After this the Sardinians, deeming it a calamity that a Roman praetor was forever set over them, made an uprising.  They were again enslaved, however.

VIII, 20.—­The Insubres, a Gallic tribe, having gained allies among their kinsmen beyond the Alps turned their arms against the Romans, and the latter accordingly made counter-preparations.  The barbarians plundered some towns, but at last a great storm occurred in the night and they began to suspect that Heaven was against them.  Consequently they lost heart and falling into a panic attempted to entrust their safety to flight. [Sidenote:  B.C. 225 (a.u. 529)] Regulus pursued them and brought on an engagement with the rear guards in which he was defeated and lost his life.  AEmilius occupied a hill and remained quiet.  The Gauls in turn occupied another one and for several days were inactive; then the Romans through anger at what had taken place and the barbarians from arrogance born of the victory charged down from the heights and came to blows.  For a long time the battle was evenly contested, but finally the Romans surrounded them with their horse, cut them down, seized their camp, and got back the spoils.  After this AEmilius wrought havoc among the possessions of the Boii and [Sidenote:  FRAG. 49^3] CELEBRATED A TRIUMPH, IN WHICH HE CONVEYED THE FOREMOST CAPTIVES CLAD IN ARMOR UP TO THE CAPITOL, MAKING JESTS AT THEIR EXPENSE FOR HAVING SWORN NOT TO REMOVE THEIR BREASTPLATES BEFORE THEY HAD MOUNTED THE CAPITOL.  The Romans now secured control of the entire territory of the Boii and for the first time crossed the Po to take the offensive against the Insubres; and they continued to ravage their country.

Meanwhile portents had occurred which threw the people of Rome into great fear.  A river in Picenum ran the color of blood, in Etruria a good part of the heavens seemed to be on fire, at Ariminum a light like daylight blazed out at night, in many portions of Italy the shapes of three moons became visible in the night time, and in the Forum a vulture roosted for several days. [Sidenote:  B.C. 223 (a.u. 531)] Because of these portents and inasmuch as some declared that the consuls had been illegally chosen, they summoned them home.  The consuls received the letter but did not open it immediately, since they were just entering upon war:  instead, they joined battle first and came out victorious.  After the battle the letter was read, and Furius was for obeying without discussion; but Flaminius was elated over the victory and pointed out that it had proved their choice to be correct, and he went on with vehement assertions that it was because they were jealous of him that the influential men were even falsifying heavenly warnings.  Consequently he refused to depart until he had settled the whole business in hand, and he said he would teach the people at home, too, not to be deceived by relying on birds or any other such thing.  So he was anxious to remain on the ground and made repeated attempts to detain