the numbers.  This year the Roman empire was defended by twenty-one legions.  Publius Licinius Varus, the city praetor, was also commissioned to repair the thirty old men of war which lay at Ostia, and to man twenty new ones with full complements, in order that he might defend the sea-coast in the neighbourhood hood of Rome with a fleet of fifty ships.  Caius Calpurnius was ordered not to move his army from Arretium till his successor had arrived.  Both he and Tubulus were ordered to be particularly careful, lest any new plots should be formed in that quarter.

23.  The praetors set out for their provinces.  The consul were detained by religious affairs; for receiving intelligence of several prodigies, they could not easily obtain a favourable appearance from the victims.  It was reported from Campania, that two temples, those of Fortune and Mars, and several sepulchres, had been struck by lightning.  From Cumae, so does superstition connect the deities with the most trifling circumstances, that mice had gnawed some gold in the temple of Jupiter.  That an immense swarm of bees had settled in the forum at Casinum.  That at Ostia a wall and gate had been struck by lightning.  At Caere, that a vulture had flown into the temple of Jupiter.  That blood had flowed from a lake at Volsinii.  On account of these prodigies, a supplication was performed for one day.  For several days, victims of the larger kind were sacrificed without any favourable appearance, and for a long time the good will of the gods could not be obtained.  The fatal event indicated by these portents pointed to the persons of the consuls, the state being unaffected.  The Apollinarian games were first celebrated by Publius Cornelius Sulla, the city praetor, in the consulate of Quintus Fulvius and Appius Claudius; from that time all the city praetors in succession had performed them; but they vowed them for one year only, and fixed no day for their performance.  This year a grievous pestilence attacked the city and the country; it showed itself, however, in protracted rather than fatal diseases.  On account of this pestilence supplication was performed in every street throughout the city; and Publius Licinius Varus, the city praetor, was ordered to propose to the people a law to the effect, that a vow should be made to perform these games on a stated day for ever.  He himself was the first who vowed them in this manner, and he celebrated them on the third day of the nones of July, a day which was henceforth kept sacred.

24.  The reports respecting the people of Arretium became daily more serious, and the anxiety of the fathers increased.  A letter was therefore written to Caius Hostilius, directing him not to delay taking hostages from that people; and Caius Terentius Varro was sent, with a command, to receive from him the hostages and convey them to Rome.  On his arrival, Hostilius immediately ordered one legion, which was encamped before the city, to march into it; and having