While these things passed in Macedonia, the consuls went to their provinces.
Marcellus sent forward an express to Lucius Porcius, the proconsul, to lead up the legions to the new town of the Gauls; they surrendered themselves to the [p. 1851]
consul on his arrival.
There were of these twelve thousand fighting men, most of whom had arms, which they had forced from the inhabitants:
all which, to their great mortification, were taken from them, as was every thing else which they had either acquired by plundering in the country, or had brought along with them.
They sent ambassadors to Rome to complain of those proceedings, who being introduced to an audience of the senate, by the praetor Caius Valerius, represented, that “in consequence of a redundancy of people in Gaul, they had been compelled by the want of land, and indeed of every thing, to cross the Alps in quest of a settlement: that they had settled in those lands which they found waste and uncultivated without doing injury to any.
They had likewise begun to build a town, which was a proof that they did not come to ravage either city or lands.
That some time ago, Marcus Claudius sent them a message, that unless they surrendered to him he would march against them, and that preferring a certain, though not very honourable peace, to the uncertainties of war, they had thrown themselves on the protection of Rome before they submitted to its power.
That in a short time after, being ordered to quit the country, they had intended to remove without murmuring to whatever part of the world they were able; and that, notwithstanding, their arms, and finally all the property which they had brought with them, or driven before them, were taken from them.
They therefore besought the senate and people of Rome not to treat harmless people, who had surrendered themselves, with greater severity than they would enemies.”
To this discourse the senate ordered the following answer to be given: That “neither had they acted properly in coming into Italy, and attempting to build a town in the territory of others, without permission from any Roman magistrate commanding in that province; nor did the senate approve of people who had surrendered being stripped of their property.
They would therefore send to the consuls ambassadors, who would order all their effects to be restored, provided they returned to the place whence they came; and who would also proceed to the other side of the Alps, and give warning to the Gallic states to keep their people at home.
That the Alps, an almost impassable barrier, lay between the two countries, and whoever should pass in future, should meet no [p. 1852]
better fate than those who first proved them to be passable.” The ambassadors sent were Lucius Furius Purpureo, Quintus Minucius, Publius Manlius Acidinus.
The Gauls, on the restoration of such property as they were in possession of, without wronging any man, withdrew out of Italy.