Calpurnius, the praetor, and a decree of the senate.
A murmur immediately pervaded the whole assembly,
beginning at the tribunal, that the entire question
respecting the Campanians was referred to the decision
of the fathers, and Fulvius, suspecting this to be
the case, took the letter, and without opening it
put it into his bosom, and then commanded the crier
to order the lictor to do his duty. Thus punishment
was inflicted on those also who were at Cales.
The letter was then read, together with the decree
of the senate, when it was too late to prevent the
business which was already executed, and which had
been accelerated by every means to prevent its being
obstructed. When Fulvius was now rising from his
seat, Jubellius Taurea, a Campanian making his way
through the middle of the city and the crowd, called
upon him by name, and when Flaccus, who wondered greatly
what he could want, had resumed his seat, he said,
“Order me also to be put to death, that you may
be able to boast, that a much braver man than yourself
has been put to death by you.” Fulvius
at first said, that the man could not certainly be
in his senses, then, that he was restrained by a decree
of the senate, even though he might wish it, when
Jubellius exclaimed “Since, after the capture
of my country, and the loss of my relations and friends,
after having killed, with my own hand, my wife and
children to prevent their suffering any indignity,
I am not allowed even to die in the same manner as
these my countrymen, let a rescue be sought in courage
from this hated existence.” So saying, he
thrust a sword, which he had concealed under his garment,
right through his breast, and fell lifeless at the
general’s feet.
16. Because not only what related to the punishment
of the Campanians, but most of the other particulars
of this affair, were transacted according to the judgment
of Flaccus alone, some authors affirm that Appius
Claudius died about the time of the surrender of Capua,
and that this same Taurea neither came to Cales voluntarily
nor died by his own hand, but that while he was being
tied to the stake among the rest, Flaccus, who could
not distinctly hear what he vociferated from the noise
which was made, ordered silence, when Taurea said the
things which have been before related “that
he, a man of the greatest courage, was being put to
death by one who was by no means his equal in respect
to valour.” That immediately on his saying
this, the herald, by command of the proconsul, pronounced
this order. “Lictor, apply the rods to
this man of courage, and execute the law upon him
first.” Some authors also relate, that he
read the decree of the senate before he beheaded them,
but that as there was a clause in it, to the effect,
that if he thought proper he should refer the entire
question to the senate, he construed it that the decision
as to what was most for the interest of the state
was left to himself. He returned from Cales to
Capua. Atella and Calatia surrendered themselves,