The History of Rome; Books Nine to Twenty Six - Titus Livius
Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48
36. It happened that the caution he had observed with intent to guard
him against the Carthaginians, proved useful against the Sicilians.
Having caught them in disorder and dispersed, employed in forming
their camp, and for the most part unarmed, he cut off all their
infantry. Their cavalry, having commenced a slight engagement, fled to
Acrae with Hippocrates. This battle having checked the Sicilians in
their purpose of revolting from the Romans, Marcellus returned to
Syracuse, and a few days after Himilco, being joined by Hippocrates,
encamped on the river Anapus, about eight miles distant from that
place. Nearly about the same time, fifty-five ships of war of the
Carthaginians, with Bomilcar as commander of the fleet, put into the
great harbour of Syracuse from the sea, and a Roman fleet of thirty
quinqueremes landed the first legion at Panormus; and so intent were
both the contending powers upon Sicily, that the seat of war might
seem to have been removed from Italy. Himilco, who thought that the
Roman legion which had been landed at Panormus, would doubtless fall a
prey to him on its way to Syracuse, was mistaken in his road; for the
Carthaginian marched through the inland parts of the country, while
the legion, keeping along the coast, and attended by the fleet, came
up with Appius Claudius, who had advanced to Pachynum with a part of
his forces to meet it. Nor did the Carthaginians delay longer at
Syracuse. Bomilcar, who at the same time that he did not feel
sufficient confidence in his naval strength, as the Romans had a fleet
more than double his number, was aware that delay which could be
attended with no good effect, would only increase the scarcity of
provisions among the allies by the presence of his troops, sailed out
into the deep, and crossed over into Africa. Himilco, who had in vain
followed Marcellus to Syracuse, to see if he could get any opportunity
of engaging him before he was joined by larger forces, failing in this
object, and seeing that the enemy were secured at Syracuse, both by
their fortifications and the strength of their forces, to avoid
wasting time in sitting by as an idle spectator of the siege of his
allies, without being able to do any good, marched his troops away, in
order to bring them up wherever the prospect of revolt from the Romans
might invite him, and wherever by his presence he might inspire
additional courage in those who espoused his interest. He first got
possession of Murgantia, the Roman garrison having been betrayed by
the inhabitants themselves. Here a great quantity of corn and
provisions of every kind had been laid up by the Romans.
37. To this revolt the minds of other states also were stimulated; and
the Roman garrisons were now either driven out of the citadels, or
treacherously given up and overpowered. Enna, which stood on an
eminence lofty and of difficult ascent on all sides, was impregnable
on account of its situation, and had besides in its citadel a strong
garrison commanded by one who was very unlikely to be overreached by
treachery, Lucius Pinarius, a man of vigorous mind, who relied more on
the measures he took to prevent treachery, than on the fidelity of the
Sicilians; and at that time particularly the intelligence he had
received of so many cities being betrayed, and revolting, and of the
massacre of the garrisons, had made him solicitous to use every
precaution. Accordingly, by day and night equally, every thing was
kept in readiness, and every place furnished with guards and watches,
the soldiery being continually under arms and at their posts. But when
the principal men in Enna, who had already entered into a covenant
with Himilco to betray the garrison, found that they could get no
opportunity of circumventing the Roman, they resolved to act openly.
They urged, that "the city and the citadel ought to be under their
control, as they had formed an alliance with the Romans on the
understanding that they were to be free, and had not been delivered
into their custody as slaves. That they therefore thought it just that
the keys of the gates should be restored to them. That their honour
formed the strongest tie upon good allies, and that the people and
senate of Rome would entertain feelings of gratitude towards them if
they continued in friendship with them of their own free will, and not
by compulsion." The Roman replied, that "he was placed there by his
general to protect the place; that from him he had received the keys
of the gates and the custody of the citadel, trusts which he held not
subject to his own will, nor that of the inhabitants of Enna, but to
his who committed them to him. That among the Romans, for a man to
quit his post was a capital offence, and that parents had sanctioned
that law by the death even of their own children. That the consul
Marcellus was not far off; that they might send ambassadors to him,
who possessed the right and liberty of deciding." But they said, they
would certainly not send to him, and solemnly declared, that as they
could not obtain their object by argument, they would seek some means
of asserting their liberty. Pinarius upon this observed, "that if they
thought it too much to send to the consul, still they would, at least,
grant him an assembly of the people, that it might be ascertained
whether these denunciations came from a few, or from the whole state."
