The History of Rome; Books Nine to Twenty Six - Titus Livius
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41. Above all, the general, Hasdrubal, and two other noble
Carthaginians having been made prisoners, rendered the battle glorious
and memorable; Mago, who was of the Barcine family, and nearly related
to Hannibal, and Hanno, the author of the revolt of the Sardinians,
and without doubt the instigator of this war. Nor less did the
Sardinian generals render that battle distinguished by their
disasters; for not only was Hiostus, son of Hampsicora, slain in the
battle, but Hampsicora himself flying with a few horse, having heard
of the death of his son in addition to his unfortunate state,
committed suicide by night, lest the interference of any person should
prevent the accomplishment of his design. To the other fugitives the
city of Cornus afforded a refuge, as it had done before; but Manlius,
having assaulted it with his victorious troops, regained it in a few
days. Then other cities also which had gone over to Hampsicora and the
Carthaginians, surrendered themselves and gave hostages, on which
having imposed a contribution of money and corn, proportioned to the
means and delinquency of each, he led back his troops to Carale. There
launching his ships of war, and putting the soldiers he had brought
with him on board, he sailed to Rome, reported to the fathers the
total subjugation of Sardinia, and handed over the contribution of
money to the quaestors, of corn to the aediles, and the prisoners to
the praetor Fulvius. During the same time, as Titus Otacilius the
praetor, who had sailed over with a fleet of fifty ships from
Lilybaeum to Africa, and laid waste the Carthaginian territory, was
returning thence to Sardinia, to which place it was reported that
Hasdrubal had recently crossed over from the Baleares, he fell in with
his fleet on its return to Africa; and after a slight engagement in
the open sea, captured seven ships with their crews. Fear dispersed
the rest far and wide, not less effectually than a storm. It happened
also, at the same time, that Bomilcar arrived at Locri with soldiers
sent from Carthage as a reinforcement, bringing with him also
elephants and provisions. In order to surprise and overpower him,
Appius Claudius, having hastily led his troops to Messana, under
pretext of making the circuit of the province, crossed over to Locri,
the tide being favourable. Bomilcar had by this time left the place,
having set out for Bruttium to join Hanno. The Locrians closed their
gates against the Romans, and Appius Claudius returned to Rome without
achieving any thing, by his strenuous efforts. The same summer
Marcellus made frequent excursions from Nola, which he was occupying
with a garrison, into the lands of the Hirpini and Caudine Samnites,
and so destroyed all before him with fire and sword, that he renewed
in Samnium the memory of her ancient disasters.
42. Ambassadors were therefore despatched from both nations at the
same time to Hannibal, who thus addressed the Carthaginian: "Hannibal,
we carried on hostilities with the Roman people, by ourselves and from
our own resources, as long as our own arms and our own strength could
protect us. Our confidence in these failing, we attached ourselves to
king Pyrrhus. Abandoned by him, we accepted of a peace, dictated by
necessity, which we continued to observe up to the period when you
arrived in Italy, through a period of almost fifty years. Your valour
and good fortune, not more than your unexampled humanity and kindness
displayed towards our countrymen, whom, when made prisoners, you
restored to us, so attached us to you, that while you our friend were
in health and safety, we not only feared not the Romans, but not even
the anger of the gods, if it were lawful so to express ourselves. And
yet, by Hercules, you not only being in safety and victorious, but on
the spot, (when you could almost hear the shrieks of our wives and
children, and see our buildings in flames,) we have suffered, during
this summer, such repeated devastations, that Marcellus, and not
Hannibal, would appear to have been the conqueror at Cannae; while the
Romans boast that you had strength only to inflict a single blow; and
having as it were left your sting, now lie torpid. For near a century
we waged war with the Romans, unaided by any foreign general or army;
except that for two years Pyrrhus rather augmented his own strength by
the addition of our troops, than defended us by his. I will not boast
of our successes, that two consuls and two consular armies were sent
under the yoke by us, nor of any other joyful and glorious events
which have happened to us. We can tell of the difficulties and
distresses we then experienced, with less indignation than those which
are now occurring. Dictators, those officers of high authority, with
their masters of horse, two consuls with two consular armies, entered
our borders, and, after having reconnoitred and posted reserves, led
on their troops in regular array to devastate our country. Now we are
the prey of a single propraetor, and of one little garrison, for the
defence of Nola. Now they do not even confine themselves to plundering
in companies, but, like marauders, range through our country from one
end to the other, more unconcernedly than if they were rambling
through the Roman territory. And the reason is this, you do not
protect us yourself, and the whole of our youth, which, if at home,
would keep us in safety, is serving under your banners. We know
nothing either of you or your army, but we know that it would be easy
for the man who has routed and dispersed so many Roman armies, to put
down these rambling freebooters of ours, who roam about in disorder to
whatsoever quarter the hope of booty, however groundless, attracts
them. They indeed will be the prey of a few Numidians, and a garrison
sent to us will also dislodge that at Nola, provided you do not think
those men undeserving that you should protect them as allies, whom you
have esteemed worthy of your alliance."
