11.
In Asia the Roman people had as yet no allied states. They bore in mind, however, that Aesculapius
1 also had been summoned once upon a
[p. 247]time from Greece on account of an epidemic, while
2 there was as yet no treaty of alliance;
[
2]
that at present on account of a joint war against Philip they had already entered into friendly relations with King Attalus.
[
3]
Thinking that he would do what he could for the sake of the Roman people, they decided to send ambassadors to him. These were Marcus Valerius Laevinus, who had been twice consul
3 and had held a command in Greece, Marcus Caecilius Metellus, an ex-praetor, Servius Sulpicius Galba, an ex-aedile, and two former quaestors, Gnaeus Tremelius Flaccus and Marcus Valerius Falto.
[
4]
For them they voted five quinqueremes,
4 that in keeping with the dignity of the Roman people they might visit lands where the highest respect for the Roman name was to be won.
[
5]
The ambassadors on the voyage to Asia made their way up to Delphi and consulted the oracle, enquiring what hope of accomplishing the task for which they had been sent from home it foresaw for themselves and the Roman people.
[
6]
The response, they say, was that they should gain what they sought with the help of King Attalus; that after conveying the goddess to Rome they were then to make sure that the best man at Rome should hospitably welcome her.
[
7]
They came to the king at Pergamum. He courteously received the ambassadors and, escorting them to Pessĭnus in Phrygia,
5 presented them with the sacred stone
6 [p. 249]which the inhabitants said was the Mother of the
7 Gods, and bade them carry it away to Rome.
[
8]
Sent on in advance by the ambassadors, Marcus Valerius Falto brought the news that they were bringing the goddess; they must seek out the best man in the state to receive her with due hospitality.
[9]
Quintus Caecilius Metellus was named, by the consul who was in the land of the Bruttians, dictator for the purpose of holding the elections, and Metellus' army was disbanded.
[10]
Lucius Veturius Philo was named master of the horse. The elections were held by the dictator.
[11]
Marcus Cornelius Cethegus and Publius Sempronius Tuditanus were elected consuls, the latter in his absence, since he had Greece as his province. Then Tiberius Claudius Nero, Marcus Marcius Ralla, Lucius Scribonius Libo, Marcus Pomponius Matho were elected praetors. The elections being completed, the dictator abdicated his office.
[12]
The Roman Games were repeated for three of the days, the Plebeian Games for seven. The curule aediles were Gnaeus and Lucius Cornelius Lentulus.
[13]
Lucius was in charge of the province of Spain; being elected in absence he was aedile in absence. Tiberius Claudius Asellus and Marcus Iunius Pennus were plebeian aediles. The Temple of Valour8 at the Porta Capena was dedicated that year by Marcus Marcellus, in the seventeenth year after it had been vowed at Clastidium in Gaul by his father in his first consulship.
[14]
And the flamen of Mars, Marcus Aemilius Regillus, died that year.
