afraid of our men pursuing them from a higher position; and not much time remained before the setting of the sun; for in the hope of finishing the business, they had protracted the matter until almost night. Accordingly, acting11 from necessity and on the spur of the moment,1o Pompey took possession of a hill, which was so far distant from our fort, that a dart or missile13 could not reach it. XXXIV.-Two of our vessels, after1 a tedious passage, having been overtaken by night, and being ignorant what harbour the rest had reached, came to an anchors opposite Lissus. Crassus, who commanded at Lissus, sent a number of skiffs and small craft, and prepared to attack them; at the same time he negotiated 5 for their surrender, and promised safety to those who surrendered. One of these vessels had taken on board two hundred and twenty men from a legion of recruits; the other rather less than two hundred, from a veteran legion. Here was a lesson, how great a support men have in strength of mind. For the recruits, alarmed by the number of the vessels, and worn out by the voyage, and by sea-sickness, surrendered to Crassus, on receiving9 an oath that the enemy would not injure them; yet all of them, when brought before him were, contrary to the obligation 10 of the oath, most cruelly massacred in his presence." The veteran soldiers, on the other hand,12 who had also been harassed by the evils13 of bad weather and of bilge-water, resolved to relax nothing of their former courage; but after spending the earliest 7 8 13 13 Tormentum.——1 La 11 Capto consilio. 12 Ex tempore. tinè 'their course having been slowly accomplished.' 3 In anchoris constare. with imperfect subjunctive. part. pass. 5 Agere. 6 Sustulerat. 7 Salum. 11 9 Abl. abs., part. pass. 10 Religio. Conspectus. 14 Abl. abs., part. pass. 2 Cum, 4 Abl. abs., 8 Nausea. 12 At. 13 Vitia. hours of the night in negotiating 15 terms, and in pretending to surrender, compelled the pilot to cast the ship ashore; then, having pitched 16 upon a suitable spot, they passed the remainder of the night there, and at dawn, cavalry having been sent against them by Crassus, defended themselves, and after slaying some of them, returned safely to our quarters. 3 1 XXXV. That old [saying] of Cato, who declared that he wondered an haruspex did not laugh whenever he saw an haruspex, was very just. For how few events among the many predicted by them really happen? Or, if anything does happen, what reason can be given why it should not have happened accidentally? King Prusias, when Hannibal, an exile at his court, wished a decisive action to be brought on, declared that he could not venture, because the entrails forbad him. 'Do you choose, then,' asked Hannibal, to trust a little piece of calf's flesh rather than a veteran general?' And did not Cæsar himself, though he was warned by an eminent haruspex not to cross into Africa before winter, nevertheless cross? If he had not done so, all his opponent's forces would have been concentrated at one spot. Why should I detail the answers of haruspices-I could mention innumerable [instances] which have either had no results, or else contradictory results? In the late civil war, how often did they mock us? What replies from the haruspices were despatched from Rome to us in Greece? What predictions were disclosed to Pompey? for he was powerfully influenced by entrails and prodigies. It is painful to mention them, and, indeed, superfluous, to yourself especially, as you 15 Tracto. 3 Depugnari. 8 Ostenta. 16 Nactus. 5 1 Scitus. 2 Quota quæque res. • Convenire. 7 Hic. were personally concerned. You are aware, however, that everything turned out contrarily to what had been foretold. You believe that the Boeotian seers discerned from the crowing of the cocks, that victory [belonged to] the Thebans,10 because cocks are wont to be silent when beaten, and to crow when conquerors. Did Jupiter really send a message to that celebrated state through poultry?11 Are those birds not accustomed to crow, save when they have conquered? Why,12 on that occasion they did crow, though they had not conquered. But that, you will doubtless reply, is a prodigy. 3 2 XXXVI.- Let this divination, then, from dreams be exploded, together with the rest. For, to speak the truth, superstition, diffused throughout the nations, has overwhelmed the minds of almost all men, and has made its own prize of human infirmity. Religion, however, is not annihilated by annihilating superstition. For it is at once the duty of a wise man to maintain the institutions of our ancestors by retaining rites and ceremonies; and the beauty of the world, and the regularity of the celestial bodies, compels us to confess that there is some pre-eminent and eternal nature, and that it ought to be regarded with reverence and awe by the race of man. On this account, as that religion which is combined with the knowledge of nature, ought ever to be propagated; so also ought all the roots of superstition to be extirpated. For it presses on, and is importunate: and follows your every turn: whether you see a seer or an omen: whether you have offered sacrifice, or have observed a bird: if you see a Chaldean or an haruspex, if it lightens, if it thunders, 9 Interesse. 10 Genitive. 11 Gallinæ. 12 At. 3 Res. 2 Ordo. 1 Occupo. if anything is struck by lightning; if anything in the shape5 of a prodigy is born or done: and something of this kind must needs in general take place; so that you can never rest with your mind at ease. Sleep is, apparently, the refuge of all our toils and solicitudes. Yet from sleep itself numerous cares and apprehensions arise: which, indeed, by themselves would have but little influence, had not the philosophers undertaken the cause of dreams; philosophers far from contemptible, but in the highest degree acute, appreciating what is logical" and what is illogical.' 6 XXXVII.-Although some philosophers have employed an ornamental style-Theophrastus, for instance,' derived2 his name from the divine grace of his diction: Aristotle challenged Isocrates himself, and they say the muses spoke with the voice of Xenophon- nevertheless their style possesses neither the energy3 nor the pungency that befits the orators and the forum. They converse with men of letters, whose passions they study rather to calm than to excite they talk on topics the most tranquil and the least exciting, in order to instruct, not to cajole, in such a tone, that to some they seem to overstep their province, when they study effect 10 in speaking. It is not difficult, therefore, to distinguish that eloquence which we are now discussing, from this style. For the diction of philosophers is smooth and contemplative,11 is not popular either in sentiment or expression, nor is it fettered by rhythm, but is free and open: chaste and modest, like a pure virgin. The points of resemblance 12 between orators 8 9 Consequentia 3 Nervi. 4 Aculei. Plus, quam necesse 12 Similitudo. and the sophists, who are fond of culling the same flowers (of style) as an orator employs in pleading causes, ought to be more clearly defined. They differ in this, that, as it is their object not to kindle but to allay emotion—rather to fascinate than to convince-they employ ornament more openly and more frequently than we orators: they aim at periods rather graceful than argumentative13; they frequently digress from the subject, they interweave legends with it, they use figures 14 with less reserve, and dispose them as painters do their varied shades 15 of colour. History is akin to this style: for in history the narrative is ornate; and there are frequent descriptions of countries and battles: speeches and exhortations are also interposed: but in these an equable 16 and flowing-not an elaborate17 and contentious 18-style is required. XXXVIII.—This was generally believed. Hannibal was the only man who perceived that he was aimed at by the Romans and that peace was only allowed the Carthaginians on the understanding that1 a remorseless war should be maintained against himself alone. He, therefore, resolved to submit to the crisis3 and to his fate: and, having prepared everything for flight, and having publicly appeared1 in the Forum on that day in order to avert suspicion, he, as soon as darkness fell, departed in his out-of-door5 dress, with two attendants, ignorant of his design. Horses being in readiness at the spot where they had been ordered, he passed through Byzacium by night, and arrived, on the following day, on the sea-coast, between Acholla and Thapsus, at a castle of his own. There a vessel prepared, and manned with rowers, received him. Thus did Hanni |