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Gaius Popillius Laenas, il quale minacciò l’intercessio contro ildecreto e alla fine trasse dalla propria parte il collega Publius AeliusLigus, mentre la maggioranza del Senato persisteva nell’intenzionedi confermarlo 25 . Lo stallo, aggravato da un altro attacco di MarcusPopillius contro gli Statielli 26 , non fu risolto dalla proposta di legge27re publica missis decernere debuerint, praesente se, honoris deorum primum causa,deinde et sui aliquo tamen respectu decernerent. Nihilo lenioribus quam absens senatorumaliquot orationibus increpitus, neutra impetrata re, in provincia redit: LIV., XLii, 9,1-6, in Fontes Ligurum et Liguriae Antiquae citate, p. 170, n. 414.25 Principium insequentis anni quo C. Popillius et P. Aelius fuerunt consules residuascontentiones ex priore anno habuit. Patres referri de Liguribus renovariqueSenatus consultum volebant et consul Aelius referebat; Popillius et collegam et Senatumpro fratre deprecabatur, prae se ferens si quid decernerent intercessurum. Collegamdeterruit; patres, eo magis utrique pariter infensi, in incepto perstabant; itaque, cum deprovinciis ageretur et Macedonia, iam imminente Persei bello, peteretur, Ligures ambobusconsulibus decernunt: LIV., XLii, 10, 9-11, in Fontes Ligurum et Liguriae Antiquaecitate, p. 170, n. 415.26 Aucta etiam invidia est Popilli litteris quibus iterum cum Statellatibus Liguribusproconsul pugnasse se scripsit ac sex milia eorum occidisse. Propter cuius iniuriambelli ceteri quoque Ligurum populi ad arma iverunt. Tum vero non absens modoPopillius, qui deditis, contra ius ac fas, bellum intulisset et pacatos ad rebellandum incitasset,sed consules, quod non exirent in provinciam, in Senatu increpiti: LIV., XLii, 21,2 e 3, in Fontes Ligurum et Liguriae Antiquae citate, p. 171, n. 416. tra gli attaccatidovevano essere gli Statielli della Val bormida, che si erano arresi nel 179 (cfr. ii notenn. 12-15), e della Val d’Orba, nonché i Ligures della Valle Scrivia (cfr. ii, nota n. 1).come rilevò a. J. tOynbee cit., ii, pp. 207 e 208, “c. Popilius and his colleague hadbeen in collusion with M. Popilius. they had contrived to prolong Marcus’s stay in theprovince, after his own year of office had run out”, per consentirgli di concludere la confiscadelle terre degli Statielli, mettendo così il Senato di fronte al fatto compiuto, ilquale “is indicated by the difference between the Senate’s final resolution and its firstone. M. Popilius must have done something in the meantime to make it impossible forthe enslaved Statielli to be repatriated after they had been set at liberty”, cosicché “hewill thus have enabled-or constrained-the commissioners for planting settlers viritim inconquered and vacant Gallic and Ligurian territory to plant settlers on this piece ofStatiellan territory, as well as on the still vacant parts of the territory that had beenexpropriated from the boii in 191 b. c. and from the apuani in 180 b. c.”. L’obiettivo diMarco Popillio sarebbe stato favorito “by one of the effects of his return to the attackupon the Statielli. this repetition of the outrage had provoked the other Ligurian peoplesinto taking up arms. From the Senate’s point of view, this consequence of Popilius’spersistent misconduct filled the cup of his iniquities to overflowing; but, from Popilius’spoint of view, it was his crowning success. the greater the number of the nativecisalpine peoples that now came into armed conflict with rome, and the more obstinatelythat they fought, the greater would be the opportunities for expropriating morecisalpine land and for putting this at the commissioners’ disposal for distribution toPeninsular italian peasant settlers”.