Such was the distribution of -the provinces. Before the consuls‘ left the City they were required, in accordance with a decree of the pontiffs, to proclaim a Sacred Spring?' This was in fulfilment of a vow made by the praetor A. Cornelius Mammula at the desire of the senate and by order of the people twenty-one years previously in the consulship of Cn. Servilius and C. Flaminius. C. Claudius Pulcher, the son of Appius, was at the same time appointed augur in place of Q. Fabius Ma: imus, who had died the year before. Whilst general surprise was felt that nothing was being done about the war which had broken out in Spain, a despatch arrived from Q. Minucius announcing that he had successfully engaged the Spanish generals Budar and Baesadines, and that the enemy had lost:Z,ooo men, Budar being made prisoner and the rest routed and put to flight. When the despatch was read less apprehension was felt about the two Spains, where a very serious war had been anticipated. The general anxiety now centred on Antiochus, especially after the return of the ten commissioners. After given r report on the negotiations withheen made with him禁and themade it terms on evident that a war on at least as great a scale with Antiochus was imminent. He had, so they informed the senate, landed in Europe板th an enormous fleet and a splendid army, and if his attention had not been diverted by a groundless hope based upon a still more gro undless rumour, to the invasion of E gypt, Greece would very on have been in the blaze of war. Even the Aetolians; an on naturally restless and now intensely embittered against the Romans, would no longer remain quiet. And there was another most formidable mischief with its roots in the very vitals of Greece-Nabis, who was for the time being tyrant of Lacedaemon but who if he were allowed would become t yrant. o毛the whole of Greece, a man呻o in greed brutality rivalled the most notorious tyrants m. history. after the Roman armies had been carried back to Italy, he were allowed to hold Argos as a stronghold threatening the whole of the Peloponnese, the deliverance of Greece from Philip would have been effected n vain;in any case instead of a distant