The other consW, Laevinus, then consulted the senate as to what reply was to be given to the petition of the Sicilians. There was a long debate and great divergence of opinion. Many of those present supported the view expressed by T. Manlius Torquatus.They were of opinion that hostilities ought to have been directed against the tyrants, who were the common enemies of Syracuse and of Rome. The city ought to have been allowed to surrender, not taken by storm, and when surrendered ,it ou扒to，have hadr I its own laws and liberties guara nteed to it, insteaa of Delng ruined by war after it had been worn out by a ,deplorable servitude under its tyrants. The struggle between_.一“tyrants and the Roman. general in which Syracuse was the prize of victory had resulted in the utter destruction of a most famous and beautiful city, the granary and treasury of the Rom ，npeople. The commonwealth had frequently experienced its generosity, es Pb ee cially in the present Punic war,- a nd the City had been em Dished by its munificent gifts.if Hiero that loval supporter of the power ，口1 1二 of Rome, could rise from the dead, with what face would any one dare to show him either Rome or Syracuse?In the onehis own city-he would see universal spoliation and a large part of it burnt, and as he approached the other he would see just outside its walls, almost within its gates, the spoils of -his count T s the line of argument urged by those who sou to create7 -%. .,.“feeling against the consul and evoke sympathy1T\1 } ". 1 17 i 7 1 ，梦岁f几，舀 ‘Uon ‘七r网. the a1cillans. 1 he majority, however, cud not take such an favourable view of his conduct, and a decree was passed confirming the acts of Marcellus both during the war and after his victorv. and declarine that the senate would for the future make the interests of the 5yracusans their charge and would instruct Laevinus to sa f eguar旦the roperty of the citizens so far as he could without inflicting any loss on the State. Two senators were sent to the Capitol to request the consul to come back, and after the Sicilians had again been brought in, the decree was read to them. Some kind words were addressed to the envoys and they were dismissed. Before they left the House they flung themselves on their knees before Marcellus and implored him to forgive them for what they had said in their anxiety to gain sympathy and relief in their distress. They also begged him to take them and their city under his protection, and look upon them as his clients.The consul promised that he would do so, and after a few gracious words dismissed them一