his troops in the neighbourhood of Arpi. | side or another, we may meet hand to hand.” When Quintus Fabius heard that the foe was Scarcely were the words uttered, when Claugone into Apulia, he collected stores of corn dius leaped his horse down into the road, on from Nola, and Neapolis, in the camp above which Taurea, more daring in words than in Suessula, the fortifications of which he strength- action, said, Never be an ass in a dyke," ened; and, leaving here a garrison, sufficient which expression became afterwards proverbial for the security of the post, during the winter, among rustics. Claudius, riding up again into removed nearer to Capua, laying waste the the plain, traversed the ground to a considerable country of Campania, with fire and sword, to distance from the road, without mecting any such a degree, that the people were compelled, antagonist; and then, exclaiming against the though with no great confidence in their own cowardice of his foe, returned victorious to the strength, to go out of their gates, and fortify a camp, amidst general rejoicing and congratulacamp near the city in the open plain. Their tions. To this encounter, some histories add a force amounted to six thousand men. The in- wonderful circumstance, (how far worthy of fantry being very indifferent soldiers, their prin- | belief, the reader may judge for himself,) that cipal reliance was on the cavalry: these, therefore, they employed in annoying the enemy.

Claudius pursuing Taurea, as he fled back to the city, rode in at one of the enemy's gates which stood open, and escaped unhurt through another, while the soldiers stood motionless through astonishment.

XLVII. Among a great number of Campanian horsemen, of high reputation, was Cerrinus Jubellius, surnamed Taurea. He was a native there, and celebrated for his abilities as XLVIII. From this time the troops remained a horsemen far beyond all the others of that without employment, and the consul even country, insomuch that while he acted in the drew back his camp to a distance, that the service of Rome, there was but one Roman, Campanians might till their grounds; nor did Claudius Asellus, who had an equal reputation he offer any injury to the lands, until the blades in that line. For this man, Taurea long searched in the corn fields were sufficiently grown to as he rode before the squadrons of the enemy. serve as forage. He then conveyed the corn in At last, demanding attention, he inquired where this state into the Claudian camp over Sucswas Claudius Asellus, and why, since he had sula, where he erected huts against the winter. been accustomed to assert himself to be his He gave orders to Marcus Claudius proconsul, equal, did he not decide the point with the that, retaining at Nola, a garrison suflicient for sword; either by suffering a defeat give glori- the defence of the place, he should send the ous spoils, or by victory acquire them? rest of his force to Rome, lest they should be a When this was reported in the camp, to Asel- burden to the allies, and an expense to the lus, he only waited to ask the consul's leave to state. In another quarter Tiberius Gracchus engage, though out of rule, with the challenger. having led his legions from Cuma to Luceria, Having obtained permission, he instantly armed in Apulia, detached thence the prætor, Marcus himself, and riding out beyond the advanced Valerius, to Brundusium, with the troops which guards, call d on Taurea by name, and dared | he had commanded at Luceria, ordering him him to the field. The Romans had now come in crowds to behold the fight; and the Campanians, to gain a view of it, had filled not only the rampart of the camp, but likewise the walls of the city. After a prelude of furious expressions, to give the business an air of the greater consequence, they spurred on their horses, with their spears prepared for action. Having free space wherein they parred each other's assaults, the fight lasted for some time without a wound on either side. At length the Campanian said to the Roman," This will be but a trial of skill between our horses, not between their riders, unless we descend into yon hollow way. There, as there will be no room for wheeling to one

to guard the coast of the Sallentine territory, and carefully pursue all such measures as should be found requisite with respect to Philip, and the Macedonian war. Towards the close of that summer, in which happened those events which we have related, letters arrived from the Scipios, Publius and Cneius, setting forth the great importance and successful issue of their operations in Spain; but that they were in want of every thing, pay, clothing, and corn for the army, and the crews of the ships. With regard to the pay, they observed that, if the treasury were low, they would themselves devisə some method of procuring it from the Spaniards; but that the other articles must, at all events, be

