ar
and lasting possession. That they had also brought three hundred
thousand pecks of wheat, and two hundred thousand of barley, that
there might be no want of provisions, and that as much more as might
be necessary they would convey, as a supply, to whatever place they
might appoint. He knew that the Roman people employed no legionary
troops or cavalry who were not Romans, or of the Latin confederacy,
that he had seen foreign auxiliary as well as native light-armed
troops in the Roman camps, he had, therefore, sent one thousand
archers and slingers, a suitable force against the Bahares and Moors,
and other nations which fought with missile weapons" To these presents
they added also advice "That the praetor to whose lot the province of
Sicily had fallen, should pass a fleet over to Africa, that the enemy
also might have a war in their own country, and that less liberty
should be afforded them of sending reinforcements to Hannibal" The
senate thus replied to the king. "That Hiero was a good man and an
admirable ally, and that from the time he first formed a friendship
with the Roman people he had uniformly cultivated a spirit of
fidelity, and had munificently assisted the Roman cause at all times
and in every place. That this was, as it ought to be, a cause of
gratitude to the Roman people. That the Roman people had not accepted
gold which had been brought them also from certain states, though they
felt gratitude for the act. The Victory and the omen," they said,
"they would accept, and would assign and dedicate to that goddess, as
her abode, the Capitol, the temple of Jupiter, the best and greatest
of gods, hoping that, consecrated in that fortress of the city of
Rome, she would continue there firm and immoveable, kind and
propitious to the Roman people." The slingers, archers, and corn were
handed over to the consuls. To the fleet which Titus Otacilius the
proprietor had in Sicily, twenty-five quinqueremes were added, and
permission was given him, if he thought it for the interest of the
state to pass over into Africa.

38. The levy completed, the consuls waited a few days, till the allies
of the Latin confederacy arrived. At this time the soldiers were bound
by an oath, which had never before been the case, dictated by the
military tribunes, that they would assemble at the command of the
consuls, and not depart without orders; for up to that time the
military oath only had been employed; and further, when the soldier