History of Rome

​The consuls divided the armies between themselves. To Fabius fell the army at Teanum, which the dictator M. Junius had commanded.

​To Sempronius were assigned the volunteer slaves who were there and twenty-five thousand of the allies; to the praetor M. Valerius the legions which should return from Sicily were decreed; M. Claudius, as proconsul, was sent to the army which was protecting Nola above Suessula; the praetors set out for Sicily and Sardinia.

​The consuls issued an edict that, as often as they should summon the senate, the senators and those who had the right to speak their mind in the senate should assemble at the Capena gate.

​The praetors, who had the administration of justice, set up their tribunals at the Piscina Publica; there they ordered recognizances to be made, and there justice was administered in that year.

​Meanwhile, to Carthage—whence Mago, the brother of Hannibal, was about to transport into Italy twelve thousand infantry, fifteen hundred cavalry, twenty elephants, and a thousand talents of silver, under the protection of sixty warships— ​a message was brought that in Spain matters had gone badly and almost all the peoples of that province had revolted to the Romans.

​There were some who would turn Mago aside to Spain with that fleet and forces, abandoning Italy, when a sudden hope of recovering Sardinia shone forth:

​that there was a small Roman army there; that the old praetor A. Cornelius, who was experienced in the province, was departing thence, and a new one was expected;

​furthermore, that the minds of the Sardinians were already weary of the long duration of Roman rule, and that in the previous year they had been ruled harshly and greedily, being oppressed by a heavy tribute and an unjust contribution of grain; that nothing else was wanting but a leader to whom they might revolt.

​This secret embassy had been sent by the leading men, Hampsicora being the chief promoter of the matter, who at that time was by far the first in authority and wealth.

​Disturbed and at the same time encouraged by these messages almost at once, they sent Mago with his fleet and forces to Spain; ​for Sardinia they chose Hasdrubal as leader and decreed for him almost as large a force as they had for Mago.

​And at Rome, the consuls, having finished the business that had to be done in the city, were already moving to the war.

​Ti. Sempronius appointed a day for his soldiers to assemble at Sinuessa; and Q. Fabius, having first consulted the senate, ordered that all should bring their grain from the fields into fortified cities before the upcoming first of June;

​that as for any who should not have brought it in, he would lay waste his land, sell his slaves by auction, and burn his villas. Not even to the praetors, who had been elected for the administration of justice, was exemption from the conduct of the war granted.

​It was resolved that the praetor Valerius should go into Apulia to receive the army from Terentius; and that when the legions should arrive from Sicily, he should use them by preference for the defense of that region, and that the Terentian army should be sent to Tarentum with one of the lieutenants;

​and twenty-five ships were given to him, with which he might protect the coast between Brundisium and Tarentum.

​An equal number of ships was decreed to Q. Fulvius, the city praetor, for protecting the suburban shores.

​To the proconsul C. Terentius the task was assigned of holding a levy of soldiers in the Picene territory and of serving as a protection to those places.

​T. Otacilius Crassus, after he dedicated the temple of Mind on the Capitol, was sent with command to Sicily, to be in charge of the fleet.