43. To this Hannibal replied, "that the Hirpini and Samnites did every
thing at once: that they both represented their sufferings, solicited
succours, and complained that they were undefended and neglected.
Whereas, they ought first to have represented their sufferings, then
to have solicited succours; and lastly, if those succours were not
obtained, then, at length, to make complaint that assistance had been
implored without effect. That he would lead his troops not into the
fields of the Hirpini and Samnites, lest he too should be a burthen to
them, but into the parts immediately contiguous, and belonging to the
allies of the Roman people, by plundering which, he would enrich his
own soldiers, and cause the enemy to retire from them through fear.
With regard to the Roman war, if the battle of Trasimenus was more
glorious than that at Trebia, and the battle of Cannae than that of
Trasimenus, that he would eclipse the fame of the battle of Cannae by
a greater and more brilliant victory." With this answer, and with
munificent presents, he dismissed the ambassadors. Having left a
pretty large garrison in Tifata, he set out with the rest of his
troops to go to Nola. Thither came Hanno from the Bruttii with
recruits and elephants brought from Carthage. Having encamped not far
from the place, every thing, upon examination, was found to be widely
different from what he had heard from the ambassadors of the allies.
For Marcellus was doing nothing, in such a way that he could be said
to have committed himself rashly either to fortune or to the enemy. He
had gone out on plundering expeditions, having previously
reconnoitred, planted strong guards, and secured a retreat; the same
caution was observed and the same provisions made, as if Hannibal were
present. At this time, when he perceived the enemy on the approach, he
kept his forces within the walls, ordered the senators of Nola to
patrol the walls, and explore on all hands what was doing among the
enemy. Of these Herennius Bassus and Herius Petrius, having been
invited by Hanno, who had come up to the wall, to a conference, and
gone out with the permission of Marcellus, were thus addressed by him,
through an interpreter. After extolling the valour and good fortune of
Hannibal, and vilifying the majesty of the Roman people, which he
represented as sinking into decrepitude with their strength; he said,
"but though they were on an equality in these respects, as once
perhaps they were, yet they who had experienced how oppressive the
government of Rome was towards its allies, and how great the clemency
of Hannibal, even towards all his prisoners of the Italian name, were
bound to prefer the friendship and alliance of the Carthaginians to
those of the Romans." If both the consuls with their armies were at
Nola, still they would no more be a match for Hannibal than they had
been at Cannae, much less would one praetor with a few raw soldiers be
able to defend it. It was a question which concerned themselves more
than Hannibal whether he should take possession of Nola as captured or
surrendered, for that he would certainly make himself master of it, as
he had done with regard to Capua and Nuceria, and what difference
there was between the fate of Capua and Nuceria, the Nolans
themselves, situated as they were nearly midway between them, were
well aware. He said he was unwilling to presage the evils which would
result to the city if taken by force, but would in preference pledge
himself that if they would deliver up Nola, together with Marcellus
and his garrison, no other person than themselves should dictate the
conditions on which they should come into the friendship and alliance
of Hannibal.