sent from Rome, otherwise, neither the army, | sons; such were the habits of thinking, such nor the province could be preserved. When the the love of their country, which, with uniform letters were read, both the truth of the facts re- influence, pervaded all ranks of men. As all presented and the reasonableness of the demands engagements were entered into with great were universally acknowledged; but they spirit, so were they fulfilled with the most were struck by the following consideration: faithful punctuality, and exactly in the same “What numerous forces on land and sea they manner, as if the supplies were drawn, as were obliged to maintain; and, what a large formerly, out of an opulent treasury. At this additional fleet must soon be provided, in case time, the town of Illiturgi, having revolted of a war with Macedonia breaking out. That to the Romans, was besieged by Hasdrubal, Sicily and Sardinia, which, before, had yielded Mago, and Hamilcar son of Bomilcar. Bea revenue, now scarcely maintained the troops tween these three camps, the Scipios, after a employed in their own defence. That the difficult struggle, and a great slaughter of public expenses were supplied by a tax; but their opponents, forced their way into the as the number of those who contributed to place, introducing a quantity of corn, of which this tax, had been diminished by the great there had been a scarcity. Then, after exslaughter of the troops at the Thrasimenus, horting the townsmen to defend their walls and at Canna; so the surviving few, if loaded with the same courage with which they had with multiplied impositions, must perish like- seen the Roman troops fight in their behalf, they wise, only by a different malady. It was marched to attack the largest of the camps, therefore concluded, that, if the state did not where Hasdrubal had the command. Thither find support in credit, it could find none in also came up the two other Carthaginian genemoney; and it was judged proper, that the rals, with their two armies, who perceived that prætor Fulvius, should go out to the assembly on the issue of that attack the fate of all of the commons, and lay before the people depended: the troops in camp therefore sallied the necessitous situation of the country; ex- out to the fight. There were in the engagehorting them, that such as had increased their ment, of the enemy, sixty thousand; of the estates by farming the public revenues should Romans about sixteen thousand; yet so far now assist that government, to which they was the victory from being doubtful, that the owed their prosperity, with indulgence in re- Romans slew a greater number of the Carthaspect of time; and that they should engage to ginians than they themselves had in the field; furnish, by contract, the supplies necessary took above three thousand prisoners; somefor the army in Spain, on condition, when what less than one thousand horses; fifty nine money should come into the treasury, of being military standards; killed five elephants in the the first paid." These matters the prætor ex- battle; and took possession of the three camps plained in the assembly, and gave public notice on one and the same day. When the siege of of the day on which he would contract for the Illiturgi was thus raised, the Carthaginian supplying of clothing, and corn, for the army armies marched to lay siege to Intibili; recruitin Spain, and such other things as were neces- ing their forces out of that province, which sary for the men on board the fleet. was, above all others, fond of war, provided either plunder or hire was in view, and which, at that time, abounded with young men. second general engagement took place, attended with the same event on both sides: upwards of thirteen thousand of the enemy were killed, and more than two thousand taken, with fortytwo standards and nine elephants. On this, almost every state in Spain joined the party of the Romans; and, during this campaign, the events of the war there were much more important than those in Italy.

XLIX. When the time came, three companies consisting of nineteen men, attended in order to engage in the contract. Their demands were twofold: first, that they should be exempted from military service as long as they might be concerned in this business of the state; the other, that when they had sent goods on ship-board, any damage afterwards sustained, either through the means of storms, or of the enemy, should be at the public loss. Both being complied with, they concluded the contract, and with the money of private per

A

THE

HISTORY OF ROME.

BOOK XXIV.

Hieronymus, king of Syracuse, takes part with the Carthaginians; is put to death by his subjects, on account of his tyranny and cruelty. Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, proconsul, with an army composed mostly of slaves, defeats the Carthaginian army under Hanno, at Beneventum; gives the slaves liberty. Most of the states in Sicily go over to the side of the Carthaginians. Claudius Marcellus, consul, besieges Syracuse. War declared against Philip king of Macedonia, who is surprised by night, and routed at Apollonia. Operations of the Scipios, against the Carthaginians, in Spain. Treaty of friendship with Syphax king of Numidia; he is defeated by Massinissa king of the Massylians. The Celtiberians join the Romans, and their troops are taken into pay: the first instance of mercenaries serving in a Roman army.

I. On his return from Campania into Bruttium, | flight. The general himself having taken his Hanno, assisted by the Bruttians, who served him also as guides, endeavoured to gain possession of the Greek cities, which were the more inclined to adhere to their alliance with Rome, for the very reason that they saw the Bruttians whom they both hated and feared, taking part with the Carthaginians. The first attempt was made on Rhegium, and several days were spent there to no purpose. Meanwhile the Locrians hastily conveyed from the country into the city, corn, timber, and other necessaries, for which they might have occasion, wishing at the same time to leave nothing which the enemy could seize; while the multitude, which poured out of the gates, became every day more and more numerous. At last, those only were left in the place, who were obliged to repair the works, and to carry the weapons to the posts of defence. Against this mixed multitude, consisting of persons of all ages and ranks, and straggling through the fields, mostly unarmed, Hamilcar, the Carthaginian, sent out his cavalry, who having received orders not to hurt any of them, only threw their squadrons in the way to cut off their retreat to the city, towards which they directed their scattered

