1These matters were discussed very often both in the senate and in the assembly. 2While the city rejoiced, the dictator alone put no faith in either rumour or letter, and said that even if everything were true he feared success more than failure; then Marcus Metilius, tribune of the plebs, declared that this was really not to be borne: the dictator had not only stood in the way of success when he was present, but even when absent was obstructing success already won, and was deliberately wasting time, so that he might stay longer in office and hold sole command both at Rome and in the army. 5For one of the consuls had fallen in battle, and the other had been sent away far from Italy on the pretext of pursuing the Punic fleet; 6two praetors were occupied with Sicily and Sardinia, neither of which needed a praetor at this time; 6Marcus Minucius, the master of the horse, had been kept almost under guard, so that he might not see the enemy or carry out any act of war.
7And so, by Hercules, not only Samnium, which had already been yielded to the Carthaginians as if it were land beyond the Ebro, but the Campanian, Calenian and Falernian districts had been laid waste, while the dictator sat at Casilinum and protected his own estate with the legions of the Roman people. 8The army, eager to fight, and the master of the horse had been held back, almost shut up inside the rampart, their arms taken from them as if they were captured enemies. 9At last, as soon as the dictator had gone away from there, they had gone out beyond the rampart like men freed from a siege, and routed and put the enemy to flight.
10For these reasons, if the Roman plebs had its ancient spirit, he would boldly have brought a bill to abrogate the command of Quintus Fabius; 10as it was, he would put forward a moderate bill to make equal the authority of the master of the horse and of the dictator. 11Yet not even so should Quintus Fabius be sent to the army before he had appointed a consul in place of Gaius Flaminius. 12The dictator kept away from the assemblies, being anything but popular as a speaker. 12Even in the senate he was heard with ears none too friendly, when he extolled the enemy in his speeches, and recounted the disasters of two years suffered through the rashness and ignorance of the commanders, and said that the master of the horse must be called to account for having fought against his orders.
14If the supreme power of command and counsel were in his hands, he would very soon bring it about that men knew that with a good commander fortune was of little weight, that mind and reason ruled, and that to have saved an army in good time and without disgrace was greater glory than to have killed many thousands of the enemy. 16Having made speeches of this kind in vain, and having appointed Marcus Atilius Regulus consul, in order not to contend in person about the authority of his command, he left for the army by night, on the day before the day for voting on the bill arrived. 17When day dawned and 17the council of the plebs was in session, silent resentment against the dictator and goodwill towards the master of the horse stirred their minds more than men had the courage to come forward and urge what pleased the crowd, and though favour prevailed, the bill still lacked weighty support.
18One man was found to speak for the law, Gaius Terentius Varro, who had been praetor the year before, a man sprung from a background not just humble but even mean. 19His father, they say, was a butcher who hawked his own wares, and used this very son in the servile tasks of that trade.