An assembly of the people was proclaimed for the next day, with the
general consent.
38. After this conference, he returned into the citadel, and
assembling his soldiers, thus addressed them: "Soldiers, I suppose you
have heard in what manner the Roman garrisons have been betrayed and
cut off by the Sicilians of late. You have escaped the same treachery,
first by the kindness of the gods, and secondly by your own good
conduct, in unremittingly standing and watching under arms. I wish the
rest of our time may be passed without suffering or committing
dreadful things. This caution, which we have hitherto employed, has
been directed against covert treachery, but not succeeding in this as
they wished, they now publicly and openly demand back the keys of the
gates; but as soon as we shall have delivered them up, Enna will be
instantly in the hands of the Carthaginians, and we shall be butchered
under circumstances more horrid than those with which the garrison of
Murgantia were massacred. I have with difficulty procured a delay of
one night for deliberation, that I might employ it in acquainting you
with the danger which threatens you. At daybreak they intend holding a
general assembly for the purpose of criminating me, and stirring up
the people against you; to-morrow, therefore, Enna will be inundated
either with your blood, or that of its own inhabitants. If they are
beforehand with you, you will have no hope left, but if you anticipate
their proceedings, you will have no danger. Victory will belong to
that side which shall have drawn the sword first. You shall all,
therefore, full armed, attentively wait the signal. I shall be in the
assembly, and by talking and disputing will spin out the time till
every thing shall be ready. When I shall have given the signal with my
gown, then, mind me raising a shout on all sides rush upon the
multitude, and fell all before you with the sword, taking care that no
one survive from whom either force or fraud can be apprehended. You,
mother Ceres and Proserpine, I entreat, and all ye other gods,
celestial and infernal, who frequent this city and these consecrated
lakes and groves, that you would lend us your friendly and propitious
aid, as we adopt this measure not for the purpose of inflicting, but
averting injury. I should exhort you at greater length my soldiers, if
you were about to fight with armed men, men unarmed and off their
guard, you will slay to satiety. The consul's camp too is near, so
that nothing can be apprehended from Himilco and the Carthaginians'."
39. Being allowed to retire immediately after this exhortation, they
employed themselves in taking refreshment. The next day they stationed
themselves some in one place and others in another, to block up the
streets, and shut up the ways by which the townsmen might escape, the
greater part of them stationing themselves upon and round the theatre,
as they had been accustomed before also to be spectators of the
assemblies. When the Roman praefect, having been brought into the
presence of the people by the magistrates, said, that the power and
authority of deciding the question appertained to the consul, and not
to him, repeating for the most part what he had urged the day before,
first of all a small number, and then more, desired him to give up the
keys, but afterwards all with one consent demanded it, and when he
hesitated and delayed, threatened him furiously, and seemed as though
they would not further delay violent extremities then the praefect
gave the signal agreed upon with his gown and the soldiers, who had
been long anxiously waiting the signal, and in readiness, raising a
shout, ran down, some of them from the higher ground, upon the rear of
the assembly while others blocked up the passages leading out of the
crowded theatre. The people of Enna thus shut up in the pit were put
to the sword, being heaped one upon another not only in consequence of
the slaughter, but also from their own efforts to escape, for some
scrambling over the heads of others, and those that were unhurt
falling upon the wounded, and the living upon the dead, they were
accumulated together. Thence they ran in every direction throughout
the city, when nothing was any where to be seen but flight and
bloodshed, as though the city had been captured, for the rage of the
soldiery was not less excited in putting to the sword an unarmed
rabble, than it would have been had the heat of battle and an equality
of danger stimulated it. Thus possession of Enna was retained, by an
act which was either atrocious or unavoidable. Marcellus did not
disapprove of the deed, and gave up the plunder of the place to the
soldiery, concluding that the Sicilians, deterred by this example,
would refrain from betraying their garrisons. As this city was
situated in the heart of Sicily, and was distinguished both on account
of the remarkable strength of its natural situation, and because every
part of it was rendered sacred by the traces it contained of the rape
of Proserpine of old, the news of its disaster spread though the whole
of Sicily in nearly one day, and as people considered that by this
horrid massacre violence had been done not only to the habitations of
men, but even of the gods, then indeed those who even before this
event were in doubt which side they should take, revolted to the
Carthaginians Hippocrates and Himilco, who had in vain brought up
their troops to Enna at the invitation of the traitors, retired
thence, the former to Murgantia, the latter to Agrigentum. Marcellus
retrograded into the territory of Leontium, and after collecting a
quantity of corn and other provisions in his camp there, left a small
body of troops to protect it, and then went to carry on the siege of
Syracuse. Appius Claudius having been allowed to go from thence to
Rome to put up for the consulship, he appointed Titus Quintus
Crispinus to command the fleet and the old camp in his room. He
himself fortified his camp, and built huts for his troops at a
distance of five miles from Hexapylum, at a place called Leon. These
were the transactions in Sicily up to the beginning of the winter.
