§28.11.1in civitate tanto discrimine belli sollicita, cum omnium secundorum adversorumque causas in deos verterent, multa prodigia nuntiabantur: §28.11.2Tarracinae Iovis aedem, Satrici Matris Matutae de caelo tactam; Satricanos haud minus terrebant in aedem Iovis foribus ipsis duo perlapsi angues; ab Antio nuntiatum est cruentas spicas metentibus visas esse; §28.11.3Caere porcus biceps et agnus mas idem feminaque natus erat; et Albae duo soles visos ferebant et nocte Fregellis lucem obortam.
In a state anxious with such a great crisis of war, since they referred the causes of all successes and adversities to the gods, many prodigies were reported: at Tarracina the temple of Jupiter, and at Satricum that of Mater Matuta, were struck by lightning; those of Satricum were no less terrified by two snakes that had glided into the temple of Jupiter through the very doors; word was brought from Antium that bloody ears of corn had been seen by those who were reaping; at Caere a two-headed pig and a lamb that was at once male and female were born; and at Alba they said two suns had been seen, and that at Fregellae light had arisen in the night.
§28.11.4et bos in agro Romano locutus, et ara Neptuni multo manasse sudore in circo Flaminio dicebatur, et aedes Cereris, Salutis, Quirini de caelo tactae.
And an ox was said to have spoken in the Roman territory, and the altar of Neptune in the Circus Flaminius to have sweated much, and the temples of Ceres, Salus, and Quirinus to have been struck by lightning.
prodigia consules hostiis maioribus procurare iussi
The consuls were ordered to expiate the prodigies with larger victims and to hold a supplication for one day.
These things were done in accordance with a decree of the senate.
plus omnibus aut nuntiatis peregre aut visis domi prodigiis terruit animos hominum ignis in aede Vestae extinctus, caesaque flagro est Vestalis, cuius custodia eius noctis fuerat, iussu P. Licini pontuficis.
More than all the prodigies, whether reported from abroad or seen at home, the extinguishing of the fire in the temple of Vesta terrified the minds of men, and the Vestal virgin, whose custody it had been for that night, was scourged with a whip by order of the pontifex maximus Publius Licinius.
§28.11.7id quamquam nihil portendentibus deis ceterum neglegentia humana acciderat, tamen et hostiis maioribus procurari et supplicationem ad Vestae haberi placuit.
Although this had happened through human negligence, rather than because the gods portended anything, yet it was resolved both that it should be expiated with larger victims and that a supplication should be held at the temple of Vesta.
priusquam proficiscerentur consules ad bellum, §28.11.8moniti a senatu sunt, ut in agros reducendae plebis curam haberent: deum benignitate summotum bellum ab urbe Romana et Latio esse, et posse sine metu in agris habitari; minime convenire Siciliae quam Italiae colendae maiorem curam esse.
Before the consuls set out for the war, they were admonished by the senate to take care to restore the plebeians to their fields: by the kindness of the gods, they said, the war had been removed from the city of Rome and Latium, and it was possible to live in the fields without fear; it was by no means fitting that greater care should be taken for cultivating Sicily than Italy.
§28.11.9sed res haudquaquam erat populo facilis, et liberis cultoribus bello absumptis et inopia servitiorum et pecore direpto villisque dirutis aut incensis.
But the matter was by no means easy for the people, since the free cultivators had been swept away by the war, and there was a scarcity of slaves, and the cattle had been plundered and the villas destroyed or burned.
§28.11.10magna tamen pars auctoritate consulum compulsa in agros remigravit.
Nevertheless, a great part, compelled by the authority of the consuls, returned to the fields.
moverant autem huiusce rei mentionem Placentinorum et Cremonensium legati, querentes agrum suum ab accolis Gallis incursari ac vastari, magnamque partem colonorum suorum dilapsam esse, et iam infrequentis se urbes, agrum vastum ac desertum habere.
Moreover, the envoys of the Placentines and Cremonenses had raised mention of this matter, complaining that their territory was being overrun and ravaged by the neighboring Gauls, and that a great part of their colonists had dispersed, and that they now held underpopulated cities and a ravaged and deserted territory.
§28.11.11Mamilio praetori mandatum, ut colonias ab hoste tueretur; consules ex senatus consulto edixerunt, ut qui cives Cremonenses atque Placentini essent, ante certam diem in colonias reverterentur.
To the praetor Mamilius it was mandated that he should defend the colonies from the enemy; the consuls, by a decree of the senate, issued an edict that those who were citizens of Cremona and Placentia should return to the colonies before a certain day.
principio deinde veris et ipsi ad bellum profecti sunt.
Then, at the beginning of spring, they themselves also set out for the war.
§28.11.12Q. Caecilius consul exercitum ab C. Nerone L. Veturius a Q. Claudio propraetore accepit novisque militibus, quos ipse conscripserat, supplevit.
The consul Quintus Caecilius received his army from Gaius Nero, Lucius Veturius from the propraetor Quintus Claudius, and each supplemented it with new soldiers whom he himself had enrolled.
§28.11.13in Consentinum agrum consules exercitum duxerunt passimque depopulati, cum agmen iam grave praeda esset, in saltu angusto a Bruttiis iaculatoribusque Numidis turbati sunt, §28.11.14ita ut non praeda tantum sed armati quoque in periculo fuerint.
The consuls led their army into the territory of Consentia and, having ravaged it far and wide, when the column was already heavy with plunder, they were thrown into confusion in a narrow pass by the Bruttian and Numidian javelin-throwers, so that not only the plunder but even the armed soldiers were in danger.
maior tamen tumultus quam pugna fuit, et praemissa praeda incolumes legiones in loca culta evasere.
Nevertheless, there was more confusion than actual fighting, and having sent the plunder ahead, the legions escaped unharmed into cultivated areas.
§28.11.15inde in Lucanos profecti.
From there they proceeded to the Lucanians.
ea sine certamine tota gens in dicionem populi Romani rediit.
That entire nation returned under the sway of the Roman people without a contest.