On points of constitutional and political history my chief guides have been Mommsen's Roman History and Römisches Staatsrecht. The last section of the Introduction gives a brief account of some of the problems connected with the Metaurus. Among the mass of literature that has been written on this campaign I am most deeply indebted to Mr B. W. Henderson's able articles in the English Historical Review and to Kromayer's monumental Antike Schlachtfelder. The discussion of Livy's sources and narrative in the previous section is based on Soltau's work on the sources of the third decade. I have to thank my friend Mr W. H. Balgarnie of the Leys for most generous assistance in reading the proofs of the notes and introduction and for valuable suggestions on a number of points. I must also express my gratitude to the readers of the University Press whose lynx-eyed vigilance has saved me from many inconsistencies and not a few mistakes. S. G. C. BALLYNATRUA, Derry, INTRODUCTION I. THE POSITION OF AFFAIRS IN 210 B.C. 216 B.C. $1. Italy After Cannae the Italian allies of Rome over a large part of the South of Italy joined Hannibal, and the Carthaginians secured Apulia, Lucania, Bruttium and most of Samnium, and by winning Capua and a number of the neighbouring towns established themselves also in Campania. In the centre, however, Rome retained as allies most of the tribes--Marsi, Vestini, Picentines, Frentani, Sabines and others; and though the surrounding districts declared for Carthage, the chief towns in S. Italy, Brundisium, Tarentum, Beneventum, Venusia, Luceria, and others were held by Rome, and her garrisons secured also some of the Campanian cities. In the North, in spite of a severe defeat sustained by the praetor, L. Postumius Albinus, at the hands of the Gauls, Rome kept Etruria and Umbria. The Italian campaigns of the next three years produced no material change in this position. Hannibal's 215 B.C.-213 B.C. most important success was the gain of Tarentum1, followed by that of Metapontum, Heraclea, Thurii, and Locri. The Romans still held the citadel of Tarentum and Rhegium, but with these exceptions Hannibal had all the south coast. Campania, however, was the main seat of the war and in the following years the dogged persistence of Rome was rewarded. In 211 B.C. after a long siege Capua fell and Campania was lost to Hannibal. After his unavailing attempt to raise the siege by his famous march to Rome Hannibal retired south to Bruttium. 211 B.C. 1 212 B.C. according to Polybius. |