U. C. 536. Vento mixtus imber quum ferretur in ipsa ora, primo, A. C. 218. quia aut arma omittenda erant, aut contra enitentes vortice 59. intorti affligebantur, constitere: dein, quum jam spiritum Degressus Apennino retro ad Placentiam castra movit, it almost surpassed the horrors (the 5 Nec explicare quicquam, nec 6 Ex illa miserabili hominum &c.] "Of that pitiable scene of prostrate men and cattle, when any attempted to rise and stand up, they were for a long time unable; because, with sinews numbed by the cold, they could scarcely bend their limbs." With this we may compare a similar description in M. Labaume's history of the retreat from Moscow. "Many of them," he writes, "suffering more from cold than hunger, forsook all their baggage, to come and lie down before some large fire; but, at the moment of departure, those wretches had lost the power to rise, and preferred falling into the hands of the enemy, to making any effort to continue the march." 7 Raris locis.] "Here and there." 8 Millia passuum.] Of the measurement of distances by paces, it may be observed, that a passus was really two steps, though apparently but one movement; it was the distance from the point off which animis, vario eventu, pugnatum est. Primo concursu adeo U. C. 536. res Romana superior fuit, ut non acie vincerent solum, sed A. C. 218. pulsos hostes in castra persequerentur; mox castra quoque oppugnarent. Hannibal, paucis propugnatoribus in vallo portisque positis, ceteros confertos in media castra recepit, intentosque signum ad erumpendum spectare jubet. Jam nona ferme diei hora erat, quum Romanus, nequicquam fatigato milite, postquam nulla spes erat potiundi castris, signum receptui dedit. Quod ubi Hannibal accepit, laxatamque pugnam' et recessum a castris vidit, extemplo equitibus dextra lævaque emissis in hostem, ipse cum peditum robore mediis castris erupit. Pugna raro ulla magis sæva, et cum utriusque partis pernicie clarior fuisset, si extendi eam dies in longum spatium sivisset. Nox accensum ingentibus animis prælium diremit. Itaque acrior concursus fuit, quam cædes; et, sicut æquata ferme pugna erat, ita clade pari discessum est. Ab neutra parte sexcentis plus peditibus, et dimidium ejus equitum cecidit. Sed major Romanis, quam pro numero, jactura fuit: quia equestris ordinis aliquot, et tribuni militum quinque, et præfecti sociorum tres, sunt interfecti. Secundum eam pugnam Hannibal in Ligures, Sempronius Lucam' concessit. Venienti in Ligures Hannibali per insidias intercepti duo quæstores Romani, C. Fulvius et L. Lucretius, cum duobus tribunis militum, et quinque equestris ordinis sena the foot was raised, to that where the same foot was set down again; i. e. about five feet. 9 Jam nona ferme diei hora &c.] The military movements, detailed in this chapter, may be illustrated by observing, that the Carthaginian troops, weakened and discouraged by the hardships described in the preceding, were unable to resist the Romans, who had enjoyed some rest; and, that Hannibal had a twofold object in delaying an engagement till this late hour of the day; first, to fatigue the Romans; and secondly, to prevent them, in the event of their success, from immediately following up their advantage. 1 Laxatamque pugnam.] "The slackening (or, falling off) of the assault." The metaphor is from a pressure or ligature strained to a high degree of tension. 2 Equitibus dextra lævaque emissis.] It is observed by military authorities, that cavalry is intended to N perform two different duties. Upon 3 Accensum ingentibus animis.] 5 Venienti in Ligures &c.] "There U. C. 536. torum ferme liberis, quo magis ratam fore cum his pacem A. C. 218. societatemque crederet, traduntur. 60. 