50.  During that year provisions were remarkably cheap.  The curule aediles, Marcus Claudius Marcellus and Sextus Aelius Paetus, distributed among the people a vast quantity of corn, brought from Africa, at the rate of two asses a peck.  They also celebrated the Roman games in a magnificent manner, repeating them a second day; and erected in the treasury five brazen statues out of the money paid as fines.  The plebeian games were thrice repeated entire, by the aediles, Lucius Terentius Massa, and Cneius Baebius Tamphilus, who was elected praetor.  There were also funeral games exhibited that year in the forum, for the space of four days, on occasion of the death of Marcus Valerius Laevinus, by his sons Publius and Marcus, who gave also a show of gladiators, in which twenty-five pairs fought.  Marcus Aurelius Cotta, one of the decemviri of the sacred books, died, and Manius Acilius Glabrio was substituted in his room.  It happened that both the curule aediles, who had been created at the elections, were persons who could not immediately undertake the office:  for Caius Cornelius Cethegus was elected in his absence, when he was occupying Spain as his province; and Caius Valerius Flaccus, who was present, being flamen Dialis, could not take the oath of observing the laws; and no person was allowed to hold any office longer than five days without taking the oath.  Flaccus petitioned to be excused from complying with the law, on which the senate decreed, that if the aedile produced a person approved of by the consuls, who would take the oath for him, the consuls, if they thought proper, should make application to the tribunes, that it might be proposed to the people.  Lucius Valerius Flaccus, praetor elect, was produced to swear for his brother.  The tribunes proposed to the commons, and the commons ordered that this should be as if the aedile himself had sworn.  With regard to the other aedile, likewise, an order of the commons was made.  On the tribunes putting the question, what two persons they chose should go and take the command of the armies in Spain, in order that Caius Cornelius, curule aedile, might come home to execute his office, and that Lucius Manlius Acidinus might, after many years, retire from the province; the commons ordered Cneius Cornelius Lentulus and Lucius Stertinius, proconsuls, to command in Spain.

BOOK XXXII.

Successes of Titus Quinctius Flamininus against Philip; and of his brother Lucius with the fleet, assisted by Attalus and the Rhodians.  Treaty of friendship with the Achaeans.  Conspiracy of the slaves discovered and suppressed.  The number of the praetors augmented to six.  Defeat of the Insubrian Gauls by Cornelius Cethegus.  Treaty of friendship with Nabis, tyrant of Lacedaemon.  Capture of several cities in Macedonia.

1.  The consuls and praetors, having entered upon office on the ides of March, cast lots for the provinces.