50.
Also, grain was very cheap this year; a great quantity of grain which was brought from Africa was distributed to the people at two
asses per
modius by
[
2]
the curule aediles Marcus Claudius Marcellus and Sextus Aelius Paetus. They also celebrated the Roman Games with great magnificence;
[
3]
they repeated one day's performance; they set up in the treasury five bronze statues out of the money collected as fines.
[
4]
The Plebeian Games were thrice repeated entire by the aediles Lucius Terentius Massiliota and Gnaeus Baebius Tamphilus, who had been chosen praetor.
[
5]
Funeral games lasting four days were exhibited in the forum in commemoration of the death of Marcus Valerius Laevinus, by his sons Publius and Marcus, and a gladiatorial show was given by them; twenty-five pairs of gladiators fought.
[
6]
Marcus Aurelius Cotta, decemvir in charge of sacrifices, died; in his stead Manius Acilius Glabrio was appointed.
[
7]
It happened that both the curule aediles chosen at the election were men who could not be inaugurated at once.
[
8]
For Gaius Cornelius Cethegus was elected in his absence, since he was engaged in administering the province of Spain; Gaius Valerius Flaccus, who was present when he was elected, could not take the oath to observe the
[
9]
laws because he was the flamen of Jupiter,
1 and no magistrate was allowed to hold office for more than five days unless he had taken that oath.
[
10]
At the request of Flaccus that he
[p. 149]be exempted from the operation of the law, the
2 senate decreed that if the aedile could find someone, approved by the consuls, who would take the oath on his behalf, the consuls, if it seemed wise to them, should request the tribunes to bring a resolution before the assembly.
[
11]
Lucius Valerius Flaccus, the praetor-elect, was proposed to take the oath in his brother's place. The tribunes proposed and the people voted, that it should be as if the aedile himself had sworn. Regarding the other aedile, the assembly passed a decree;
3 when the tribunes put the question what two men they would order to go to the armies in Spain, in order that Gaius Cornelius the curule aedile might come to enter upon his office, and that Lucius Manlius Acidinus might be relieved of his province after many years, the assembly ordered Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus
4 and Lucius Stertinius to exercise authority in Spain with the rank of proconsuls.