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

27. At the beginning of the following year¹ Marcus Servilius and Tiberius Claudius summoned the senate to the Capitol and raised the question of the provinces. They wished that lots should be cast for Italy and Africa, both of them being eager to have Africa.² [2] But chiefly owing to the efforts of Quintus Metellus³ Africa was not refused nor yet given them. [3] The consuls were instructed to arrange with the tribunes of the plebs that, with their approval, they should bring before the people the question whom they wished for the conduct of the war in Africa. [4] All the tribes voted for Publius Scipio.⁴ In spite of that the consuls cast lots for Africa as a [p. 463]province, for so the senate had decreed. [5] Africa fell⁵ to Tiberius Claudius, with the provision that he should take a fleet of fifty ships, all of them quinqueremes, over to Africa, and that he should be commanding general with an authority equal to that of Scipio.⁶ [6] Marcus Servilius received Etruria by lot. In the same province Gaius Servilius' command was also continued, in case the senate decided that the consul should remain near the city. [7] Of the praetors Marcus Sextius received Gaul by lot, with the understanding that Publius Quinctilius Varus should turn over to him the two legions with the province; [8] Gaius Livius received the land of the Bruttii with the two legions which Publius Sempronius had commanded in the previous year as proconsul; Gnaeus Tremelius was allotted Sicily, to take over the province from Publius Villius Tappulus, praetor of the previous year, and the two legions. Villius as propraetor was to defend the coast of Sicily with twenty war-ships and a thousand soldiers. [9] Marcus Pomponius with the remaining twenty ships was to transport fifteen hundred soldiers back to Rome. The city praetorship fell to Gaius Aurelius Cotta. For the rest of the praetors⁷ their commands were continued just as they then held their several provinces and armies. [10] With no more than sixteen legions⁸ the empire was [p. 465]defended that year. [11] And that they might begin⁹ everything and carry it on with the favour of the gods, inasmuch as in the consulship of Marcus Claudius Marcellus and Titus Quinctius the dictator Titus Manlius had vowed games¹⁰ and full-grown victims if the state should remain for four years as it was before, it was ordered that the consuls should celebrate those games before they set out for the war. [12] The games were celebrated in the Circus for four days, and victims were sacrificed to the gods to whom they had been vowed.