40. The same summer the war with king Philip, as had been before
suspected, broke out. Ambassadors from Oricum came to Marcus Valerius,
the praetor, who was directing his fleet around Brundusium and the
neighbouring coasts of Calabria, with intelligence, that Philip had
first made an attempt upon Apollonia, having approached it by sailing
up the river with a hundred and twenty barks with two banks of oars;
after that, not succeeding so speedily as he had hoped, that he had
brought up his army secretly to Oricum by night; which city, as it was
situated on a plain, and was not secured either by fortifications or
by men and arms, was overpowered at the first assault. At the same
time that they delivered this intelligence, they entreated him to
bring them succour, and repel that decided enemy of the Romans by land
or by a naval force, since they were attacked for no other cause than
that they lay over against Italy. Marcus Valerius, leaving Publius
Valerius lieutenant-general charged with the protection of that
quarter, set sail with his fleet equipped and prepared, having put on
board of ships of burthen such soldiers as there was not room for in
the men of war, and reached Oricum on the second day; and as that city
was occupied by a slight garrison, which Philip had left on his
departure thence, he retook it without much opposition. Here
ambassadors came to him from Apollonia, stating that they were
subjected to a siege because they were unwilling to revolt from the
Romans, and that they would not be able any longer to resist the power
of the Macedonians, unless a Roman force were sent for their
protection. Having undertaken to perform what they wished, he sent two
thousand chosen armed men in ships of war to the mouth of the river,
under the command of Quintus Naevius Crista, praefect of the allies, a
man of enterprise, and experienced in military affairs. Having landed
his troops, and sent back the ships to join the rest of the fleet at
Oricum, whence he had come, he marched his troops at a distance from
the river, by a way not guarded at all by the king's party, and
entered the city by night, so that none of the enemy perceived him.
During the following day they remained quiet, to afford time for the
praefect to inspect the youth of Apollonia, together with the arms and
resources of the city. Having derived considerable confidence from a
review and inspection of these, and at the same time discovering from
scouts the supineness and negligence which prevailed among the enemy,
he marched out of the city during the dead of night without any noise,
and entered the camp of the enemy, which was in such a neglected and
exposed state, that it was quite clear that a thousand men had passed
the rampart before any one perceived them, and that had they abstained
from putting them to the sword, they might have penetrated to the
royal pavilion. The killing of those who were nearest the gate aroused
the enemy; and in consequence, they were all seized with such alarm
and dismay, that not only none of the rest attempted to take arms or
endeavour to expel the enemy from the camp, but even the king himself,
betaking himself to flight, in a manner half naked and just as he was
when roused from his sleep, hurried away to the river and his ships in
a garb scarcely decent for a private soldier, much less for a king.
Thither also the rest of the multitude fled with the utmost
precipitation. Little less than three thousand men were slain or made
prisoners in the camp; considerably more, however, were captured than
slain. The camp having been plundered, the Apollonians removed into
their city the catapults, ballistas, and other engines which had been
got together for the purpose of assaulting their city, for the
protection of their walls, in case at any time a similar conjuncture
should arise; all the rest of the plunder which the camp afforded was
given up to the Romans. Intelligence of these events having been
carried to Oricum, Marcus Valerius immediately brought his fleet to
the mouth of the river, that the king might not attempt to make his
escape by ship. Thus Philip, having lost all hope of being able to
cope with his enemies by land or sea, and having either hauled on
shore or burnt his ships, made for Macedonia by land, his troops being
for the most part unarmed and despoiled of their baggage. The Roman
fleet, with Marcus Valerius, wintered at Oricum.
