sea appeared on fire; at Sinuessa a cow brought forth a
horse foal; the statues in the temple of Juno Sospita Lanuvium flowed
down with blood; and a shower of stones fell in the neighbourhood of
that temple: on account of which shower the nine days' sacred rite was
celebrated, as is usual on such occasions, and the other prodigies
were carefully expiated.

32. The consuls divided the armies between them. The army which Marcus
Junius the dictator had commanded fell to the lot of Fabius. To that
of Sempronius fell the volunteer slaves, with twenty-five thousand of
the allies. To Marcus Valerius the praetor were assigned the legions
which had returned from Sicily. Marcus Claudius, proconsul, was sent
to that army which lay above Suessula for the protection of Nola. The
praetors set out for Sicily and Sardinia. The consuls issued a
proclamation, that as often as they summoned a senate, the senators
and those who had a right to give their opinion in the senate, should
assemble at the Capuan gate. The praetors who were charged with the
administration of justice, fixed their tribunals in the public fish
market; there they ordered sureties to be entered into, and here
justice was administered this year. Meanwhile news was brought to
Carthage, from which place Mago, Hannibal's brother, was on the point
of carrying over into Italy twelve thousand foot, fifteen hundred
horse, twenty elephants, and a thousand talents of silver, under a
convoy of sixty men of war, that the operations of the war had not
succeeded in Spain, and that almost all the people in that province
had gone over to the Romans. There were some who were for sending Mago
with that fleet and those forces into Spain, neglecting Italy, when an
unexpected prospect of regaining Sardinia broke upon them. They were
informed, that "the Roman army there was small, that Aulus Cornelius,
who had been praetor there, and was well acquainted with the province,
was quitting it, and that a new one was expected. Moreover, that the
minds of the Sardinians were now wearied with the long continuance of
rule; and that during the last year it had been exercised with
severity and rapacity. That the people were weighed down with heavy
taxes, and an oppressive contribution of corn: that there was nothing
wanting but a leader to whom they might revolt." This secret embassy
had been sent by the nobles, Hampsicora being the chief contriver of
the measure, who at that time was first by far in