RES GESTAE SENATUS POPVLIQVE ROMANI

[divulse123]

In the year of the consuls K. Quinctius Claudius and L. Genucius Clespina, the Senate and People of Rome constructed a Circus Simplex at Arpi and dedicated at Taras a fane of Jupiter. In the summer of that year the roads near Capua were paved with stone. Just before the year's end, a Circus Simplex was completed at Taras and Ariminum received a Medicus; both of these were carried out at public expense. Earlier in that same year, The Senate and People of Rome accepted the offer of peace from the Epirotes who, no longer able to maintain troops in Italy, officially ceded to the Senate and People the rights already in their possession from the actions of L. Cornelius Scipio. So ended the four hundred eighty-third year AVC.



In the year of the consuls L. Genucius Clespina and Gn. Cornelius Blasio the roads of Roma were paved in stone and the system of cloacae was completed in Arpi. L. Cornelius Scipio was elected Quaestor in absentia and remained in southern Italy, carrying out his office there. He moved to join a legion sent from Roma to the city of Rhegion, in order that he might take back the city which had been fortified against Roma by one of her own citizens, A. Decius Iubellius. Investing the city he decided that a long siege was the most prudent course, having a care for the lives of his men; however, certain citizens of Rhegion disliking the manner in which Iubellius had treated the residents there contrived to open the gates of the city. In the summer of that year, Scipio assaulted the city.





Taken unawares by the sudden onslaught, Iubellius sent some infantry to the gate, in order that, by their sacrifice, he could array the rest of his forces near the center of the city having fortified the marketplace. Scipio sent skirmishers to loft their darts over the walls, as they were not very tall, and then proceeded with his infantry to force his way into the city itself. The Lucanian allies using a ram so as to force their way inside some distance from the main gate were isolated from the main force of the legion and were nearly annihilated, until the Hastati were able to fend off their own opponents and fall upon the flank of Iubellius' delaying force.





L. Scipio, taking little care for his own safety, aided the foot soldiers as they moved into the city, and proceeded to fight in the streets, moving ever closer to the marketplace.



Scipio finally reached the center of the city, where Iubellius had placed those Roman citizens who had been won over by him, and helped him establish himself as ruler of the city. Scipio moved from one side of the marketplace to the other, wherever the fighting was thickest, calling out to his centurions by name and charging many times into the lines of the enemy, stopping only when one of the Principes of Iubellius wounded him in his side.





Iubellius was finally captured and killed, but neither he nor any of his men surrendered willingly; killing nearly half of Scipio's legion, they were themselves slaughtered to a man.





In the fall of that year, a Ludus was constructed in Arretium at public expense. That winter the Senate and People of Rome finished construction of the Villa Magistratus at Arretium and, while pacifying the lands around Rhegion, voted to repair the walls of that city. So ended the four hundred eighty-fourth year AVC.