U. C. 538. M'. Pomponius Matho et P. Furius Philus. Romæ juri A. C. 216. dicundo urbana sors Pomponio, inter cives Romanos et

36.

peregrinos P. Furio Philo evenit. Additi duo prætores, M. Claudius Marcellus in Siciliam, L. Postumius Albinus in Galliam. Omnes absentes creati sunt; nec cuiquam eorum, præter Terentium consulem, mandatus honos, quem jam non antea gessisset, præteritis aliquot fortibus ac strenuis viris; quia in tali tempore nulli novus magistratus videbatur mandandus.

Exercitus quoque multiplicati sunt. Quantæ autem peditum equitumque additæ sint copiæ, adeo et numero et genere copiarum variant auctores, ut vix quicquam satis certum affirmare ausim. Decem millia novorum militum alii scripta in supplementum ; alii novas quattuor legiones, ut octo legionibus rem gererent: numero quoque peditum equitumque legiones auctas, millibus peditum et centenis equitibus in singulas adjectis; ut quina millia peditum, treceni equites' essent; socii duplicem numerum equitum darent, pedites æquarent. Septem et octoginta millia armatorum et ducentos in castris Romanis, quum pugnatum ad Cannas est, quidam auctores sunt. Illud haudquaquam

9 Præteritis aliquot fortibus &c.]
"Though several brave and ener-
getic men were overlooked."
Chap. 36.
Historians, ancient
and modern, have admired the ad-
dress with which Hannibal, during
this interval of repose, and therefore
of danger, kept together, and under
such perfect control, an army com-
posed of so many heterogeneous
elements: the restless and fickle
Gauls, the indolent Spaniards, and
the rapacious and discontented Nu-
midians. At this time was written
in the Carthaginian camp, before
the walls of Geronium, a work which
has been unfortunately lost, but
which the opportunities of its author
(the Greek historian Silanus who
accompanied Hannibal) must have
made interesting. From such me-
moirs we might have learned more
of the minds of Hannibal and his
"paladins," Maharbal, Gisco, Mago,
&c. than any other records can pos-
sibly supply. (C. Nepos, Hann.
c. 13.

Quina millia peditum, treceni
equites.] i. e. 5000 infantry and
300 cavalry in each." It would
appear, that as 300 was the ordinary
number of cavalry in a legion, and

as the addition here mentioned is 100, we should read quadringeni. With respect to the relative proportion of the different arms in an army, Napoleon I. (as quoted by Count Montholon) used to say, that taking the number of infantry as the unit, the cavalry should be onefourth, artillery one-eighth, engineers one-fortieth, and baggage onethirtieth. He used also to speak of the constitution of the English army as imperfect, objecting to the proportion of baggage as being greater than that of any other troops; the sale of commissions; the anomaly of an officer holding a higher rank "in the army" than in his proper regiment, which he described as an absurdity incompatible with proper military feeling; the rarity of promotion from the ranks, and the number of officers multiplied beyond all proportion or necessity.

2 Quidam auctores sunt.] Perizonius proposes to substitute fuisse for quidam; so as to make this and the preceding one continuous sentence beginning at alii: but this would create a contradiction, as the computation in the first sentence makes a sum of 89,600.

discrepat, majore conatu atque impetu rem actam, quam U. C. 538. prioribus annis; quia spem, posse vinci hostem, dictator A. C. 216. præbuerat.

Ceterum, priusquam signa ab urbe novæ legiones moverent, decemviri libros adire atque inspicere jussi propter territos vulgo homines novis prodigiis. Nam, et Romæ in Aventino et Ariciæ nuntiatum erat, sub idem tempus lapidibus pluisse: et multo cruore signa in Sabinis sudasse*, aquasque e fonte calidas manasse. Id quidem etiam, quod sæpius acciderat, magis terrebat. Et in via Fornicata, quæ ad Campum erat, aliquot homines de cœlo tacti exanimatique fuerant. Ea prodigia ex libris procurata. Legati a Pæsto pateras aureas Romam attulerunt. Iis, sicut Neapolitanis, gratiæ actæ; aurum non acceptum.

6

Per eosdem dies ab Hierone classis Ostiam cum magno commeatu accessit. Legati Syracusani in senatum introducti nuntiarunt: Cædem C. Flaminii consulis exerci'tusque allatam adeo ægre tulisse regem Hieronem, ut ' nulla sua propria regnique sui clade moveri magis potuerit. Itaque, quanquam probe sciat, magnitudinem populi Ro'mani admirabiliorem prope adversis rebus, quam secundis, esse; tamen se omnia, quibus a bonis fidelibusque sociis ‘bella juvari soleant, misisse: quæ ne accipere abnuant”, magno opere se Patres conscriptos orare. Jam omnium primum ominis causa Victoriam auream pondo trecentum 'viginti afferre sese. Acciperent eam, tenerentque, et haberent propriam et perpetuam. Advexisse etiam trecenta 'millia modium tritici, ducenta hordei, ne commeatus deessent: et, quantum præterea opus esset, quo jussissent, 'subvecturos. Milite atque equite scire, nisi Romano Latinique nominis", non uti populum Romanum: levium ar

