volunteer slaves; Caius Terentius Varro in the
Picenian, and Manius Pomponius in the Gallic territory. Of the
praetors of the former year, it was settled that Quintus Mucius should
have the government of Sardinia as propraetor, Marcus Valerius the
command of the sea-coast near Brundusium, watchful against all the
movements of Philip, king of the Macedonians. To Publius Cornelius
Lentulus, the praetor, the province of Sicily was assigned. Titus
Otacilius received the same fleet which he had employed the year
before against the Carthaginians. Many prodigies were reported to have
happened this year, which increased in proportion as they were
believed by the credulous and superstitious. That crows had built a
nest within the temple of Juno Sospita at Lanuvium; that a green
palm-tree had taken fire in Apulia; that a pool at Mantua, formed by
the overflowing of the river Mincius, had assumed the appearance of
blood; that it had rained chalk at Cales, and blood at Rome in the
cattle market; that a fountain under ground in the Istrian street had
discharged so violent a stream of water, that rolling along with the
impetuosity of a torrent, it carried away the butts and casks which
were near it; that the public court in the Capitol had been struck by
lightning; also the temple of Vulcan in the Campus Martius, a nut-tree
in the Sabine territory, a wall and gate at Gabii. Now other miracles
were published: that the spear of Mars at Praeneste moved forward of
its own accord; that in Sicily an ox had spoken; that a child in the
womb of its mother cried out Io Triumphe! in the country of the
Marrucinians; at Spoletum, that a woman was transformed into a man; at
Hadria, that an altar, with appearances as of men surrounding it in
white clothing, was seen in the heavens. Nay, even in the city of Rome
itself, after a swarm of bees had been seen in the forum, some persons
roused the citizens to arms, affirming that they saw armed legions on
the Janiculum; but those who were on the Janiculum at the time,
declared that they had seen no person there besides the usual
cultivators of the hill. These prodigies were expiated by victims of
the larger kind, according to the response of the aruspices; and a
supplication was ordered to all the deities who had shrines at Rome.

11. The ceremonies which were intended to propitiate the gods being
completed, the consuls took the sense of the senate on the state of
the nation, the conduct of the war, wha