37.  Soon after those matters had passed with such variety of fortune, Lucius Furius Purpureo, the other consul, came into the country of the Boians, through the Sappinian tribe.  He proceeded almost to the fort of Mutilus, when, beginning to apprehend that he might be enclosed between the Boians and Ligurians, he marched back by the road by which he came; and, making a long circuit, through an open and therefore safe country, arrived at the camp of his colleague.  After this junction of their forces, they overran the territory of the Boians, spreading devastation as far as the city of Felsina.  This city, with the other fortresses, and almost all the Boians, excepting only the young men who kept arms in their hands for the sake of plunder, and had at that time withdrawn into remote woods, made submission.  The army was then led away against the Ligurians.  The Boians thought that the Romans, as they were supposed to be at a great distance, would be the more careless in keeping their army together, and thereby afford an opportunity of attacking them unawares:  with this expectation, they followed them by secret paths through the forests.  They did not overtake them:  and therefore, passing the Po suddenly in ships, they ravaged all the country of the Laevans and Libuans; whence, as they were returning with the spoil of the country, they fell in with the Roman army on the borders of Liguria.  A battle was begun with more speed, and with greater fury, than if the parties had met with their minds prepared, and at an appointed time and place.  On this occasion it appeared to what degree of violence anger can stimulate men; for the Romans fought with such a desire of slaughter, rather than of victory, that they scarcely left one of the enemy to carry the news of their defeat.  On account of these successes, when the letters of the consuls were brought to Rome, a supplication for three days was decreed.  Soon after, Marcellus came to Rome, and had a triumph decreed him by an unanimous vote of the senate.  He triumphed, while in office, over the Insubrians and Comans.  The prospect of a triumph over the Boians he left to his colleague, because his own arms had been unfortunate in that country; those of his colleague, successful.  Large quantities of spoils, taken from the enemy, were carried in the procession in captured chariots, and many military standards; also, three hundred and twenty thousand asses of brass,[1] two hundred and thirty-four thousand of silver denarii,[2] stamped with a chariot.  Eighty asses[3] were bestowed on each foot soldier, and thrice that value on each horseman and centurion.

[Footnote 1:  1033l. 6s. 8d.]

[Footnote 2:  2331l. 2s. 6d.]

[Footnote 3:  5s. 2-1/4d.]