A. C. 216. nostro. Omnia circa plena civium ac sociorum sunt. U. C. 538. Armis, viris, equis, commeatibus juvant, juvabuntque. 'Id jam fidei documentum in adversis rebus nostris dede'runt. Meliores, prudentiores, constantiores nos tempus 'diesque facit. Hannibal contra in aliena, in hostili est terra, inter omnia inimica infestaque, procul ab domo, 'procul ab patria. Neque illi terra, neque mari est pax: 'nullæ eum urbes accipiunt, nulla monia: nihil usquam 'sui videt: in diem rapto vivit3. Partem vix tertiam exer'citus ejus habet, quem Iberum amnem trajecit: plures 'fames, quam ferrum, absumpsit: nec his paucis jam victus 'suppeditat. Dubitas ergo, quin sedendo superaturi simus eum, qui senescat in dies? non commeatus, non supple'mentum, non pecuniam habeat? Quam diu pro Geronii, 'castelli Apuliæ inopis, tanquam pro Carthaginis mœni'bus'? Sed ne adversus te quidem ego gloriabor. Cn. 'Servilius atque Atilius, proximi consules, vide quemad'modum eum ludificati sint. Hæc una salutis est via, L. 'Paulle, quam difficilem infestamque' cives tibi magis, quam 'hostes, facient. Idem enim tui, quod hostium milites, 'volent: idem Varro, consul Romanus, quod Hannibal, 'Pœnus imperator, cupiet. Duobus ducibus unus resistas, oportet: resistes autem, adversus famam rumoresque ho'minum si satis firmus steteris: si te neque collega vana 'gloria, neque tua falsa infamia moverit. Veritatem la'borare nimis sæpe, aiunt, exstingui nunquam. Gloriam 6 2 In aliend, in hostili est terrd.] The principle here illustrated by Fabius is that which probably suggested to some writer the comparison of the progress of an invading army to that of a fire on a prairie, consuming, as it advances, the material of its own life. An invader must either exterminate or assimilate. The former was the system adopted by Tamerlane (Timur Lenk) and others of his time and creed; the latter by the most successful invaders recorded in all history, Cyrus the first, and Alexander of Macedon. The Carthaginians had never done either: even in Africa, the native tribes, so long their subjects, were regarded by them as treacherous slaves rather than fellowcitizens; and even the fidelity of the half-caste population (the Libyphoenices) was so questionable, that they were considered dangerous at home and useful only abroad. The subjects of Carthage, in short, stood "He 3 In diem rapto vivit.] 5 Difficilem infestamque.] "Dif- 6 Vana gloria-falsa infamia.] "The empty pride," " unmerited obloquy." 7 Veritatem laborare.] Crevier regards this as a metaphor from the eclipses of celestial bodies: and this theory is supported by the antithesis U. C. 538. 40. qui spreverit, veram habebit. Sine, timidum pro cauto, tardum pro considerato, imbellem pro perito belli vocent. 'Malo te sapiens hostis metuat, quam stulti cives laudent. 'Omnia audentem contemnet Hannibal; nil temere 'agentem metuet. Nec ego, ut nihil agatur, moneo; sed ut agentem te ratio ducat, non fortuna: tuæ potestatis semper, tuaque omnia sint. Armatus intentusque sis, neque occasioni tuæ desis, neque suam' occasionem hosti 'des. Omnia non properanti clara certaque erunt: fes'tinatio improvida est et cæca.' Adversus ea oratio consulis haud sane læta fuit, magis fatentis, ea, quæ diceret, vera, quam facilia factu, esse. 'Dictatori magistrum 'equitum intolerabilem fuisse; quid consuli adversus col'legam seditiosum ac temerarium virium atque auctoritatis 'fore? Se populare incendium priore consulatu semiustum 'effugisse. Optare, ut omnia prospere evenirent. At, si 'quid adversi caderet, hostium se telis potius, quam suffra'giis iratorum civium, caput objecturum.' Ab hoc sermone profectum Paullum tradunt, prosequentibus primoribus Patrum. Plebeium consulem sua plebes prosecuta, turba, quam dignitate, conspectior. Ut in castra venerunt3, permixto novo exercitu ac vetere, castris bifariam factis, ut nova minora essent propius Hannibalem, in vete of extingui. Such an interpretation 9 Tuæ potestatis semper, tuaque Occasioni tuæ-suam.] "Favourable to you-favourable to him." 2 Haud sanè læta.] "Not very sanguine." 