§44.16.1litterae deinde recitatae Q. Marcii consulis sunt, quemadmodum saltu superato in Macedoniam transisset: §44.16.2ibi et ex aliis locis commeatus se prospectos in hiemem habere et ab Epirotis viginti milia modium tritici, decem hordei sumpsisse, ut pro eo frumento pecunia Romae legatis eorum curaretur. §44.16.3vestimenta militibus ab Roma mittenda esse; equis ducentis ferme opus esse, maxime Numidicis, nec sibi in his locis ullam copiam esse. §44.16.4senatus consultum, ut ea omnia ex litteris consulis fierent, factum est.
Then the letter of the consul Quintus Marcius was read, explaining how he had crossed into Macedonia after overcoming the pass. In it he stated that he had secured provisions for the winter both from that place and from other localities, and had received twenty thousand modii of wheat and ten thousand of barley from the Epirotes, on the condition that money should be paid to their envoys in Rome for that grain. He wrote that clothing should be sent to the soldiers from Rome, and that about two hundred horses were needed, especially Numidian ones, since he had no supply of them in those parts. A decree of the senate was passed that all those things should be done in accordance with the consul's letter.
C. Sulpicius praetor sex milia togarum, triginta tunicarum, equos ducentos deportanda in Macedoniam praebendaque arbitratu consulis locavit et legatis Epirotarum pecuniam pro frumento solvit et Onesimum, Pythonis filium, nobilem Macedonem, in senatum introduxit. §44.16.5is pacis semper auctor regi fuerat monueratque, sicut pater eius Philippus institutum usque ad ultimum vitae diem servarat cotidie, bis in die foederis icti cum Romanis perlegendi, ut eum morem, si non semper, crebro tamen usurparet. §44.16.6postquam deterrere eum a bello nequiit, primo subtrahere sese per alias atque alias causas, ne interesset iis, quae non probabat, coepit; postremo, cum suspectum se esse cerneret et proditionis interdum crimine insimulari, ad Romanos transfugit et magno usui consuli fuit. §44.16.7ea introductus in curiam cum memorasset, senatus in formulam sociorum eum referri iussit, locum, lautia praeberi, agri Tarentini, qui publicus populi Romani esset, ducenta iugera dari, et aedes Tarenti emi. §44.16.8uti ea curaret, C. Decimio praetori mandatum.
The praetor Gaius Sulpicius contracted for six thousand togas, thirty thousand tunics, and two hundred horses to be transported to Macedonia and supplied at the consul's discretion, paid the money for the grain to the envoys of the Epirotes, and introduced Onesimus, son of Python, a Macedonian noble, to the senate. He had always been an advocate of peace to the king, and had advised him that, just as his father Philip had observed the custom of reading through the treaty struck with the Romans twice a day every day until the last day of his life, so he too should practice that custom, if not always, at least frequently. When he could not deter him from war, he began at first to withdraw himself on various pretexts so that he might not be involved in what he did not approve; finally, when he perceived that he was suspected and occasionally accused of the crime of treason, he fled to the Romans and was of great service to the consul. When, having been introduced into the senate-house, he had related these things, the senate ordered him to be enrolled in the list of allies, quarters and public hospitality to be provided for him, two hundred iugera of Tarentine land, which was public property of the Roman people, to be given to him, and a house at Tarentum to be purchased. Gaius Decimius the praetor was commissioned to take care of these matters.
censum idibus Decembribus severius quam ante habuerunt: multis equi adempti, inter quos P. Rutilio, qui tribunus plebis eos violenter accusarat; tribu quoque is motus et aerarius factus. §44.16.9ad opera publica facienda cum eis dimidium ex vectigalibus eius anni attributum ex senatus consulto a quaestoribus esset, §44.16.10Ti. Sempronius ex ea pecunia, quae ipsi attributa erat, aedes P. Africani pone Veteres ad Vortumni signum lanienasque et tabernas coniunctas in publicum emit basilicamque faciendam curavit, §44.16.11quae postea Sempronia appellata est.
On the ides of December, the censors held the census more severely than before; horses were taken away from many, among whom was Publius Rutilius, who as tribune of the plebs had violently prosecuted them; he was also removed from his tribe and reduced to the status of an aerarius. When, for the execution of public works, half of the revenues of that year had been assigned to them by the quaestors in accordance with a decree of the senate, Tiberius Sempronius, out of that money which had been assigned to him, purchased for the public use the house of Publius Africanus behind the Old Shops near the statue of Vortumnus, together with the butchers' stalls and booths adjoining it, and saw to the building of a basilica, which was afterwards called Sempronia.