Book 9
30.5
An incident of a somewhat trifling character occurred this year which I should have passed over did it not appear to be connected with religious customs. The guild of flute-playersThe guild of flute-players was from very early times a large and wealthy one, as they attended most of the sacrificial functions and games, and as a rule supplied the music at funerals. They were not only well paid but treated with great respect, a feeling which Livy does not appear to share. Their annual festival, alluded to here, when they perambulated the City was on June 13. The censors' prohibition may have been called for by their excessive hilarity on this occasion, an explanation which Livy's account renders probable. had been forbidden by the censors to hold their annual banquet in the temple of Jupiter, a privilege they had enjoyed from ancient times Hugely disgusted, they went off in a body to Tibur, and not one was left in the City to perform at the sacrificial rites.
30.6
The senate were alarmed at the prospect of the various religious ceremonies being thus shorn of their due ritual, and they sent envoys to Tibur, who were to make it their business to see that the Romans got these men back again.
30.7
The Tiburtines promised to do their best, and invited the musicians into the Senate-house, where they were strongly urged to return to Rome. As they could not be persuaded to do so the Tiburtines adopted a ruse quite appropriate to the character of the men they were dealing with.