61. Dum hæc in Italia geruntur, Cn. Cornelius Scipio, in Hispaniam cum classe et exercitu missus, quum, ab ostio Rhodani profectus, Pyrenæosque montes circumvectus, Emporiis appulisset classem, exposito ibi exercitu, orsus a Lacetanis, omnem oram usque ad Iberum flumen, partim renovandis societatibus, partim novis instituendis, Romanæ ditionis fecit. Inde conciliata' clementiæ fama, non ad maritimos modo populos, sed, in mediterraneis quoque ac montanis, ad ferociores jam gentes valuit: nec pax modo apud eos, sed societas etiam armorum, parata est: validæque aliquot auxiliorum cohortes ex iis conscriptæ sunt. Hannonis cis Iberum provincia erat: eum reliquerat Hannibal ad regionis ejus præsidium. Itaque prius, quam alienarentur omnia, obviam eundum ratus, castris in conspectu hostium positis, in aciem eduxit. Nec Romano differendum certamen visum: quippe qui sciret, cum Hannone et Hasdrubale sibi dimicandum esse; malletque adversus singulos separatim, quam adversus duos simul, rem gerere. Nec magni certaminis1 ea dimicatio fuit. Sex millia hostium cæsa, duo capta cum præsidio castrorum: nam et castra expugnata sunt, atque ipse dux cum aliquot principibus capiuntur: et Scissis, propinquum castris oppidum, expugnatur. Ceterum præda oppidi parvi pretii rerum fuit; suppellex barbarica3, ac vilium mancipiorum. Castra militem ditavere; non ejus modo exercitus, qui victus erat, sed et ejus, qui cum Hannibale in Italia militabat, omnibus fere caris rebus, ne gravia impedimenta ferentibus essent, citra Pyrenæum relictis. Priusquam certa hujus cladis fama accideret, transgressus 6 Emporiis.] See chap. 57, note. Lacetanis, in Catalonia. 7 Inde conciliatâ.] "Having thereby acquired a character for," &c. valint, "exercised an influence." 8 Itaque prius-obviam eundum ratus.] Deeming it necessary, therefore, to interpose before all should be estranged." 66 9 Quippe qui sciret.] Knowing as he did." 1 Nec magni certaminis &c.] "But that was not a contest of much obstinacy." 2 Ipse dux, &c. capiuntur.] Observe the idiom; dux cum al. principibus, being equivalent to a nom. plur. 3 Suppellex barbarica &c.] This sentence also is very peculiarly con structed; suppellex being in apposition to præda; and mancipiorum to rerum. sc. "The plunder, however, consisted of things of little value: foreign furniture and (a booty of) worthless slaves." 4 Omnibus ferè caris rebus &c.] "As almost every thing of value belonging not only to the army just defeated, but to that also &c. had been left south of the Pyrenees, lest the baggage might be an incumbrance to carry. 5 Priusquam certa hujus &c.] "Hasdrubal having crossed the Ebro with 8000 infantry and 1000 cavalry, before any authentic intelligence of this loss could reach him; under the impression that he should arrive (tanquam occursurus).” Iberum Hasdrubal cum octo millibus peditum, mille U. C. 536. equitum, tanquam ad primum adventum Romanorum occur- A. C. 218. surus, postquam perditas res ad Scissim amissaque castra accepit, iter ad mare convertit. Haud procul Tarracone classicos milites' navalesque socios, vagos palantesque per agros, (quod ferme fit, ut secundæ res negligentiam creent) equite passim dimisso, cum magna cæde, majore fuga ad naves compellit. Nec diutius circa ea loca morari ausus, ne a Scipione opprimeretur, trans Iberum sese recepit. Et Scipio, raptim ad famam novorum hostium agmine acto, quum in paucos præfectos navium animadvertisset, præsidio Tarracone modico relicto, Emporias cum classe rediit. Vixdum digresso eo, Hasdrubal aderat: et, Ilergetum populo, qui obsides Scipioni dederat, ad defectionem impulso, cum eorum ipsorum juventute agros fidelium Romanis sociorum vastat. Excito deinde Scipione hibernis, toto cis Iberum rursus cedit agro. Scipio, relictam ab auctore defectionis Ilergetum gentem quum infesto exercitu invasisset, compulsis omnibus Athanagiam, urbem', quæ caput ejus populi erat, circumsedit: intraque dies paucos, pluribus quam ante obsidibus imperatis, Ilergetes, pecunia etiam multatos, in jus ditionemque recepit. Inde in Ausetanos prope Iberum, socios et ipsos Poenorum, procedit: atque, urbe eorum obsessa, Lacetanos auxilium finitimis ferentes nocte, haud procul jam urbe, quum intrare