[242]. e. g. by Ihne, vol. i. p. 160.
[243]. Schwegler, R. G. i. 783 foll.
[244]. Mommsen, Staatsrecht, ii. 2. 468, note 2, is doubtful as to the date of the cura annonae of the plebeian aediles. But Plin. H. N. 18. 3. 15 attributes it to an aedile of earlier date than Spurius Maelius (B.C. 438); and though the Consuls may have had the general supervision, the immediate cura, as far as the plebs was concerned, would surely lie with their officers. Two points should be borne in mind here—(1) that the plebeian population to be relieved would be a surplus population within the city, not the farmer-population of the country; (2) that it would probably be easier to transport corn by sea than by land, as roads were few, and enemies all around.
[245]. Dion. Hal. 7.1, exposes the absurdity of Roman annalists in attributing the corn-supply to Dionysius; but he himself talks of Gelo. Cp. Ihne, i. 160. Ihne disbelieves the whole story, believing it to be copied from events which happened long afterwards.
[246]. Ambrosch, Studien, p. 208. Tradition told that the Tarquinii had stored up great quantities of corn in Rome, i. e. had fed their workmen. Cp. Liv. 1. 56 and 2. 9.
[247]. Mommsen, R. H., bk. i. ch. 13 fin.
[248]. See under August 13 (below, p. [198]) for the parallel foundation of the temple of Diana on the Aventine, which also had a Greek and plebeian character.
[249]. Fasti, 4. 681 foll. Ovid does not distinctly say that the foxes were let loose in the Circus, but seems to imply it.
‘Factum abiit, monimenta manent; nam vivere captam