Servius Galba,[A] an enemy of Aemilius, who had once commanded a legion
under him, hearing this, plucked up spirit to propose openly that he
should not be allowed a triumph. He disseminated among the soldiers many
calumnies against their general, and so still more exasperately their
present temper; next he asked the tribunes of the plebs for another day,
as that day would not suffice for his speech, only four hours remaining
of it. However, the tribunes bade him speak, and he, beginning a long
and abusive speech, consumed all the time. At nightfall the tribunes
dismissed the assembly. But the soldiers, now grown bolder, assembled
round Galba, and, forming themselves into an organized body, again at
daybreak occupied the capitol; for it was thither that the tribunes had
summoned the people.
[Footnote A: He had been military tribune of the second legion in
Macedonia. Liv. xlv. 35.]
XXXI. The voting began as soon as it was day, and the first tribe voted
against the triumph. Soon the rumour of this spread to the rest of the
people and to the Senate. Though the masses were grieved at the shameful
treatment of Aemilius, they exhausted themselves in useless clamour, but
the leading men of the Senate crying out one to another that what was
going on was scandalous, encouraged each other to resist the licentious
violence of the soldiers, who, if not restrained, were ready to use any
kind of lawless violence to prevent Paulus Aemilius enjoying the reward
of his victory.
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