the same degree of reso- BOOK effectual care that his XXVII. on should be short." At Y.R.542. for the past was great, so B.C. 210. ture. The consul, passing Lucania, pitched his camp ound, within view of Hana hill. He gave, besides, ence in his own strength, offer battle. Nor did Hanndards advance through the enge. However, they drew h a manner, that the right ans stretched up the hill, and Romans was brought close to third hour, the action had d the fatigue of fighting for had overpowered the foremost he side of the Romans, of the ight wing of allies; on Han› Spanish infantry, Balearick hants, which, at the beginning had been brought into the field. lagged for a considerable time, 3 gained any advantage, when anced into the place of the first, the allies into that of the right; emy, likewise, the wearied were troops. On this, both parties and vigour, instead of the former rious conflict at once arose; but > combatants before the victory

Next morning, the Romans attle, from sunrise, during a great d none of the enemy coming out ered the spoils at their leisure, bodies of their slain into one spot,

H

A

Cneius Fulvius,
the consul, C
success. На
pursues, and fi
in the first b
second, Marcel
the consul.
Hamilcar, at
other prisoners;
is taken; Scip
with magnificer
cellus and Qui
buscade by Han
Operations by I
the Achæans.

to amount to on
dred and eight
they had sustain
had of late been
the Alps with
the consuls Mar
with him fell fif

BOOK JCH was t
Italy, the
Y.R.542. possession of Sa
B.C. 210. hands, took, by

XXVII. SUCH

BOOK on the name of Fulvios, he assured them, that, as
VIL be bad utterly defeated him in the same country two
F.R. 542 years before, the present battle would have a similar
B.C.210, issue. Nor was this expectation ill-grounded: f

after many of the Romans had fallen, in the c
conflict between the lines of infantry (the compues
and battalions nevertheless still maintaining the
ground), the tumult raised by the cavalry in the
which
rear, and the enemy's shout from the
camp,
was heard at the same time, put to flight the sixt
legion, which, being posted in the second line, se
thrown into disorder by the Numidians; as ver
afterwards the fifth, and those in the van. Son o
fled in hurry and confusion, the rest were surround the
and slain; among whom fell Cneius Fulvius himse
with eleven military tribunes. How many thousan,
of the Romans and allies were slain in that battl
who can positively affirm, when I find in some his
rians thirteen thousand, in others not more th
seven? The conqueror possessed himself of the ca
and the spoil. Having discovered that Herde
was disposed to revolt to the Romans, and w
not continue faithful to him after his departure,
removed the inhabitants to Metapontum and T
rium, and burned the city to the ground. T
leaders of the party, who were found to have b
secret conference with Fulvius, he put to death. T
Romans who escaped the slaughter of this disastr
day, fled, half-armed, by different roads into San
nium, to the consul Marcellus

II. Marcellus, not too much dismayed by so gre
a disaster, wrote to Rome to the senate an accou
of the general and army being lost at Herdoner
adding, that, notwithstanding this misfortune, "h
who had quelled the haughty spirit of Hannib
when his confidence was at the highest,
"consequence of his victory at Canne, was now

gainst him, with the same degree of reso- BOOK
and would take effectual care that his XXVII.
joy and exultation should be short." At Y.R.542.
people's grief for the past was great, so B.C. 210.
fears of the future. The consul, passing

Samnium into Lucania, pitched his camp
10, on level ground, within view of Han-
was posted on a hill. He gave, besides,
of of confidence in his own strength,
he first to offer battle. Nor did Han-
eing the standards advance through the
e the challenge. However, they drew
es in such a manner, that the right
Carthaginians stretched up the hill, and
of the Romans was brought close to
'rom the third hour, the action had
ght, and the fatigue of fighting for
of time had overpowered the foremost
g, on the side of the Romans, of the
the right wing of allies; on Han-
of the Spanish infantry, Balearick
e elephants, which, at the beginning
ent, had been brought into the field.
ght flagged for a considerable time,
ving gained any advantage, when
advanced into the place of the first,
of the allies into that of the right;
e enemy, likewise, the wearied were
h troops. On this, both parties
ts and vigour, instead of the former
furious conflict at once arose ; but
he combatants before the victory

1.
Next morning, the Romans
battle, from sunrise, during a great
nd none of the enemy coming out
hered the spoils at their leisure,
bodies of their slain into one spot,

1.

THE

HISTORY OF ROME.

BOOK

BOOK XXVII.

Cneius Fulvius, proconsul, defeated by Hannibal, and slain: the consul, Claudius Marcellus, engages him, with better success. Hannibal, raising his camp, retires; Marcellus pursues, and forces him to an engagement. They fight twice: in the first battle Hannibal gains the advantage; in the second, Marcellus. Tarentum betrayed to Fabius Maximus, the consul. Scipio engages with Hasdrubal, the son of Hamilcar, at Batula, in Spain, and defeats him. Among other prisoners, a youth of royal race, and exquisite beauty, is taken; Scipio sets him free, and sends him, enriched with magnificent presents, to his uncle Masinissa. Marcellus and Quintus Crispinus, consuls, drawn into an ambuscade by Hannibal: Marcellus is slain; Crispinus escapes. Operations by Publius Sulpicius, prætor, against Philip and the Achæans. A census held: the number of citizens found to amount to one hundred and thirty-seven thousand one hundred and eight: from which it appears how great a loss they had sustained by the number of unsuccessful battles they had of late been engaged in. Hasdrubal, who had crossed the Alps with a reinforcement for Hannibal, defeated by the consuls Marcus Livius and Claudius Nero, and slain; with him fell fifty-six thousand men.

VIK SUCH was the state of affairs in Spain. In XXVII. Italy, the consul Marcellus, after regaining Y.R.542. possession of Salapia, which was betrayed into his B.C. 210. hands, took, by storm, Maronea and Meles, cities

belonging to the Samnites. He made prisoners BOOK three thousand of Hannibal's soldiers, left in garri- XXVII. son; the booty, which was considerable, was given Y.R.542. up to the soldiers: Here were found, also, two B.C.210. hundred and forty thousand pecks of wheat, and one hundred and ten thousand of barley. But the joy occasioned hereby was much less than the grief felt for an overthrow a few days after, near the city of Herdonea. Cneius Fulvius, proconsul, lay there encamped, in hopes of recovering that city, which, after the defeat at Cannæ, had revolted from the Romans; but his post was neither strong by nature, nor secured by proper guards. The negligence natural to that commander's disposition was increased by perceiving that the inhabitants, as soon as they heard that Hannibal, after the loss of Salapia, had withdrawn from that part of the country into Bruttium, began to waver in their attachment to the Carthaginians. Intelligence of all these particulars was conveyed to Hannibal by private messengers from Herdonea; and, while it made him anxious to preserve an allied city, at the same time inspired hopes of attacking the enemy unprepared. With his troops, therefore, lightly equipped for expedition, he hastened to Herdonea by such long marches, that he almost anticipated the report of his approach; and, to strike the greater terror, he advanced in order of battle. The Roman commander, fully equal to him in boldness, but inferior in judgment and strength, hastily led out his forces, and engaged him. The fifth legion, and the left wing of allied infantry, commenced the fight with vigour. But Hannibal gave directions to his cavalry, that, as soon as the lines of infantry should have their thoughts and eyes entirely occupied on the contest between themselves, they should ride round; that one half of them should fall on the enemy's camp, and the other on the rear