Six commissioners were sent to Africa to procure corn for Greece, the cost to be borne by Rome;three went to Carthage and three to Numidia. So determined were the citizens to be in perfect readiness for the war that the consul published an edict forbidding anyone who was a senator or had the right of speaking in the senate, or held office as an inferior magistrate, from leaving Rome for any place from which he could not return in a day. It was also forbidden for five senators to be absent from the City at any one time. Whilst C. Livius was doing his utmost to make ’the fleet ready for sea he was for some time delayed妙a dispute with the citizens of the maritime colonies. When they were impressed for the fleet they appealed to the tribunes of the plebs, who referred them to the senate. The senate unanimously decreed that there was no exemption from service for the colonists. The colonies concerned were Ostia, Fregenae, Castrum Novum, Py`rgi, Antium, Tarracina, Minturnae and Sinuessa. The consul Acilius, in compliance with a resolution of the senate, submitted two questions to the College of Fetials. One was whether the declaration of war had to be made to Antiochus personally, or whether it would be sufficient to announce it at one of his frontier garrisons. The other was whether a separate declaration of war must be made to the Aetolians and whether in that case the league of amity and alliance must first be denounced. The Fetials replied that they had already on a previous occasion, ，when they were consulted in the case of decided that it was a matter of indifference whether the declaration were made personally or in one of his garrison towns. As to the league of amitv. thev held that it was obviouslv 马.!砂，J甘 denounced, seeing that after the frequent demands put forward by our ambassadors the king had neither surrendered the towns v 755 r nor given anv satisfaction. In the case of the Aetolians. thev had actuary aeciarea war on icome ay taxing torciale possession of Demetrias, a city belonging to the allies of Rome, by going to attack Chalcis by land and sea, and by bringing Antiochus into Europe to levy war on Rome. When all the preparations were at last completed, Acilius issued an edict for a general muster at Brundisium by -the i Kth of may of the tcoman soldiers wnom‘·tluinctius nad cauea up and those who had been supplied to him by the Latins and allies.who were under orders to go with him to his province as well as the military tribunes of the first and third legions. He himself left the City wearing his paludamentum on the 3rd of that month. The praetors left at the same time for their respective provinces.