3 Illud haudquaquam discrepat.] "On this point there is no difference of opinion."

4 Et multo cruore signa in Sabinis sudasse, &c.] "And in the Sabine country, statues perspired in streams of blood, and water flowed hot from the fountains." This is the translation of the text as it stands (aquas e fonte calidas). For cædis, which some editions read instead of sudásse, other authorities suggest carites or cereris. The latter reading would improve the sentence, which would then signify, "The statues of Ceres in the Sabine country, &c." Carites, if adopted, should of course be joined with aquas; but in this case no portent would be implied, as the Cærite

springs were always hot. This ob-
jection might be removed by adopting
Crevier's further suggestion of cru-
entas for calidas, but the alteration
would perhaps be too arbitrary.

5

Quæ ad Campum (via) erat.] "Which led to the Campus Martius."

6 Ut nulla sua propria, &c.] "That there was no personal or national calamity by which he could be more distressed; though he was well assured that the resources of the Roman people were almost more, &c."

7 Quæ ne accipere abnuant &c.]
"Which he earnestly entreated the
C. F. not to refuse to accept."

8 Acciperent eam.] sc. Orare ut.
9 Nisi Romano Latinique nomi-

37.

U. C. 538.morum auxilia etiam externa vidisse in castris Romanis. A. C. 216. Itaque misisse mille sagittariorum ac funditorum, aptam 'manum adversus Baliares ac Mauros, pugnacesque alias 'missili telo gentes.' Ad ea dona consilium quoque addebant, Ut prætor, cui provincia Sicilia evenisset, classem in Africam trajiceret; ut et hostes in terra sua' bellum ha'berent, minusque laxamenti daretur iis ad auxilia Hanni'bali summittenda.' Ab senatu ita responsum regi est: 'Virum bonum3 egregiumque socium Hieronem esse, atque 'uno tenore, ex quo in amicitiam populi Romani venerit, 'fidem coluisse, ac rem Romanam omni tempore ac loco 'munifice adjuvisse. Id, perinde ac deberet, gratum populo 'Romano esse. Aurum et a civitatibus quibusdam allatum, gratia rei accepta, non accepisse populum Romanum. ctoriam omenque accipere; sedemque ei se divæ dare, di'care Capitolium, templum Jovis optimi maximi. In ea 'arce urbis Romanæ sacratam, volentem propitiamque, 'firmam ac stabilem fore populo Romano.' Funditores, sagittariique, et frumentum traditum consulibus. Quinqueremes ad navium classem3, quæ cum T. Otacilio proprætore in Sicilia erat, quinque et viginti additæ, permissumque est, ut, si e republica censeret esse, in Africam trajiceret.

38.

4

Delectu perfecto, consules paucos morati dies, dum socii ab nomine Latino venirent. Milites tunc, quod nunquam antea factum erat, jurejurando ab tribunis militum adacti,

nis, &c.] The change that came
upon the spirit of the Romans in the
mean time may be estimated by
comparing the state of the legions
under the Empire, in the East espe-
cially, where they consisted almost
exclusively of foreigners, and the
Prætorians were principally Ger-
mans. The first innovations, to any
noticeable extent, were introduced by
Julius Cæsar; sc. his Belgic heavy
infantry, his light infantry from
Aquitania, his Gallic and Spanish
cavalry, and Spanish Prætorian
guard.

Ut et hostes in terrá sua, &c.]
It will be remembered that this was
the policy so successfully adopted
by Agathocles in the war with Car-
thage; and subsequently imitated
by Scipio. And still more recently
by the Emperor Heraclius, when
he marched into Persia, in order
to withdraw Chosroes from Con-
stantinople.

2 Minusque Laxamenti.] "Less leisure, facility."

3 Virum bonum, &c.] "An honourable man and sincere ally, and had maintained his allegiance with uniform consistency ever since," &c. 4 Gratia rei accepta.] Though the obligation of the offer had been felt."

66

5 Ad navium classem] It would appear that a word or letters specifying the numbers of ships have disappeared from before navium. This number may be inferred from other statements to have been about 120; that is, if the Lieutenant of Otacilius had not brought to Rome those which Servilius had transferred to him for that purpose.

6 Milites tunc, quod nunquam antea, &c.] There must be some error in the usual text of this sentence; because the following formula (jussu coss. conv. neq. injussu abituros) was the original and ordinary form of the sacramentum, on which the conjunction nam would here imply that it was an innovation. The difficulty would be removed by

jussu consulum conventuros, neque injussu abituros. Nam U. C. 538. ad eam diem nihil præter sacramentum fuerat; et, ubi ad A. C. 216. decuriatum aut centuriatum convenissent, sua voluntate ipsi inter se equites decuriati, centuriati pedites conjurabant, sese fugæ atque formidinis ergo non abituros, neque ex ordine recess uros, nisi teli sumendi, aut petendi, et aut hostis feriendi, aut civis servandi causa. Id ex voluntario inter ipsos foedere a tribunis ad legitimam jurisjurandi adactionem translatum.