44. To this Herennius Bassus replied, that, "a friendship had
subsisted now for many years between the Romans and the Nolans, which
neither party up to that day regretted; and even had they been
disposed to change their friends upon a change of fortune, it was now
too late to change; had they intended to surrender themselves to
Hannibal, they should not have called a Roman garrison to their aid:
that all fortunes both were now and should to the last be shared with
those who had come to their protection." This conference deprived
Hannibal of the hope of gaining Nola by treachery; he therefore
completely invested the city, in order that he might attack the walls
in every part at once. Marcellus, when he perceived that he had come
near to the walls, having drawn up his troops within the gate, sallied
forth with great impetuosity; several were knocked down and slain on
the first charge: afterwards the troops running up to those who were
engaged, and their forces being thus placed on an equality? the battle
began to be fierce; nor would there have been many actions equally
memorable, had not the combatants been separated by a shower of rain
attended with a tremendous storm. On that day, after having engaged in
a slight contest, and with inflamed minds, they retired, the Romans to
the city, the Carthaginians to their camp. Of the Carthaginians,
however, there fell from the shock of the first sally not more than
thirty, of the Romans not one. The rain continued without intermission
through the whole night, until the third hour of the following day,
and therefore, though both parties were eager for the contest, they
nevertheless kept themselves within their works for that day. On the
third day Hannibal sent a portion of his troops into the lands of the
Nolans to plunder. Marcellus perceiving this, immediately led out his
troops and formed for battle, nor did Hannibal decline fighting. The
interval between the city and the camp was about a mile. In that
space, and all the country round Nola consists of level ground, the
armies met. The shout which was raised on both sides, called back to
the battle, which had now commenced, the nearest of those cohorts
which had gone out into the fields to plunder. The Nolans too joined
the Roman line. Marcellus having highly commended them, desired them
to station themselves in reserve, and to carry the wounded out of the
field but not take part in the battle, unless they should receive a
signal from him.
45. It was a doubtful battle; the generals exerting themselves to the
utmost in exhorting, and the soldiers in fighting Marcellus urged his
troops to press vigorously on men who had been vanquished but three
days before, who had been put to flight at Cumae only a few days ago,
and who had been driven from Nola the preceding year by himself, as
general, though with different troops. He said, "that all the forces
of the enemy were not in the field; that they were rambling about the
country in plundering parties, and that even those who were engaged,
were enfeebled with Campanian luxury, and worn out with drunkenness,
lust, and every kind of debauchery, which they had been indulging in
through the whole winter. That the energy and vigour had left them,
that the strength of mind and body had vanished, by which the Pyrenees
and the tops of the Alps had been passed. That those now engaged were
the remains of those men, with scarcely strength to support their arms
and limbs. That Capua had been a Cannae to Hannibal; that there his
courage in battle, his military discipline, the fame he had already
acquired, and his hopes of future glory, were extinguished." While
Marcellus was raising the spirits of his troops by thus inveighing
against the enemy, Hannibal assailed them with still heavier
reproaches. He said, "he recognised the arms and standards which he
had seen and employed at Trebia and Trasimenus, and lastly at Cannae;
but that he had indeed led one sort of troops into winter quarters at
Capua, and brought another out. Do you, whom two consular armies could
never withstand, with difficulty maintain your ground against a Roman
lieutenant-general, and a single legion with a body of auxiliaries?
Does Marcellus now a second time with impunity assail us with a band
of raw recruits and Nolan auxiliaries? Where is that soldier of mine,
who took off the head of Caius Flaminius, the consul, after dragging
him from his horse? Where is the man who slew Lucius Paulus at Cannae?
Is it that the steel hath lost its edge? or that your right hands are
benumbed? or what other miracle is it? You who, when few, have been
accustomed to conquer numbers, now scarce maintain your ground, the
many against the few. Brave in speech only, you were wont to boast
that you would take Rome by storm if you could find a general to lead
you. Lo! here is a task of less difficulty. I would have you try your
strength and courage here. Take Nola, a town situated on a plain,
protected neither by river nor sea; after that, when you have enriched
yourselves with the plunder and spoils of that wealthy town, I will
either lead or follow you whithersoever you have a mind."
46. Neither praises nor reproaches had any effect in confirming their
courage. Driven from their ground in every quarter, while the Romans
derived fresh spirits, not only from the exhortations of their
general, but from the Nolans, who, by their acclamations in token of
their good wishes, fed the flame of battle, the Carthaginians turned
their backs, and were driven to their camp, which the Roman soldiers
were eager to attack; but Marcellus led them back to Nola, amidst the
great joy and congratulations even from the commons, who hitherto had
been more favourable to the Carthaginians. Of the enemy more than five
thousand were slain on that day, six hundred made prisoners, with
nineteen military standards and two elephants. Four elephants were
killed in the battle. Of the Romans less than a thousand were killed.
