Final answer:
Conspirators likely planned to tell Salvius not to 'eat the cake' - symbolic of not partaking in Bacchanalian rites - to protect him from the implications of illicit activities that were being investigated by the Roman senate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to why the conspirators plan to tell Salvius not to eat the cake. Though the passage does not mention a cake explicitly, it is possible that the 'cake' in question symbolizes the involvement in secret rites or conspiracies mentioned in the texts. From the provided text, we can infer that conspirators might have advised Salvius to abstain from certain activities, likely related to the Bacchanalian rites, to avoid suspicion or implication in the treasonous activities that are under investigation by the Roman senate. These rites have been decreed by the senate as illicit, and those participating in them are subject to severe penalties. Thus, to protect Salvius (possibly a fellow conspirator or an important figure who needs shielding from the public scandal), they would advise him not to 'eat' (participate).