of its pursuers. In consequence of these
portents the consuls sacrificed full-grown victims, and there were special
intercessions at all the shrines for one day. When the religious rites had been
duly performed the consuls drew for their provinces. Histria fell to Claudius,
Sardinia to Sempronius. Then, in accordance with the resolution of the
senate, the consul C. Claudius carried a measure in which it was ordered that
those of the Latin allies who themselves or whose ancestors had been
registered among the Latin allies during the censorship of M. Claudius and
T. Quinctius or subsequently, should all return to their cities before
November 1. The praetor L. Mummius was charged to enquire into the cases
of those who had not returned by that date. In addition to this new law, and
the consul's edict enforcing it, a resolution was passed by the senate ordering
that whenever any one of them was manumitted and publicly declared to be
free, the dictator, consul, interrex, censor or praetor for the time being
should put the manumitter on his oath that he was not doing it for the
purpose of altering his citizenship; in case he refused to take the oath the
senate would declare the manumission invalid. This resolution was to guide
all future proceedings.