3 Ut in castra venerunt.] It would appear from the statements of Polybius (iii. 110. &c.), that a short time before the arrival of the consuls, the proconsuls had sent to Rome for instruction. The harvest in their neighbourhood (the highlands of Apulia) was still far from ripe: their supplies could be had only from the magazine at Cannæ: and Hannibal had placed himself between them and it; and it was nearly certain that the patience of their allies in the provincial towns would not be proof against the devastation of their plains during another season. Under these circumstances, it was resolved by the senate to give battle, at the same time that they recommended a delay until the new consuls should join them with the new levies. These together with the veterans amounted to about 90,000 men (eight legions): and it was expected that, with so overwhelming a force, a decisive victory was almost inevitable. seems, then, that Varro was not altogether to be blamed for precipitating the action at Cannæ, except so far as he might have prevented the deliberate choice of a favourable time and place. It is also evident, from the subsequently ascertained fact that Hannibal had not more than ten days' provisions in his camp, that if Fabius or Æmilius had the sole conduct of the campaign, Hannibal must have retreated into Gaul. It ribus major pars et omne robur virium esset; tum consulum U. C. 538. anni prioris M. Atilium, ætatem excusantem, Romam mi- A. C. 216. serunt; Geminum Servilium in minoribus castris legioni Romanæ et socium peditum equitumque duobus millibus præficiunt. Hannibal, quanquam parte dimidia auctas1 hostium copias cernebat, tamen adventu consulum mire gaudere. Non solum enim nihil ex raptis in diem commeatibus superabat, sed ne, unde raperet, quidem quicquam reliqui erat, omni undique frumento, postquam ager parum tutus erat, in urbes munitas convecto: ut vix decem dierum (quod compertum postea est) frumentum superesset, Hispanorumque ob inopiam transitio parata fuerit, si maturitas temporum exspectata foret. Ceterum temeritati consulis ac præpropero ingenio materiam etiam fortuna dedit: quod in prohibendis prædatoribus tumultuario prælio, ac procursu magis militum, quam ex præparato aut jussu imperatorum, orto, haudquaquam par Poenis dimicatio fuit. Ad mille et septingenti casi, non plus centum Romanorum sociorumque occisis. Ceterum victoribus effuse sequentibus metu insidiarum obstitit Paullus consul; cujus eo die (nam alternis imperitabant) imperium erat, Varrone indignante ac vociferante, emissum hostem e manibus; debellarique, ni cessatum foret, potuisse. Hannibal id damnum haud ægerrime pati: quin potius credere, velut inescatam temeritatem ferocioris consulis ac novorum maxime militum esse. Et omnia ei hostium, haud secus quam sua, nota erant: dissimiles discordesque imperitare; duas prope partes tironum militum in exercitu esse. Itaque, locum et tempus insidiis aptum se habere ratus, nocte proxima nihil præter arma ferentes secum milites ducens, castra plena omnis fortunæ publicæ privatæque relinquit; transque proximos montes læva pedites instructos condit, dextra equites; impedimenta1 per con Parte dimidid auctas.] "Increased by one half," i. e. made once and a half more numerous than before, fifty per cent. more. 5 Si maturitas temporum, &c.] "If the harvest-time were to be waited for." From this it may be inferred, that about ten months had passed since Fabius had retired from the command; because at that time we are informed that " extremum autumni erat." 10 6 Ceterum temeritati consulis, &c.] "To the consul's impetuosity, however, and impatient temper, an accident supplied the further provocation, that, in an irregular skirmish_tral) body.' U 41. 