41.10
M.
Junius and A. Manlius, the ex-consuls who had been in winter quarters at
Aquileia, led their army into Histria at the commencement of spring. They
carried their ravages far and wide, and the Histrians were animated much
more by indignation and rage at the loss of their property than by any certain
hope that they would be strong enough to meet two consular armies. From
all the tribes their fighting men collected into a hastily levied tumultuary
force, and they displayed much more impetuosity in beginning a battle than
steadfastness in keeping it up. Four thousand of them fell on the field; the
rest abandoned all resistance and dispersed to their cities. From these cities
delegates were sent to the Roman camp to sue for peace, and on being
required to give hostages they sent them. When this became known in Rome
through despatches from the proconsuls, C. Claudius, fearing lest this
success should rob him of his province and his army, went off post-haste to
his province without offering the customary prayers, unattended by his
lictors and in the dead of night, his colleague being the only one who was
aware of his intention. His conduct after his arrival was more ill-advised even
than the way in which he had started for his province. Addressing the
assembled troops, he taunted Manlius with his flight from the camp, to the
intense annoyance of the soldiers, since it was they who began the flight, and
then he attacked M. Junius for associating himself with his colleague's
disgrace, and ended by ordering them both to quit the province. They
promised that they would obey his order as soon as he had made his
departure from the City in the traditional way, after the customary prayers in
the Capitol, and attended by his lictors in their official dress. Claudius, beside
himself with rage, called the official who was acting as quaestor to Manlius
to bring fetters, and threatened to send both Manlius and Junius in chains to
Rome. This officer also ignored the consul's authority, and their
determination not to obey was strengthened by the way the army supported
their commanders and resented the conduct of Claudius. At last the consul,
overborne by the insults and jeers of individual soldiers, and the ridicule (for
they actually laughed at him) of the whole army, returned to Aquileia in the
same vessel in which he had come. From there he sent word to his colleague
to warn that portion of the new levies which had been raised for service in
Histria to assemble at Aquileia, so that nothing might detain him in Rome or
prevent him from leaving the City, with due formalities, offering the
customary prayers and wearing the paludamentum. His colleague carried out
his instructions and ordered the troops to assemble at an early date at
Aquileia. Claudius almost overtook his letter. On his arrival he convened the
Assembly and laid before it the case of Manlius and Junius. His stay in Rome
only lasted three days, and then, in full state with lictors and paludamentum,
after offering up prayers in the Capitol, he departed for his province with
quite as much precipitancy as before.
