2.
These decrees having been enacted in the senate, and it being up to this time uncertain which province would be assigned to which consul; it was then at length decided that the consuls should cast lots.
[
2]
To Acilius fell Greece, to Cornelius Italy. The drawing being concluded, a decree of the senate was then passed that, since the Roman people had
[p. 159]at that time ordered that there be war
1 with King
2 Antiochus and those who were under his authority, the consuls should proclaim a period of prayer for the success of this undertaking, and that the consul Manius Acilius should vow the great games
3 to Jupiter and gifts at all the banquet-tables of the gods.
[
3]
This vow, at the dictation of Publius Licinius the high priest, the consul made-in the following form:
[
4]
“If the war which the people has ordered to be undertaken with King Antiochus shall have been finished to the satisfaction of the senate and the Roman people, then in your honour, Jupiter, the Roman people will perform the Great
[
5??]
Games for ten consecutive days and gifts will be offered at all the banquet-tables, of whatever value the senate shall determine. Whatever magistrate shall celebrate these games, at whatever time and place, let these games be regarded as duly celebrated and the gifts as duly offered.”
[
6]
Then the period of prayer was proclaimed by both consuls, to continue for two days.
The consuls having drawn for their provinces, the praetors too at once cast lots. Marcus Junius Brutus received the two jurisdictions, Aulus Cornelius Mammula the Brutti, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus Sicily, Lucius Oppius Salinator Sardinia, Gaius Livius Salinator the fleet, Lucius Aemilius Paulus Farther Spain.
4
[
7]
Troops were assigned to them thus: to Aulus Cornelius were given the new troops raised the year before by Lucius Quinctius the consul under the decree of the senate,
5 and he was ordered to defend the whole coast in the vicinity of Tarentum and Brundisium.
[
8]
To Lucius Aemilius Paulus, for service in Farther Spain, authority was given to raise, in addition to the army which he was to take
[p. 161]over from Marcus Fulvius the proconsul, three
6 thousand new infantry and three hundred cavalry, on this basis, that two-thirds should be
[
9??]
allies of the Latin confederacy and one-third Roman citizens. The same reinforcement was sent to Gaius Flaminius,
7 whose
imperium was prolonged, for Nearer Spain.
[
10]
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus was directed to take over both province and army from Lucius Valerius, whom he was to succeed;
[
11]
if he desired, he should keep Lucius Valerius in the province as propraetor and should divide the province in such a way that one part should extend from Agrigentum to Pachynum, the other from Pachynum to Tyndareus;
8 this coast Lucius Valerius was to guard with twenty warships.
[
12]
The same praetor was instructed to requisition two tithes
9 of grain; he was to see to its collection on the coast and its transportation to Greece.
[
13]
The same order was given to Lucius Oppius regarding collecting a second tithe in Sardinia; this grain, however, they wished transported not to Greece but to Rome.
[
14]
Gaius Livius the praetor, to whom the fleet had been allotted, was instructed to prepare thirty ships and cross to Greece at the earliest opportunity and to take over the fleet from Atilius.
[
15]
The refitting and equipping of the old ships which were in the yards was assigned to Marcus Junius the praetor, and the enrolment of freedmen as naval allies.
10