42. U. C. 538. vallem, medium agmen, traducit: ut diripiendis velut deA. C. 216. sertis fuga dominorum castris occupatum impeditumque hostem opprimeret. Crebri relicti in castris ignes, ut fides fieret, dum ipse longius spatium fuga præciperet, falsa imagine castrorum, sicut Fabium priore anno frustratus esset, tenere in locis consules voluisse. Ubi illuxit, subductæ primo stationes', deinde propius adeuntibus insolitum silentium admirationem fecit. Jam satis comperta solitudine, in castris concursus fit ad prætoria consulum, nuntiantium fugam hostium adeo trepidam, ut, tabernaculis stantibus, castra reliquerint: quoque fuga obscurior esset, crebros etiam relictos ignes. Clamor inde ortus, ut signa proferri juberent, ducerentque ad persequendos hostes, ac protinus castra diripienda. Et consul alter velut unus turbæ militaris erat. Paullus etiam atque etiam dicere, providendum præcavendumque esse. Postremo, quum aliter neque seditionem neque ducem seditionis sustinere posset, Marium Statilium præfectum cum turma Lucana exploratum mittit. Qui, ubi adequitavit portis, subsistere extra munimenta ceteris jussis, ipse cum duobus equitibus vallum intravit: speculatusque omnia cum cura renuntiat, insidias profecto esse: ignes in parte castrorum, quæ vergat in hostem, relictos: tabernacula aperta, et omnia cara in promptu relicta: argentum quibusdam locis temere per vias, velut objectum ad prædam, vidisse. Quæ ad deterrendos a cupiditate animos nuntiata erant, ea accenderunt; et, clamore orto a militibus, 'ni signum detur, sine ducibus 'ituros,' haudquaquam dux defuit: nam extemplo Varro signum dedit proficiscendi. Paullus, quum ei sua sponte cunctanti pulli quoque auspicio non addixissent, obnuntiari jam efferenti porta signa college jussit. Quod quanquam Varro ægre est passus, Flaminii tamen recens casus, Claudiique' consulis primo Punico bello memorata navalis clades, 2 Diripiendis velut desertis, &c.] "In plundering the camp, under the impression that it was forsaken, &c." 3 Ut fides fieret, &c.] "To encourage the belief that, while he was securing a greater distance in his flight, he had intended to keep the consuls on the spot by the deceptive appearance of the camp." 4 Subducta primo stationes.] "The absence (or removal) of the outposts, in the first instance." 5 Satis comperta solitudine, in castris.] It would make better sense to join these words; thus, "When the desertion of the camp was fully ascertained." religionem animo incussit. Dii prope ipsi eo die magis U. C. 538. distulere, quam prohibuere, imminentem pestem Romanis. A. C. 216. Nam forte ita evenit, ut, quum referri signa in castra jubenti consuli milites non parerent, servi duo, Formiani unus, alter Sidicini equitis, qui, Servilio atque Atilio consulibus, inter pabulatores excepti a Numidis fuerant, profugerent eo die ad dominos: qui deducti ad consules nuntiant, omnem exercitum Hannibalis trans proximos montes sedere in insidiis. Horum opportunus adventus consules imperii potentes fecit, quum ambitio alterius suam primum apud eos prava indulgentia majestatem solvisset. Hannibal, postquam motos magis inconsulte Romanos, quam ad ultimum temere evectos, vidit; nequicquam, detecta fraude, in castra rediit. Ibi plures dies propter inopiam frumenti manere nequibat; novaque consilia in dies non apud milites solum, mixtos ex colluvione omnium gentium, sed etiam apud ipsum ducem, oriebantur. Nam quum initio fremitus, deinde aperta vociferatio fuisset exposcentium stipendium debitum, querentiumque annonam primo, postremo famem; et mercenarios milites, maxime Hispani generis, de transitione cepisse consilium fama esset: ipse etiam interdum Hannibal de fuga in Galliam dicitur agitasse, ita ut, relicto peditatu omni, cum equitibus se proriperet. Quum hæc consilia' atque hic habitus animorum esset in castris, movere inde statuit in calidiora atque eo maturiora messibus Apuliæ loca: simul ut, quo longius ab hoste recessisset, transfugia impeditiora levibus ingeniis essent. Profectus est nocte, ignibus similiter factis, tabernaculisque paucis in speciem relictis, ut insidiarum par priori metus contineret Romanos. Sed, per eundem Lucanum Statilium, omnibus ultra castra transque montes ex imprudence of shaking the popular 3 Consules imperii potentes, &c.] "Restored the consuls to the possession of their authority; after the conciliating policy of one of them had, already, weakened his own influence, &c." 4 Hannibal, postquam motos, &c.] "When Hannibal found that the Romans had been moved by a passing excitement, rather than precipitately impelled to a definite result, he returned in disappointment to his camp, on the discovery of his 8 deception;" or, (if we take nequic- 5 Mixtos ex colluvione.] "Com- 7 Quum hæc consilia, &c.] 8 Transfugia impeditiora, &c.] 43. |
