242 MARCELLUS.

took his auspices, he sat ■without the citj' in a house, or tent, hii'ed for that occasion ; but, if it happened that he, for any urgent cause, returned uito the city, without hav- ing yet seen any certain signs, he was obhged to leave that first building, or tent, and to seek another to repeat the survey from. Tiberius, it appears, in ignorance of this, had twice used the same building before announcing the new consuls. Now, understanding his error, he referred the matter to the senate : nor did the senate neglect this minute fault, but soon wrote expressly of it to Scipio Nasica and Caius Marcius; who, leaving their provinces and without delay returning to Rome, laid down their magistracy. This happened at a later period. About the same time, too, the priesthood was taken away from two men of very great honor, Cornehus Cethegus and Quintus Sulpicius : from the former, because he had not rightly held out the entraUs of a beast slain for sacrifice ; from the latter, because. whUe he was immolatins;, the tufted cap which the Flamens wear had fallen from his head. Minucius, the dictator, who had already named Caius Flaminius master of the hor.se, they deposed from his command, because the squeak of a mouse was heard, and put others into their places. And yet, notwithstand- ing, by observing so anxiously these little niceties they did not run into any superstition, because they never varied from nor exceeded the observances of their an- cestors. So soon as Flaminius with his colleague had resigned the consulate, Marcellus was declared consul by the pre- siding officers called Interrexes ; and, entering into the magistracy, chose CnJEus Cornelius his colleague. There was a report that, the Gauls proposing a pacification, and the senate also inclining to peace, Marcellus inflamed the people to war ; but a peace appears to have been agi-eed upon, which tlie Goesat* broke ; who. passing the Alps,