History of Rome

​In the same year, Lucius Duronius, who had been praetor the previous year, returned from Illyricum to Brundisium with ten ships. Leaving the ships in the port there, when he had come to Rome, while reporting the things he had done there, he without doubt cast the blame for all the maritime piracy upon Gentius, the king of the Illyrians:

​saying that all the ships which had ravaged the coast of the upper sea were from his kingdom; that he had sent ambassadors concerning these matters, but no opportunity of meeting the king had been granted.

​Ambassadors had come to Rome from Gentius, to say that at the time when the Romans had come for the purpose of meeting the king, he had happened to be ill in the remotest parts of his kingdom;

​and that Gentius requested the senate not to believe the fabricated charges against him which his enemies had brought. To these statements Duronius added that injuries had been inflicted upon many Roman citizens and allies of the Latin name in his kingdom, and that Roman citizens were said to be detained at Corcyra.

​It was decided that they should all be brought to Rome, that the praetor Gaius Claudius should investigate the matter, and that no answer should be returned to King Gentius or his ambassadors before that was done. Among many others, ​whom the pestilence of that year carried off, several priests also died. Lucius Valerius Flaccus, the pontiff, died; in his place Quintus Fabius Labeo was substituted.

​Publius Manlius, who had recently returned from Farther Spain, a triumvir for the sacred banquets; Quintus Fulvius, son of Marcus, was co-opted as triumvir in his place, who was then still wearing the pretexta.

​Concerning the appointment of a king of the sacrifices in the place of Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella, there was a dispute between Gaius Servilius, the pontifex maximus, and Lucius Cornelius Dolabella, a naval commissioner, whom the pontiff ordered to resign his office so that he might inaugurate him.

​On his refusing to do this, a fine was imposed on the commissioner by the pontiff on that account, and when he appealed, they contended before the people.

​When several tribes, already called in, were ordering the commissioner to obey the pontiff, and that the fine should be remitted if he resigned his office, an unfavorable omen from heaven, which interrupted the assembly, intervened. Consequently, there was a religious obstacle for the pontiffs against inaugurating Dolabella.

​They inaugurated Publius Cloelius Siculus, who had been nominated in the second place. At the end of the year, Gaius Servilius Geminus, the pontifex maximus, also died; he was also a decemvir for sacred rites. Quintus Fulvius Flaccus was co-opted as pontiff in his place by the college.

​Then Marcus Aemilius Lepidus was elected pontifex maximus, although many distinguished men had sought the office; and Quintus Marcius Philippus was co-opted as decemvir for sacred rites in his place.

​Also, Spurius Postumius Albinus, the augur, died; in his place the augurs co-opted Publius Scipio, the son of Africanus. In that year, upon the petition of the Cumans, permission was granted them to use Latin publicly, and their heralds were given the right to conduct auctions in Latin.