41. The same year the war was prosecuted in Spain with various
success; for before the Romans crossed the Iberus, Mago and Hasdrubal
had routed an immense army of Spaniards; and the farther Spain would
have revolted from the Romans, had not Publius Cornelius, hastily
crossing the Iberus with his army, given a seasonable stimulus to the
wavering resolutions of his allies by his arrival among them. The
Romans first encamped at a place called the High Camp, which is
remarkable for the death of the great Hamilcar. It was a fortress
strongly defended by works, and thither they had previously conveyed
corn; but as the whole circumjacent country was full of enemy's
troops, and the Roman army on its march had been charged by the
cavalry of the enemy without being able to take revenge upon them, two
thousand men, who either loitered behind or had strayed through the
fields, having been slain, the Romans quitted this place to get nearer
to a friendly country, and fortified a camp at the mount of Victory.
To this place came Cneius Scipio with all his forces, and Hasdrubal,
son of Gisgo, and a third Carthaginian general, with a complete army,
all of whom took up a position opposite the Roman camp and on the
other side the river. Publius Scipio, going out with some light troops
to take a view of the surrounding country, was observed by the enemy;
and he would have been overpowered in the open plain, had he not
seized an eminence near him. Here too he was closely invested, but was
rescued from the troops which environed him by the arrival of his
brother. Castulo, a city of Spain, so strong and celebrated, and so
closely connected with the Carthaginians, that Hannibal had taken a
wife from it, revolted to the Romans. The Carthaginians commenced the
siege of Illiturgi, because there was a Roman garrison in it; and it
seemed that they would carry the place, chiefly in consequence of a
lack of provisions. Cneius Scipio, setting out with a legion lightly
equipped, in order to bring succour to his allies and the garrison,
entered the city, passing between the two camps of the enemy, and
slaying a great number of them. The next day also he sallied out and
fought with equal success. Above twelve thousand were slain in the two
battles, more than a thousand made prisoners, and thirty-six military
standards captured. In consequence of this they retired from
Illiturgi. After this the siege of Bigerra, a city which was also in
alliance with the Romans, was commenced by the Carthaginians; but
Scipio coming up, raised the siege without experiencing any
opposition.
42. The Carthaginians then removed their camp to Munda, whither the
Romans speedily followed them. Here a pitched battle was fought, which
lasted almost four hours; and while the Romans were carrying all
before them in the most glorious manner, the signal for retreat was
sounded, because the thigh of Cneius Scipio had been transfixed with a
javelin. The soldiers round about him were thrown into a state of
great alarm, lest the wound should be mortal. However, there was no
doubt but that if they had not been prevented by the intervention of
this accident, they might have taken the Carthaginian camp that day.
By this time, not only the men, but the elephants, were driven quite
up to the rampart; and even upon the top of it nine and thirty
elephants were pierced with spears. In this battle, too, as many as
twelve thousand are said to have been slain, nearly three thousand
captured, with fifty-seven military standards. The Carthaginians
retired thence to the city Auringis, whither the Romans followed them,
in order to take advantage of their terror. Here Scipio again fought
them, having been carried into the field in a small litter; the
victory was decisive; but not half so many of the enemy were slain as
before, because fewer survived to fight. But this family, which
possessed a natural talent at renewing war and restoring its effects,
in a short time recruited their army, Mago having been sent by his
brother to press soldiers, and assumed courage to try the issue of a
fresh struggle. Though the soldiers were for the most part different,
yet as they fought in a cause which had so often been unsuccessful
within the space of a few days, they carried into the field the same
state of mind as those which had been engaged before, and the issue of
the battle was similar. More than eight thousand were slain, not much
less than a thousand captured, with fifty-eight military standards.
The greater part of the spoils had belonged to the Gauls, consisting
of golden chains and bracelets in great numbers. Also two
distinguished Gallic petty princes, whose names were Moenicaptus and
Civismarus, fell in this battle. Eight elephants were captured and
three slain. When affairs went on so prosperously in Spain, the Romans
began to feel ashamed that Saguntum, on account of which the war had
originated, should continue for now the eighth year in the power of
the enemy. Accordingly, having expelled by force the Carthaginian
garrison, they retook that town, and restored it to such of the
ancient inhabitants as had survived the fury of the war. The
Turditanians also, who had been the cause of the war between that
people and the Carthaginians, they reduced under their power, sold
them as slaves, and razed their city.
