56.
In the same year the proconsul Aulus Terentius, not far from the river Ebro, in the country of the Ausetani, both fought successful battles with the Celtiberians and captured a number of towns which they had fortified.
[
2]
Farther Spain that year was at peace, partly because Publius Sempronius the proconsul was suffering from a long illness, and with no one to provoke them the Lusitanians very fortunately remained quiet.
[
3]
Nor was anything worth recording done by the consul Quintus Fabius among the Ligurians.
Marcus Marcellus, recalled from Histria, disbanded his army and returned to Rome to hold the elections.
[
4]
He returned as consuls Gnaeus Baebius Tamphilus and Lucius Aemilius Paulus. The latter had been curule aedile with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus; this was the fifth year after the consulship of Lepidus, although Lepidus himself became consul after two defeats.
1
[
5]
Next the praetors were chosen, Quintus Fulvius Flaccus, Marcus Valerius Laevinus, Publius Manlius (for the second time),
2 Marcus Ogulnius Gallus, Lucius Caecilius Denter, Gaius Terentius Istra.
At the end of the year there was a period of prayer by reason of the prodigies, because the Romans were well persuaded
[
6??]
that there had been a shower of blood, lasting two days, in the precinct of Concord,
3 and because it was reported that not far from Sicily, a new island which had not been there before had
[p. 399]risen from the sea.
[
7]
Valerius Antias says that
4 Hannibal died this year, ambassadors having been sent to Prusias for this purpose, namely, Lucius Scipio Asiaticus and Publius Scipio Nasica,
5 in addition to Titus Quinctius Flamininus, whose name is best known in this connection.