Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 43
Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D., Ed.

1. During the same summer in which this campaign¹ was fought in Thessaly, the staff-officer . . .,² sent by the consul into Illyricum, besieged two rich cities. [2] Ceremia³ he compelled by force of arms to surrender; and he left to its inhabitants all their possessions, in order by his reputation for clemency⁴ to entice the dwellers in the walled city of Carnuns. [3] After he had been unable either to induce them to surrender or to capture them by blockade, in order that his soldiery might not be worn out by two sieges and gain nothing, he plundered the city which he had previously left untouched.

[4] Gaius Cassius the second consul failed to accomplish anything of note in Gaul,⁵ which had fallen to his lot, and made a vain attempt to lead his legions through Illyricum into Macedonia. [5] The consul's venture on this journey became known to the senate through an [p. 5]embassy from Aquileia, which complained that their⁶ colony was new⁷ and weak and had been as yet insufficiently fortified against the surrounding hostile tribes of Histrians and Illyrians; [6] on their requesting that the senate should concern itself with means for fortifying this colony, they were asked if they wished this matter to be entrusted to Gaius Cassius the consul, but replied that Cassius, having mustered his army at Aquileia, had set out through Illyricum for Macedonia. [7] This report seemed unbelievable at first, and the senators each thought to himself that perhaps a campaign against the Carnians or Histrians had been begun. [8] Then the envoys from Aquileia said that they knew and dared assert nothing more than that thirty days' grain had been issued to the soldiery, and that guides who knew the roads from Italy into Macedonia had been sought out and taken along. [9] Then indeed the senate was incensed that the consul had such effrontery as to leave his own district, trespass upon his colleague's, lead his army by a dangerous, untried route⁸ among foreign peoples, and leave open to so many tribes the way into Italy.⁹ [10] A full senate decreed that the praetor Gaius Sulpicius should name three envoys from among the senators, who should that very day set out from the city and with all possible speed overtake the consul Cassius, wherever he might be; [11] they were to declare to him that he must not engage in war with any people unless [p. 7]the senate had determined on war against them.¹⁰ [12] ¹¹ The following envoys set out: Marcus Cornelius Cethegus, Marcus Fulvius, Publius Marcius Rex. Fear for the consul and his army displaced for the present any consideration of fortifying Aquileia.