32.
Between the consuls there was an outburst of sarcasm rather than a great dispute concerning the assignment of their provinces. Cassius said he would choose Macedonia without the lot and that his colleague could not, without perjury, cast lots with him.
[2]
For when Licinius had been praetor,1 that he might not have to go to his province, he had sworn before an assembly that he had sacrifices in a fixed place and on fixed days which could not be duly performed in his absence;
[3]
sacrifices could no more be duly performed in the absence of a consul than in the absence of a praetor, unless the senate thought it best to take notice of Publius Licinius' wishes as consul, rather than of the oath he had taken as praetor; however, said Cassius, he would submit himself to the senate.
[4]
When the matter was laid before the Fathers, inasmuch as they thought it would be arrogant on their part to withhold a province from the man from whom the Roman people had not withheld the consulship,2 they ordered the consuls to cast lots.
[5]
Macedonia fell to Publius Licinius, Italy to Gaius Cassius. Next the legions were allotted; the first and third were to cross to Macedonia, the second and fourth to remain in Italy.
[6]
The consuls were conducting the levy with by far more painstaking care than usual. Licinius was also enrolling the veteran soldiers and centurions; likewise many enlisted voluntarily, because they saw that those who had served in the former Macedonian campaign or against Antiochus in Asia had become [p. 387]rich.
[7]
When the military tribunes who were3 appointing centurions were assigning men as they came,4 twenty-three veterans who had held the rank of chief centurion5 on being named appealed to the tribunes of the people.
[8]
Two of these magistrates, Marcus Fulvius Nobilior and Marcus Claudius Marcellus, referred the matter back to the consuls; for, they said, the investigation belonged to those to whom the levy and the war had been committed; the other tribunes said they would investigate the matter of the appeal, and if wrong was being done, they would come to the aid of their fellow-citizens.
1 Cf. XLI. xv. 10.
2 For a somewhat similar verdict, cf. XXXII. vii. 11.
3 B.C. 171
4 Former rank was not renewed at re-enlistment; however, it was no doubt taken into account by enlisting officers; this incident may have been a turning-point, as in later times rank was regularly held over on re-enlistment.
5 The forward, or ranking, centurion of the first maniple of the reserve formation (triarii) was so called; it is not certain whether the rear centurion of this maniple (primus pilus posterior) would also be included; duxerant suggests his exclusion. Cf. Polybius VI. 24.
Livy. Books XL-XLII With An English Translation. Cambridge. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1938: published without copyright notice.
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