§35.6.1eodem fere tempore duorum consulum litterae allatae sunt, L. Corneli de proelio ad Mutinam cum Bois facto et Q. Minuci a Pisis:
At almost the same time, letters from the two consuls were brought: that of Lucius Cornelius concerning the battle fought with the Boii at Mutina, and that of Quintus Minucius from Pisa.
§35.6.2comitia suae sortis esse; ceterum adeo suspensa omnia in Liguribus se habere, ut abscedi inde sine pernicie sociorum et damno rei publicae non posset.
(Minucius wrote) that the elections fell to his lot; but that everything among the Ligurians was in so suspense a state that he could not withdraw from there without the ruin of the allies and damage to the commonwealth.
§35.6.3si ita videretur patribus, mitterent ad collegam, ut is, qui profligatum bellum haberet, ad comitia Romam rediret; §35.6.4si id facere gravaretur, quod non suae sortis id negotium esset, se quidem facturum, quodcumque senatus censuisset; sed etiam atque etiam viderent, ne magis e re publica esset interregnum iniri, quam ab se in eo statu relinqui provinciam.
If it seemed good to the senators, they should send to his colleague, so that he, who had a war already virtually finished on his hands, might return to Rome for the elections; If he should object to doing this on the ground that this business did not fall to his lot, he himself indeed would do whatever the senate should decree; but they should consider again and again whether it might not be more to the interest of the commonwealth that an interregnum be entered upon, than that the province be left by him in that condition.
§35.6.5senatus C. Scribonio negotium dedit, ut duos legatos ex ordine senatorio mitteret ad L. Cornelium consulem, §35.6.6qui litteras collegae ad senatum missas deferrent ad eum et nuntiarent senatum, ni is ad magistratus subrogandos Romam veniret, potius quam Q. Minucium a bello integro avocaret, interregnum iniri passurum.
The senate gave instructions to Gaius Scribonius to send two legates from the senatorial order to the consul Lucius Cornelius, to deliver to him the letter sent by his colleague to the senate, and to announce that, unless he came to Rome to hold the elections of magistrates, the senate, rather than recall Quintus Minucius from an unfinished war, would allow an interregnum to be entered upon.
§35.6.7missi legati renuntiarunt L. Cornelium ad magistratus subrogandos Romam venturum.
The envoys who had been sent brought back word that Lucius Cornelius would come to Rome to elect the magistrates.
§35.6.8de litteris L. Corneli, quas scripserat secundum proelium cum Bois factum, disceptatio in senatu fuit, §35.6.9quia privatim plerisque senatoribus legatus M. Claudius scripserat fortunae populi Romani et militum virtuti gratiam habendam, quod res bene gesta esset; consulis opera et militum aliquantum amissum et hostium exercitum, cuius delendi oblata fortuna fuerit, elapsum: §35.6.10milites eo plures perisse, quod tardius ex subsidiis, qui laborantibus opem ferrent, successissent; hostes e manibus emissos, quod equitibus legionariis et tardius datum signum esset et persequi fugientes non licuisset.
Regarding the letter of Lucius Cornelius, which he had written after the battle fought with the Boii, there was a dispute in the senate, because the legate Marcus Claudius had written privately to most of the senators that thanks should be given to the fortune of the Roman people and the courage of the soldiers for the success of the undertaking; but that through the conduct of the consul a considerable number of soldiers had been lost, and the enemy's army, which there had been an opportunity to destroy, had escaped: that the more soldiers had perished for this reason, that the reserves, who should have brought help to those in distress, had been brought up too late; and that the enemy had been let slip from their hands because the signal had been given to the legionary cavalry too late, and they had not been permitted to pursue the fleeing foe.