43. Such were the achievements in Spain during the consulate of
Quintus Fabius and Marcus Claudius. At Rome, as soon as the new
plebeian tribunes entered upon their office, Lucius Metellus, a
plebeian tribune, immediately appointed a day for impleading the
censors, Publius Furius and Marcus Atilius, before the people. In the
preceding year, when he was quaestor, they had deprived him of his
horse, removed him from his tribe, and disfranchised him, on account
of the conspiracy entered into at Cannae to abandon Italy. But being
aided by the other nine tribunes, they were forbidden to answer while
in office, and were discharged. The death of Publius Furius prevented
their completing the lustrum. Marcus Atilius abdicated his office. An
assembly for the election of consuls was held by Quintus Fabius
Maximus. The consuls elected were Quintus Fabius Maximus, son of the
consul, and Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus a second time, both being
absent. The praetors appointed were Marcus Atilius, and the two curule
aediles, Publius Sempronius Tuditanus and Cneius Fulvius Centumalus,
together with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. It is recorded, that the scenic
games were this year, for the first time, celebrated for four days by
the curule aediles. The aedile Tuditanus was the man who made his way
through the midst of the enemy at Cannae when all the rest were
paralysed with fear, in consequence of that dreadful calamity. As soon
as the elections were completed, the consuls elect having been
summoned to Rome, at the instance of Quintus Fabius, the consul,
entered upon their office, and took the sense of the senate respecting
the war, their own provinces as well as those of the praetors, and
also respecting the armies to be employed, and which each of them was
to command.
44. The provinces and armies were thus distributed: the prosecution of
the war with Hannibal was given to the consuls, and of the armies, one
which Sempronius himself had commanded, and another which the consul
Fabius had commanded, each consisting of two legions. Marcus Aemilius,
the praetor, who had the foreign jurisdiction, was to have Luceria as
his province, with the two legions which Quintus Fabius, then consul,
had commanded as praetor, his colleague, Marcus Atilius, the city
praetor, undertaking the duties of his office. The province of
Ariminum fell to the lot of Publius Sempronius, that of Suessula to
Cneius Fulvius, with two legions each likewise; Fulvius taking with
him the city legions; Tuditanus receiving his from Manius Pomponius.
The following generals were continued in command, and their provinces
assigned to them thus: to Marcus Claudius, so much of Sicily as lay
within the limits of the kingdom of Hiero; to Lentulus, the
propraetor, the old province in that island; to Titus Otacilius, the
fleet; no additional troops were assigned to them. Marcus Valerius had
Greece and Macedonia, with the legion and the fleet which he had
there; Quintus Mucius had Sardinia, with his old army, consisting of
two legions; Caius Terentius, Picenum, with one legion which he then
commanded. Besides, orders were given to enlist two legions for the
city, and twenty thousand men from the allies. With these leaders and
these forces did they fortify the Roman empire against the many wars
which had either actually broken out, or were suspected at one and the
same time. After enlisting the city legions and raising troops to make
up the numbers of the others, the consuls, before they quitted the
city, expiated the prodigies which were reported. A wall and a gate
had been struck by lightning; and at Aricia even the temple of Jupiter
had been struck by lightning. Other illusions of the eyes and ears
were credited as realities. An appearance as of ships had been seen in
the river at Tarracina, when there were none there. A clashing of arms
was heard in the temple of Jupiter Vicilinus, in the territory of
Compsa; and a river at Amiternum had flowed bloody. These prodigies
having been expiated according to a decree of the pontiffs, the
consuls set out, Sempronius for Lucania, Fabius for Apulia. The father
of the latter came into the camp at Suessula, as his
lieutenant-general; and when the son advanced to meet him, the
lictors, out of respect for his dignity, went on in silence. The old
man rode past eleven of the fasces, when the consul ordered the lictor
nearest to him to take care and he called to him to dismount; then at
length dismounting, he exclaimed, "I wished to try, my son, whether
you were duly sensible that you are a consul."