[Y. R. 616. B. C. 136.] Decius Junius Brutus fought with success against
the Gallæcians, in Farther Spain: Marcus Æmilius Lepidus engages the
Vaccæans, unsuccessfully, and is as unfortunate as Mancinus was against
the Numantines. The Romans, to absolve themselves from the guilt of
breach of treaty, order Mancinus, who made the peace with the
Numantines, to be delivered up to that people; but they refuse to
receive him. [Y. R. 617. B. C. 135.] The lustrum was closed by the
censors: the number of citizens was three hundred and twenty-three
thousand. Fulvius Flaccus, the consul, subdued the Vardeans in Illyria.
Marcus Cosconius, the prætor, fights against the Scordiscians, in
Thrace, and conquers them. The war in Numantia still continuing, owing
to the ill-conduct of the generals, the senate and people voluntarily
confer the consulship upon Scipio Africanus: on which occasion the law,
which prohibits any man from being elected consul a second time, is
dispensed with. [Y. R. 618. B. C. 134.] An insurrection of the slaves
arose in Sicily; which is committed to the care of the consul, Caius
Fulvius, when the prætor is unable to quell it. Eunus, a slave, a Syrian
by birth, was the author of this war; by gathering a large body of the
rustic slaves, and breaking open the prisons, he raised a considerable
army: Cleon also, another slave, having assembled seventy thousand
slaves, joins him; and they, several times, engage the Roman forces in
those parts.