Conciones, priusquam ab urbe signa moverentur, consulis Varronis multæ ac feroces fuere, denuntiantes, bellum 'arcessitum in Italiam ab nobilibus, mansurumque in 'visceribus reipublicæ, si plures Fabios imperatores haberet; se, quo die hostem vidisset, perfecturum.' Collegæ ejus Paulli una, pridie quam ex urbe proficiscerentur, concio fuit verior, quam gratior populo, qua nihil inclementer in Varronem dictum, nisi id modo: 'Mirari se, quomodo quis dux, priusquam aut suum, aut hostium exercitum, 'locorum situm, naturam regionis nosset, jam nunc togatus in urbe sciret, quæ sibi agenda armato forent; et diem quoque prædicere posset, qua cum hoste signis collatis ' esset dimicaturus. Se, quæ consilia magis res dent ho'minibus', quam homines rebus, ea ante tempus immatura 'non præcepturum. Optare, ut, quæ caute atque consulte gesta essent, satis prospere evenirent. Temeritatem, præterquam quod stulta sit, infelicem etiam ad id locorum 'fuisse.' Id sua sponte3 apparebat, tuta celeribus consiliis præpositurum: et, quo id constantius perseveraret1, Q. Fabius Maximus sic eum proficiscentem allocutus fertur:

Latin, would be an improvement, so
far as it would imply more empha-
tically, that, with his own promises,
there was mingled a tone of censure.

9 Togatus in urbe.] This reading
is that which Muretus proposes to
substitute for locatus: it evidently con
veys more meaning per se, and forms
an effective antithesis to armato.
1 Quæ consilia magis res dent
hominibus, &c.]
"The measures
which circumstances impose on men,
rather than," &c. i. e. which are
more frequently controlled (or shaped
by) than they control circumstances.

2 Temeritatem, &c.] "Precipi-
tation (hardihood), in addition to its
being irrational, had been up to that
time unsuccessful."

3 Id sua sponte, &c.] self-evident.'

"It was

♦ Id-perseveraret.] Ellipsis of

facere.

'Si aut collegam, id quod mallem, tui similem, L. Æmili, haberes, aut tu collega tui similis esses, supervacanea " esset oratio mea. Nam et duo boni consules, etiam me 'indicente, omnia e republica fide vestra faceretis: et mali 6 nec mea verba auribus vestris, nec consilia animis acci'peretis. Nunc et collegam tuum et te talem virum in'tuenti mihi tecum omnis oratio est: quem video nequicquam et virum bonum et civem fore. Si altera parte

claudicet' respublica, malis consiliis idem ac bonis juris et 'potestatis erit. Erras enim, L. Paulle, si tibi minus certaminis cum C. Terentio, quam cum Hannibale, futurum censes. Nescio, an infestior hic adversarius, quam ille 'hostis, maneat. Cum illo in acie tantum, cum hoc om'nibus locis ac temporibus certaturus es: et adversus Han'nibalem legionesque ejus tuis equitibus ac peditibus pugnandum tibi est: Varro dux tuis militibus te est oppugnaturus. Ominis etiam tibi causa absit C. Flaminii memoria. Tamen ille consul demum, et in provincia, et 'ad exercitum, cœpit furere : hic, priusquam peteret consulatum, deinde in petendo consulatu; nunc quoque consul, 'priusquam castra videat aut hostem, insanit. Et, qui 'tantas jam nunc procellas, proelia atque acies jactando, 'inter togatos ciet, quid inter armatam juventutem censes 'facturum, et ubi extemplo verba res sequitur? Atqui si hic, quod facturum se denuntiat, extemplo pugnaverit; 'aut ego rem militarem, belli hoc genus, hostem hunc 'ignoro, aut nobilior alius Trasimeno locus nostris cladibus erit. Nec gloriandi tempus adversus unum est, et ego, 'contemnendo potius, quam appetendo gloriam, modum 'excesserim; sed ita res habet: una ratio belli gerendi adversus Hannibalem est, qua ego gessi. Nec eventus modo 'hoc docet, (stultorum iste magister est) sed eadem ratio, 'quæ fuit, futuraque, donec res eædem manebunt, immu'tabilis est'. In Italia bellum gerimus, in sede ac solo

5 Me indicente.] "Even though I were silent." This is an unusual form of negative: but not altogether exceptional. Compare, (Terence, Ad. 3, 4, 62.) non me indicente hæc fient: (and 1. v. 15. above) ut indicta sint, revocare.

6 E republica fide vestra.] "You would do all for the republic through your own loyalty." If que be added to fide, as some editions have it, we must translate, " every thing consistent with the public good and your own sense of honour."

7 Si alterá parte claudicet.] "If

the state be disabled on one side

(half disabled)."

8 Consul demum.] "Only when (not until) he became consul."

9 Adversus unum.] "To (in presence of) an individual;" "to a single hearer:" ut ego, (according to some editions,)" how 1, &c." The text above, et ego, is better, as supplying a second abnegation of personal vanity.

1 Immutabilis est.] These words should apparently be removed from the text, as having been originally a marginal note explaining (as usual, superfluously,) fuit futuraque est.