ne, notwithstanding he had obtained
permission of the senate: coming, then, into the city in a private
character, he conveyed to the treasury one thousand two hundred
pounds' weight of silver, and about thirty pounds' weight of gold.
During this year, Cneius Baebius Tamphilus, who had succeeded to the
government of the province of Gaul, in the room of Caius Aurelius,
consul of the year preceding, having, without proper caution, entered
the territories of the Insubrian Gauls, was surprised with almost the
whole of his army. He lost above six thousand six hundred men,--so
great a loss was received from a war which had now ceased to be an
object of apprehension. This event called away the consul, Lucius
Lentulus, from the city; who, arriving in the province, which was
filled with confusion, and taking the command of the army, which he
found dispirited by its defeat, severely reprimanded the praetor, and
ordered him to quit the province and return to Rome. Neither did the
consul himself perform any considerable service, being called home to
preside at the elections, which were obstructed by Marcus Fulvius and
Manius Curius, plebeian tribunes, who wished to hinder Titus Quinctius
Flamininus from standing candidate for the consulship, after passing
through the office of quaestor. They alleged, that "the aedileship and
praetorship were now held in contempt, and that the nobility did not
make their way to the consulship through the regular gradations of
offices, thus affording a trial of themselves; but, passing over the
intermediate steps, pushed at once from the lowest to the highest."
From a dispute in the Field of Mars, the affair was brought before
the senate, where it was voted, "that when a person sued for any post,
which by the laws he was permitted to hold, the people had the right
of choosing whoever they thought proper." To this decision of the
senate the tribunes submitted, and thereupon Sextus Aelius Paetus and
Titus Quinctius Flamininus were elected consuls. Then was held the
election of praetors. The persons chosen were, Lucius Cornelius
Merula, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, Marcus Porcius Cato, and Caius
Helvius, who had been plebeian aediles. By these the plebeian games
were repeated, and, on occasion of the games, a feast of Jupiter was
celebrated. The curule aediles, also, Caius Valerius Flaccus, who was
flamen of Jupiter, and Caius Cornelius Cethegus, celebrated the Roman
games with great magnificence. Servius a