vellent, excepit insidiis. Cæsa ad duodecim millia: exuti pæne omnes armis, domos passim palantes per agros diffugere; nec obsessos alia ulla res, quam iniqua oppugnantibus hiems, tutabatur. Triginta dies obsidio fuit: per quos raro unquam nix minus quattuor pedes alta jacuit: adeoque pluteos ac vineas Romanorum operuerat, ut ea sola, ignibus aliquoties conjectis ab hoste, etiam tutamentum fuerit. Postremo quum Amusitus princeps eorum ad Hasdrubalem profugisset, viginti argenti talentis pacti deduntur. Tarraconem in hiberna reditum est. Romæ aut circa urbem multa ea hieme prodigia facta: aut (quod evenire solet, motis semel in religionem animis) 62. U. C. 536. multa nuntiata, et temere credita sunt: in quis ingenuum A. C. 218. infantem semestrem in foro olitorio triumphum clamasse: et foro boario bovem in tertiam contignationem sua sponte escendisse, atque inde tumultu habitatorum territum sese dejecisse et navium speciem de cœlo affulsisse, et ædem Spei, quæ est in foro olitorio, fulmine ictam : et Lanuvii hastam se commovisse: et corvum in ædem Junonis devolasse, atque in ipso pulvinario consedisse: et in agro Amiternino multis locis hominum species procul candida veste visos, nec cum ullo congressos: et in Piceno lapidibus pluisse et Cære sortes extenuatas: et in Gallia lupum vigili gladium e vagina raptum abstulisse. Ob cetera prodigia libros adire decemviri jussi. Quod autem lapidibus pluisset in Piceno, novendiale sacrum edictum, et subinde aliis procurandis prope tota civitas operata fuit. primum omnium urbs lustrata est, hostiæque majores, quibus editum est, diis cæsæ: et donum ex auri pondo quadraginta Lanuvium ad Junonis portatum est; et signum æneum matronæ Junoni in Aventino dedicaverunt; et lectisternium Cære, ubi sortes attenuatæ erant, imperatum; et supplicatio Fortunæ in Algido; Romæ quoque et lectisternium Juventati, et supplicatio ad ædem Herculis nominatim: deinde universo populo circa omnia pulvinaria 4 Navium speciem de cœlo &c.] Appearances of this sort are more easily explicable than the generality of the portents of antiquity. It is now generally known, of course, that dense vapours floating at a certain angle with the sun and an object below, will present a reflection of the latter; and that this occurs more frequently in warm latitudes, where evaporation is more constant and abundant. As a general rule, the meteoric portents, recorded by Livy and other ancient writers, may be attributed to volcanic phenomena, exaggerated by the imagination of ignorant and superstitious spectators. It is remarked by Niebuhr, that extraordinary meteoric phenomena, from this cause, are generally found in Grecian and Roman history to coincide in time with pestilences, also caused by meteoric influences; and this theory is curiously illustrated by the fact, stated by Procopius, that the great plague at Constantinople, (A. D. 747.) was preceded by similar appearances. In this particular instance, the ships seen in the sky were, most probably, Jam those in which Scipio was crossing just then from the mouth of the Rhone to the coast of Spain. 5 Hominum specie.] This might also have been a mirage of the same nature as the giant, seen by travellers, on the Hartz Mountain, imitating the gestures of the spectator. 6 Sortes extenuatas.] "Shrunkdiminished in size." The sortes were tablets bearing inscriptions of some sort. In all portents, and in dreams especially, the increase and diminution of the size of any object were respectively favourable unlucky. or "To the 7 Quibus editum est.] gods specified in the order." Edere is properly applied to the responses from an oracle, or other consecrated source of information. 8 Lectisternium.] See Roman Antiquities for particulars. The ceremony is one of great antiquity among the Chinese and other A siatic nations. 66 9 Edem Herculis nominatim.] Specially (i. e. for individuals) at the temple of Hercules, and generally at all temples for the whole people." |