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ranks, that the enemy were forsaken by their horse, BOOK which had been considered as the most formidable XXV. part of their force. At the same time, it damped Y.R.540. the courage of the Carthaginians, who besides see- B.C. 212. ing themselves deprived of the support of the principal part of their strength, became even apprehensive of being attacked by their own cavalry. There was therefore no great contest: the first onset decided the affair. The Numidians stood quiet, on the wings, during the action, and when they saw their confederates turning their backs, accompanied them only a short way on their flight; for, observing that all in confusion made towards Agrigentum, in order to avoid the hardships of a siege, they withdrew themselves into several of the neighbouring cities. Many thousands were killed, and many taken, together with eight elephants. This was the last battle fought by Marcellus in Sicily, after which he returned in triumph to Syracuse. The year was now near to a close. The Roman senate therefore decreed that Publius Cornelius, prætor, should write to the consuls at Capua, that while Hannibal was at a great distance, and no business of moment was going on there, one of them should, if they thought proper, come to Rome to elect new magistrates. On receiving the letter, the consuls settled between themselves, that Claudius should hold the elections, and Fulvius remain at Capua. Claudius elected consuls, Cneius Fulvius Centumalus, and Publius Sulpicius Galba, son of Servius, who had not before held any curule office. Then Lucius Cornelius Lentulus, Marcus Cornelius Cethegus, Caius Sulpicius, and Caius Calpurnius Piso were elected prætors. The city jurisdiction fell to Piso, Sicily to Sulpicius, Apulia to Cethegus, and Sardinia to Lentulus. The present consuls were con

THE

HISTORY OF ROME.

XXVI.

BOOK XXVI.

Hannibal encamps upon the banks of the Anio, within three miles of Rome. Attended by two thousand horsemen, he advances close to the Colline gate, to take a view of the walls and situation of the city. On two successive days the hostile armies are hindered from engaging by the severity of the weather. Capua taken by Quintus Fulvius and Appius Claudius: the chief nobles die, voluntarily, by poison. Quintus Fulvius, having condemned the principal senators to death, at the moment they are actually tied to the stakes, receives dispatches from Rome, commanding him to spare their lives, which he postpones reading until the sentence is executed. Publius Scipio, offering himself for the service, is sent to command in Spain: takes New Carthage in one day. Successes in Sicily. Treaty of friendship with the Etolians. War with Philip, King of Macedonia, and the Acarnanians.

BOOK I.THE consuls Cneius Fulvius Centumalus and Publius Sulpicius Galba, as soon as they came Y.R.541. into office, on the ides of March, convened the seB.C.211. nate in the Capitol, and proposed to their consideration the state of the commonwealth, the method of conducting the war, and the disposition of the provinces and armies. Quintus Fulvius and Appius

B.C.211.

Claudius, the consuls of the preceding year, were BOOK continued in command; the legions which they had XXVI. at present, were decreed to them, and an injunction Y.R.541. was added, that they should not quit the siege of Capua, until they had reduced the place. This was a point on which the Romans kept their attention fixed with particular solicitude, not only from resentment, for which no state ever gave juster cause, but from the consideration, that a city so eminent and powerful, as it had, by its revolt, drawn several states into the same measure, would probably, if recovered, dispose their minds to wish for a reconciliation with the government under which they had formerly lived. Two prætors also, of the preceding year, were continued in command, Marcus Junius in Etruria, and Publius Sempronius in Gaul, each with the two legions which he then had. Marcus Marcellus was also continued, that he might, in quality of proconsul, finish the remainder of the war in Sicily, with the army then under his command. Directions were given him, that he should take the complement requisite for completing the numbers of his troops, if that should be necessary, out of the legions which Publius Cornelius, pro-prætor, commanded in Sicily; conditionally, however, that he should not choose any soldier from among those who had been prohibited by the senate from receiving a discharge, or returning home before the conclusion of the war. To Caius Sulpicius, whose lot was the province of Sicily, were decreed the two legions formerly commanded by Publius Cornelius, and a supply of men from the army of Cneius Fulvius, which had been shamefully defeated and put to flight, the year before, in Apulia. For the soldiers of this description the senate had fixed the same term of service as for those concerned at Cannæ; and, as a farther mark of ignominy to both, it was ordered, that they should not reside during

Y.R.541.

B.C. 211,

BOOK nearer to any town than ten miles. To Lucius XXVI. Cornelius, in Sardinia, the two legions were given which Quintus Murius had commanded; a supply of men, if requisite, the consuls were ordered to enlist. Titus Otacilius and Marcus Valerius were ordered, with the fleets and legions then under their command, to guard the coasts of Greece and Sicily. On the former station were employed fifty ships and one legion; on the latter, one hundred ships and two legions. Twenty-three Roman legions were, this year, employed in the war on land and sea.

II. In the beginning of the year, on a letter from Lucius Marcius being laid before the senate, that assembly declared his services highly meritorious; but his assuming a title of honour (for, unauthorised either by order of the people or direction of the senate, he had, in addressing the senate, styled himself proprætor,) gave general offence. They deemed it "a precedent of pernicious tendency, that com"manders should be chosen by the troops; and that "the established privileges of assemblies, held under "auspices, should be transferred to a giddy soldiery, "in camps and provinces remote from the magis"trates and laws." Several were of opinion, that the senate should take the matter into consideration; but it was judged more expedient to defer any notice of it until after the departure of the messengers who brought the letter from Marcius. It was agreed, that an answer should be sent to him, respecting provisions and clothing for the army, saying that the senate would take care of both those matters but it was resolved that it should not be addressed to Lucius Marcius, proprætor, lest he should consider, as determined, a question which they had reserved for future discussion. After the couriers were dismissed, the first business proposed by the consuls, and which was unanimously agreed upon,

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Y.R.541.

was, that application should be made to the plebeian BOOK tribunes, to take the sense of the commons with XXVI. all convenient speed, as to what person they would choose to be sent into Spain with a commission to B.C. 211. command the army lately under Cneius Scipio. The tribunes were advised with accordingly, and the question was published for consideration: but people's thoughts were wholly engrossed by a contest on another subject: Caius Sempronius Blæsus, having instituted a prosecution against Cneius Fulvius, on account of the loss of the army in Apulia, inveighed against him continually in public harangues; affirming that "although many commanders had, through rash"ness and unskilfulness, brought their armies into "situations of extreme danger, yet never had any one, except Cneius Fulvius, corrupted his legions with every kind of vice before he exposed them to de"struction: so that it might be said, with truth, "that their ruin was effected before they had even "seen an enemy; and that they were vanquished, "not by Hannibal, but by their own commander. "No elector could too carefully scrutinize the cha"racter of the person to whom he was entrusting an army. What a difference between this man and "Tiberius Sempronius! The latter, though the army committed to him consisted of slaves, yet, "by proper discipline and wise regulations, had quickly improved them to such a degree, that, in "the field of battle, not one of them evinced by his "conduct either his condition or his birth; and they became a safeguard to the allies, a terror to "the enemy. They snatched, as it were, out of "Hannibal's grasp, and restored to the Roman people, "the cities of Cumæ, Beneventum, and several "others; whereas Cneius Fulvius, having received an army of Roman citizens, honourably born "and liberally educated, had debauched them by "all the low vices of slaves, and sunk them into

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