The next day was employed by both parties in burying their dead, under
a tacit truce. Marcellus burnt the spoils of the enemy, in fulfilment
of a vow to Vulcan. On the third day after, on account of some pique,
I suppose, or in the hope of more advantageous service, one thousand
two hundred and seventy-two horsemen, Numidians and Spaniards,
deserted to Marcellus. The Romans had frequently availed themselves of
their brave and faithful service in that war. After the conclusion of
the war, portions of land were given to the Spaniards in Spain, to the
Numidians in Africa, in consideration of their valour. Having sent
Hanno back from Nola to the Bruttians with the troops with which he
had come, Hannibal went himself into winter quarters in Apulia, and
took up a position in the neighbourhood of Arpi. Quintus Fabius, as
soon as he heard that Hannibal was set out into Apulia, conveyed corn,
collected from Nola and Naples, into the camp above Suessula; and
having strengthened the fortifications and left a garrison sufficient
for the protection of the place during the winter, moved his camp
nearer to Capua, and laid waste the Campanian lands with fire and
sword; so that at length the Campanians, though not very confident in
their strength, were obliged to go out of their gates and fortify a
camp in the open space before the city. They had six thousand armed
men, the infantry, unfit for action. In their cavalry they had more
strength. They therefore harassed the enemy by attacking them with
these. Among the many distinguished persons who served in the
Campanian cavalry was one Cerrinus Jubellius, surnamed Taurea. Though
of that extraction, he was a Roman citizen, and by far the bravest
horseman of all the Campanians, insomuch that when he served under the
Roman banners, there was but one man, Claudius Asellus, a Roman, who
rivalled him in his reputation as a horseman. Taurea having for a long
time diligently sought for this man, riding up to the squadrons of the
enemy, at length having obtained silence, inquired where Claudius
Asellus was, and asked why, since he had been accustomed to dispute
about their merit in words, he would not decide the matter with the
sword, and if vanquished give him _spolia opima_, or if
victorious take them.
47. Asellus, who was in the camp, having been informed of this, waited
only to ask the consul leave to depart from the ordinary course and
fight an enemy who had challenged him. By his permission, he
immediately put on his arms, and riding out beyond the advanced guards
called on Taurea by name, and bid him come to the encounter when he
pleased. By this time the Romans had gone out in large bodies to
witness the contest, and the Campanians had crowded not only the
rampart of the camp, but the walls of the city to get a view of it.
After a flourish of expressions of mutual defiance, they spurred on
their horses with their spears pointed. Then evading each other's
attacks, for they had free space to move in, they protracted the
battle without a wound. Upon this the Campanian observed to the Roman,
"This will be only a trial of skill between our horses and not between
horsemen, unless we ride them down from the plain into this hollow
way. There, as there will be no room for retiring, we shall come to
close quarters." Almost quicker than the word, Claudius leaped into
the hollow way. Taurea, bold in words more than in reality, said,
"Never be the ass in the ditch;" an expression which from this
circumstance became a common proverb among rustics. Claudius having
rode up and down the way to a considerable distance, and again come up
into the plain without meeting his antagonist, after reflecting in
reproachful terms on the cowardice of the enemy, returned in triumph
to the camp, amidst great rejoicing and congratulation. To the account
of this equestrian contest, some histories add a circumstance which is
certainly astonishing, how true it is, is an open matter of opinion
that Claudius, when in pursuit of Taurea, who fled back to the city,
rode in at one of the gates of the enemy which stood open and made his
escape unhurt through another, the enemy being thunderstruck at the
strangeness of the circumstance.