station on an eminence which commanded a view both of that and the adjacent country, ordered a cohort of Bruttians to approach the walls, and invite the leaders of the Locrians to a conference, and with assurances of Hannibal's friendship, to persuade them to a surrender. At the beginning of the conference, the Bruttians had no credit given to any of their representations. Afterwards, when the Carthaginians appeared on the hills, and the few citizens, who had effected an escape, had informed the townsmen that the rest of the multitude were in the enemy's power, then, overcome by fear, they answered, that they would consult the people. Accordingly, they instantly summoned an assembly, in which appeared all of the most unsettled who wished for a change of measures and of allies, with those, whose relations had been intercepted by the enemy, and who had their judgments influenced by those pledges, as if so many hostages had been given for their conduct; while a few rather approving in silence, than venturing openly to maintain the cause which they would have espoused, it was concluded, with every appearance of perfect unanimity, to surrender

on the independence of Croto, like the former one on Locri, would be productive, to them, of no advantage. For these reasons it was judged most adviseable to send ambassadors to Hannibal, to procure from him beforehand an engagement, that Croto, when reduced, should be the property of the Bruttians. Hanibal, remarking that persons on the spot were the fittest to

Hanno, from whom they could obtain no de cisive answer: for these commanders did not wish that a city, so celebrated and so opulent, should be plundered; and, at the same time, they entertained hopes, that, as the Bruttians were to be the assailants, the Carthaginians not appearing either to countenance or aid the attack, the inhabitants might, the more readily, come over to their side. But the Crotorians were not united in their designs, or in their wishes. The same distemper, as it were, had seized every one of the states of Italy; the nobility and commons embracing opposite parties, the former favouring the Romans, the

to the Carthaginians. Lucius Atilius, the commander of the garrison, and the Roman soldiers who were with him, were privately conveyed to the harbour, and put on board ships, to be carried off to Rhegium, and then the townsmen received Hasdrubal and his Carthaginians into the city, on condition of an alliance being immediately entered, into on terms of equality. When they had surren-determine in such a case, referred them to dered, they were very near losing the benefit of this stipulation; for the Carthaginian general accused them of having covertly sent away the Roman commander, while they alleged that he had escaped without their privity. A body of cavalry was now sent in pursuit, in case, by any accident, the current might detain him in the strait, or drive the ships to land: these did not overtake him; but they saw other ships crossing from Messana to Rhegium, which carried Roman soldiers, sent by the prætor, Claudius, as a garrison for the security of that city in consequence of this, the enemy withdrew immediately from Rhegium. In pursuance of orders from Hannibal, a treaty of peace | latter violently endeavouring to bring about a was concluded with the Locrians, on these terms, "that they should live in freedom under their own laws; that the city should be open always to the Carthaginians, but that the harbour should remain in their possession, as at first; and that, as the fundamental principle of the treaty, the Carthaginians should, on all occasions, assist the Locrians, and the Locrians the Carthaginians."

II. The Carthaginians, after this, marched back from the strait, while the Bruttians expressed great dissatisfaction at their having left Rhegium and Locri in safety, for they had destined to themselves the plunder of those places. Wherefore, having formed into bodies, and armed fifteen thousand of their own young men, they set out to lay siege to Croto, another Grecian city and a sea-port; thinking that it would prove a very great accession to their power, if they should gain possession of a harbour on the coast, and of a strongly fortified town. They were embarrassed by the considerations, that they could not well venture to proceed without calling in the Carthaginians to their assistance, lest they should appear to conduct themselves, in any case, inconsistently with the character of confederates; and that, on the contrary, should the Carthaginian general again act rather as an umpire of peace, than an auxiliary in war, the attack

union with the Carthaginians. A deserter informed the Bruttians, that a dissension of this sort prevailed in Croto, that one Aristomachus headed the party of the commons, and pressed them to surrender to the Carthaginians; that the city being very extensive, and the works stretching to a great extent on all sides, the watches were divided separately between the senators and commons; and that, in every quarter, where the latter had the guard, the assailants would find a ready entrance. Under the direction and guidance of this deserter the Bruttians encircled the town, and being received into it by the plebeians, carried at the first assault, every post except the citadel; of this the nobles held the possession, having beforehand secured a refuge there, in case of such an event as now happened. Aristomachus also fled thither, pretending that he had advised surrendering the city to the Carthaginians, not to the Bruttians.

III. Before the coming of Pyrrhus into Italy, the wall encompassing Croto was twelve miles in circumference; since the devastation caused by the war which then took place, scarcely one-half of the enclosed space was ininhabited; the river which formerly flowed through the middle of the town now ran on the outside of the part occupied by buildings, and the citadel was at a great distance from