Claudius brought back his fleet to Rome in a private capacity.  Marcus Servilius set out for his province, having nominated Caius Servilius Geminus as dictator, that he might not be recalled to the city to hold the elections.  The dictator appointed Publius Aelius Paetus master of the horse.  It frequently happened, that the elections could not be held on account of bad weather, though the days were fixed for them; and, therefore, as the magistrates of the former year retired from their offices on the day before the ides of March, and fresh ones were not appointed to succeed them, the state was without curule magistrates.  Lucius Manlius Torquatus, a pontiff, died this year.  Caius Sulpicius Galba was elected in his room.  The Roman games were thrice repeated by the curule aediles, Lucius Licinius Lucullus and Quintus Fulvius.  Some scribes and runners belonging to the aediles were found, on the testimony of an informer, to have privately conveyed money out of the treasury, and were condemned, not without disgrace to the aedile Lucullus.  Publius Aelius Tubero and Lucius Laetorius, plebeian aediles, on account of some informality in their creation, abdicated their office, after having celebrated the games, and the banquet on occasion of the games, in honour of Jupiter, and after having placed in the Capitol three statues made out of silver paid as fines.  The dictator and master of the horse celebrated the games in honour of Ceres, in conformity with a decree of the senate.

40.  The Roman, together with the Carthaginian ambassadors, having arrived at Rome from Africa, the senate was assembled at the temple of Bellona; when Lucius Veturius Philo stated, to the great joy of the senate, that a battle had been fought with Hannibal, which was decisive of the fate of the Carthaginians, and that a period was at length put to that calamitous war.  He added what formed a small accession to their successes, that Vermina, the son of Syphax, had been vanquished.  He was then ordered to go forth to the public assembly, and impart the joyful tidings to the people.  Then, a thanksgiving having been appointed, all the temples in the city were thrown open, and supplications for three days were decreed.  The ambassadors of the Carthaginians, and those of king Philip, for they also had arrived, requesting an audience of the senate, answer was made by the dictator, by order of the fathers, that the new consuls would give them an audience.  The elections were then held.  The consuls elected were Cneius Cornelius Lentulus and Publius Aelius Paetus.  The praetors elected were Marcus Junius Pennus, to whose lot the city jurisdiction fell, Marcus Valerius Falto, who received Bruttium, Marcus Fabius Buteo, who received Sardinia, and Publius Aelius Tubero, who received Sicily.  It was the pleasure of the senate that nothing should be done respecting the provinces of the consuls, till the ambassadors of king Philip and the Carthaginians had been heard; for they foresaw