The consul T. Quinctius, in raising troops, took care choose mainly those who had done good service in S pain in Africa and who were inen of tried courage. Anxious as 0了ee was to go to his province, he was delayed m Rome by announcement of portents and the necessity of expiating fl, Several places had been struck by lightning-the high】 at Ven, the forum and the temple of Jupiter at Lanuvi the tem拟e of Hercules at Ardea, and at Capua walls and toi and the temple called Alba. At um the sky appeared to be on fire. At Velitrae the earth suL sided o three jugera, leaving a huge chasm. At Suessa it that a lamb had been born with two heads, and at Sinuessa a pig with a human head. In consequence of these’ portents a day of special intercession was .proclaimed and the consuls arranged for the prayers·and sacrifices, After thus placating the gods the consuls left for their e provinces. Aelius took the praetor I3elvius with Gaul and handed over to him the army which he had received from L. Lentulus, to be disbanded, whilst he 咖_out of峡 。utofhis hands and seek safety as he had done before 一血forests and deserts .in which case the summer would be gone without any decisive result being arrived at. It was deckled, there fore, in any case to attack the enemy where he was, in teoftheunfavOI旧冠blto of the f unavou了aol e grownavows d over which the attack had to made. But it was easier to decide that an attack should sPllbe’beFo made than to form a clear idea of how it should be made. r forty days they remained inactive in full view of the enemy.