Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 30
Frank Gardener Moore, Professor Emeritus in Columbia University, Ed.

2. For Sicily three thousand soldiers were enrolled because all the best troops that province used to have [p. 371]had been transported to Africa. Furthermore,¹ because it had been decided to defend the sea-coast of Sicily with forty ships, in order to prevent any fleet from crossing over from Africa, Villius took with him thirteen new ships to Sicily, while the rest in Sicily were old ships repaired. [2] Placed in charge of this fleet, with his command continued, was Marcus Pomponius, praetor [3??] in the preceding year, who provided the ships with new soldiers brought from Italy. The same number of ships were by decree of the senate assigned, with the same [4??] extension of his command, to Gnaeus Octavius, who likewise had been praetor² in the preceding year, in order to defend the coast of Sardinia. Lentulus, the praetor, was ordered to furnish two thousand soldiers for the ships. [5] As for the defence of the coast of Italy, since it was not known to what point the Carthaginians would send their fleet —while they seemed likely to attack any part of it that was left unguarded —that task with the same number of ships was entrusted to Marcus Marcius, praetor in the previous year. [6] Three thousand soldiers were enrolled by the consuls for that fleet in accordance with a decree of the senate, and two city legions for emergency duty. [7] The Spanish provinces were assigned by a decree of the senate to their veteran commanders, Lucius Lentulus and Lucius Manlius Acidinus with the armies and military authority. The Roman state was administered that year with a total of twenty legions and a hundred and sixty war-ships.³

[8] The praetors were ordered to go to their provinces, while the consuls were bidden, before their departure [p. 373]from the city, to conduct the great games which Titus⁴ Manlius Torquatus⁵ as dictator had vowed for the fourth year, if the state should remain as it was before. [9] And new religious fears were aroused in men's minds by portents reported from a number of places. On the Capitol ravens were believed not only to have torn away gilding with their beaks but even to have eaten it. At Antium mice gnawed a golden wreath. [10] The whole region around Capua was covered by an immense number of locusts, while there was no agreement as to whence they had come. At Reate a colt with five feet was foaled. [11] At Anagnia there were at first shooting-stars at intervals and then a great meteor blazed out.⁶ [12] At Frusino a halo⁷ encircled the sun with its slender circumference, and then the ring itself had a greater circle bright as the sun circumscribed about it. At Arpinum in an open meadow the earth settled into a huge depression. One of the consuls on sacrificing his first victim found the “head” of the liver lacking.⁸ [13] These prodigies were expiated by full-grown victims; the gods to whom sacrifices should be offered were announced by the college of the pontiffs.