48. The camps were then undisturbed, the consul even moved his camp
back, that the Campanians might complete their sowing, nor did he do
any injury to the lands till the blades in the corn-fields were grown
sufficiently high to be useful for forage. This he conveyed into the
Claudian camp above Suessula, and there erected winter quarters. He
ordered Marcus Claudius, the proconsul, to retain at Nola a sufficient
force for the protection of the place, and send the rest to Rome, that
they might not be a burthen to their allies nor an expense to the
republic. Tiberius Gracchus also, having led his legions from Cumae to
Luceria in Apulia, sent Marcus Valerius, the praetor, thence to
Brundusium with the troops which he had commanded at Luceria, with
orders to protect the coast of the Sallentine territory, and make
provisions with regard to Philip and the Macedonian war. At the close
of the summer, the events of which I have described, letters arrived
from Publius and Cneius Scipio, stating the magnitude and success of
their operations in Spain, but that the army was in want of money,
clothing, and corn, and that then crews were in want of every thing.
With regard to the pay, they said, that if the treasury was low, they
would adopt some plan by which they might procure it from the
Spaniards, but that the other supplies must certainly be sent from
Rome, for otherwise neither the army could be kept together nor the
province preserved. When the letters were read, all to a man admitted
that the statement was correct, and the request reasonable, but it
occurred to their minds, what great forces they were maintaining by
land and sea, and how large a fleet must soon be equipped if a war
with Macedon should break out, that Sicily and Sardinia, which before
the war had wielded a revenue, were scarcely able to maintain the
troops which protected those provinces, that the expenses were
supplied by a tax, that both the number of the persons who contributed
this tax was diminished by the great havoc made in their armies at the
Trasimenus and Cannae, and the few who survived, if they were
oppressed with multiplied impositions, would perish by a calamity of a
different kind. That, therefore, if the republic could not subsist by
credit, it could not stand by its own resources. It was resolved,
therefore, that Fulvius, the praetor, should present himself to the
public assembly of the people, point out the necessities of the state,
and exhort those persons who had increased their patrimonies by
farming the public revenues, to furnish temporary loans for the
service of that state, from which they had derived their wealth, and
contract to supply what was necessary for the army in Spain, on the
condition of being paid the first when there was money in the
treasury. These things the praetor laid before the assembly, and fixed
a day on which he would let on contract the furnishing the army in
Spain with clothes and corn, and with such other things as were
necessary for the crews.
49. When the day arrived, three companies, of nineteen persons, came
forward to enter into the contract; but they made two requests: one
was, that they should be exempt from military service while employed
in that revenue business; the second was, that the state should bear
all losses of the goods they shipped, which might arise either from
the attacks of the enemy or from storms. Having obtained both their
requests, they entered into the contract, and the affairs of the state
were conducted by private funds. This character and love of country
uniformly pervaded all ranks. As all the engagements were entered into
with magnanimity, so were they fulfilled with the strictest fidelity;
and the supplies were furnished in the same manner as formerly, from
an abundant treasury. At the time when these supplies arrived, the
town of Illiturgi was being besieged by Hasdrubal, Mago, and Hamilcar
the son of Bomilcar, on account of its having gone over to the Romans.
Between these three camps of the enemy, the Scipios effected an
entrance into the town of their allies, after a violent contest and
great slaughter of their opponents, and introduced some corn, of which
there was a scarcity; and after exhorting the townsmen to defend their
walls with the same spirit which they had seen displayed by the Roman
army fighting in their behalf, led on their troops to attack the
largest of the camps, in which Hasdrubal had the command. To this camp
the two other generals of the Carthaginians with their armies came,
seeing that the great business was to be done there. They therefore
sallied from the camp and fought. Of the enemy engaged there were
sixty thousand; of the Romans about sixteen; the victory, however, was
so decisive, that the Romans slew more than their own number of the
enemy, and captured more than three thousand, with nearly a thousand
horses and fifty-nine military standards, five elephants having been
slain in the battle. They made themselves masters of the three camps
on that day. The siege of Illiturgi having been raised, the
Carthaginian armies were led away to the siege of Intibili; the forces
having been recruited out of that province, which was, above all
others, fond of war, provided there was any plunder or pay to be
obtained, and at that time had an abundance of young men. A second
regular engagement took place, attended with the same fortune to both
parties; in which above three thousand of the enemy were slain, more
than two thousand captured, together with forty-two standards and nine
elephants. Then, indeed, almost all the people of Spain came over to
the Romans, and the achievements in Spain during that summer were much
more important than those in Italy.