The History of Rome, Books 37 to the End: with the Epitomes and Fragments of the Lost BooksLivy
History
The History of Rome, Books 37 to the End: with the Epitomes and Fragments of the Lost Books
Livy
Rome -- History
another victim to envy.” Marcus Cato supported the motion in a speech on
the money of king Antiochus, which is still extant; and, by his
influence, deterred the Mummii, the two tribunes, from their opposition
to the order. On their withdrawing their intended protest, every one of
the tribes voted in favour of the motion.
55. Servius Sulpicius then putting the question to the senate, whom they
would appoint, according to the Petillian order of the people, to hold
the inquiry, they appointed Quintus Terentius Culleo. Before this
prætor, so warmly attached to the Cornelian family, (that those writers,
who say that Publius Scipio died and was buried at Rome, for that too is
asserted, have left on record, that he walked at his funeral before the
bier with a cap of liberty on his head, as he had done before at his
triumph; and that, at the Capuan gate, he gave wine and honey to those
who attended the obsequies, to show his gratitude for having been
recovered by Scipio, among other captives, out of the hands of the enemy
in Africa,) or so great an enemy to that family, that on account of his
known animosity, he was selected in particular by the faction that
supported the proceedings against the Scipios, to hold the inquiry;
however that may be, before this prætor, whether too favourable or too
much the contrary, Lucius Scipio was immediately arraigned. At the same
time charges were presented and received against his
lieutenants-general, the two Hostilius Catos, Aulus and Lucius; and his
quæstor, Caius Furius Aculeo: and (that all things might appear infected
with the contagion of peculation) against his two secretaries and crier,
Lucius Hostilius. The secretaries and the crier were acquitted before
Scipio was tried. Scipio and Aulus Hostilius, his lieutenant-general,
and Caius Furius, were convicted on the following charges, that, “as
bribes, for granting more favourable terms of peace to Antiochus, Scipio
had received, over and above what he brought into the treasury, six
thousand pounds’ weight of gold, and four hundred and eighty of silver;
Aulus Hostilius, eighty pounds of gold, and four hundred and three of
silver; and Furius, the quæstor, one hundred and thirty of gold, and two
hundred of silver.” These sums of gold and silver I find mentioned by
Antias. As to what regards Lucius Scipio, I suspect some mistake of the
transcriber, rather than a falsehood of the historian, respecting the
amount of the gold and silver. For it is more probable that the weight
of silver was greater than that of gold, and that the fine was laid at
four millions,[37] than at twenty-four millions of sesterces,[38] the
more on this account, as they record that an account of that sum was
demanded from Publius Scipio himself, in the senate; and that when he
had desired his brother Lucius to bring the book of his accounts, he
tore it to pieces in the view of the senate, at the same time expressing
indignation at being called to account for four millions after he had
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