History of Rome, Vol III by Titus Livius

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THE

HISTORY OF ROME.

TITUS LIVIUS.

BOOKS TWENTY-SEVEN TO THIRTY-SIX.

LITERALLY TRANSLATED, WITH NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS,

BY

CYRUS EDMONDS.

MDCCCL.

THE HISTORY OF ROME.

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
Baetula, 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,
praetor, against Philip and the Achaeans. 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_.

1. Such was the state of affairs in Spain. In Italy, the consul
Marcellus, after regaining Salapia, which was betrayed into his hands,
took Maronea and Meles from the Samnites by force. As many as three
thousand of the soldiers of Hannibal, which were left as a garrison,
were here surprised and overpowered. The booty, and there was a
considerable quantity of it, was given up to the troops. Also, two
hundred and forty thousand pecks of wheat, with a hundred and ten
thousand pecks of barley, were found here. The joy, however, thus
occasioned, was by no means so great as a disaster sustained a few
days afterwards, not far from the town Herdonea. Cneius Fulvius, the
consul, was lying encamped there, in the hope of regaining Herdonea,
which had revolted from the Romans after the defeat at Cannae, his
position being neither sufficiently secure from the nature of the
place, nor strengthened by guards. The natural negligence of the
general was now increased by the hope that their attachment to the
Carthaginians was shaken when they had heard that Hannibal, after the
loss of Salapia, had retired from that neighbourhood into Bruttium.
Intelligence of all these circumstances being conveyed to Hannibal by
secret messengers from Herdonea, at once excited an anxious desire to
retain possession of a city in alliance with him, and inspired a hope
of attacking the enemy when unprepared. With a lightly equipped force
he hastened to Herdonea by forced marches, so as almost to anticipate
the report of his approach and in order to strike greater terror into
the enemy, came up with his troops in battle-array. The Roman, equal
to him in courage, but inferior in strength, hastily drawing out his
troops, engaged him. The fifth legion and the left wing of the allied
infantry commenced the battle with spirit. But Hannibal ordered his
cavalry, on a signal given, to ride round as soon as the foot forces
had their eyes and thoughts occupied with the contest before them, and
one half of them to attack the camp of the enemy, the other half to
fall upon their rear, while busily engaged in fighting. He himself,
sarcastically alluding to the similarity of the name Fulvius, as he
had defeated Cneius Fulvius, the praetor, two years ago, in the same
country, expressed his confidence that the issue of the battle would
be similar. Nor was this expectation vain; for after many of the
Romans had fallen in the close contest, and in the engagement with the
infantry, notwithstanding which they still preserved their ranks and
stood their ground; the alarm occasioned by the cavalry on their rear,
and the enemy shout, which was heard at the same time from their camp,
first put to flight the sixth legion, which being posted in the second
line, was first thrown into confusion by the Numidians; and then
the fifth legion, and those who were posted in the van. Some fled
precipitately, others were slain in the middle space, where also
Cneius Fulvius himself, with eleven military tribunes, fell. Who can
state with certainty how many thousands of the Romans and their allies
were slain in this battle, when I find in some accounts that
thirteen, in others that not more than seven, thousand were slain?
The conquerors got possession of the camp and the spoil. Finding that
Herdonea would have revolted to the Romans, and was not likely to
continue faithful to him if he departed thence, he removed all its
inhabitants to Metapontum and Thurium, and burnt it. He put to death
the chief men who were found to have held secret conferences with
Fulvius. Such of the Romans as escaped this dreadful carnage, fled
half-armed, by different roads, into Samnium, to the consul Marcellus.

2. Marcellus, who was not much discouraged at this so great a
disaster, sent a letter to the senate at Rome, with an account of the
loss of the general and army at Herdonea; observing, however, "that he
who, after the battle of Cannae, had humbled Hannibal when elated with
victory, was now marching against him, and that he would cause that
his present joy and exultation should not continue long." At Rome,
indeed, the grief occasioned by what had occurred, and the fears
entertained for the future, were excessive. The consul passing out of
Samnium into Lucania, pitched his camp at Numistro, on a plain
within view of Hannibal, who occupied a hill. He added also another
demonstration of his confidence; for he was the first to lead out his
troops to battle, nor did Hannibal decline fighting when he saw the
standards carried out from the gates. However, they drew up their
forces so that the right wing of the Carthaginians was extended up the
hill, while the left wing of the Romans was contiguous to the town.
For a long time neither side had any advantage; but the battle having
continued from the third hour till night, and the first lines, which
consisted, on the part of the Romans, of the first legion and the
right wing of the allied infantry, on the part of Hannibal, of the
Spanish soldiers, the Balearic slingers, and the elephants, which
were driven into the field after the commencement of the battle, being
fatigued with fighting, the first legion was relieved by the third,
and the right wing of allied infantry by the left; while on the part
of the enemy fresh troops took up the battle in place of those who
were tired. A new and desperate conflict suddenly arose, instead of
that which was so feebly maintained, their minds and bodies being
unimpaired by fatigue; but night separated the combatants while the
victory was undecided. The following day the Romans stood drawn up
for battle from sun-rise till late in the day; but none of the enemy
coming out against them, they gathered the spoils at their leisure,
and collecting the bodies of their own troops into a heap, burnt them.
The following night Hannibal decamped in silence, and moved on into
Apulia. As soon as daylight discovered the flight of the enemy,
Marcellus, leaving his wounded under the protection of a small
garrison at Numistro, in command of which he placed Lucius Furius
Purpureo, a military tribune, commenced a close pursuit of Hannibal,
and overtook him at Venusia. Here, during several days, parties of
troops sallying from the outposts, battles took place between foot and
horses promiscuously, rather irregular than important, but which for
the most part were favourable to the Romans. The armies were marched
thence through Apulia without any engagement worth recording; for
Hannibal marched by night, seeking an opportunity for ambuscade,
but Marcellus never followed him except in broad daylight, and after
having explored the country.

3. In the mean time, while Flaccus was detained at Capua in selling
the property of the nobles, and letting out the land which had been
forfeited, all of which he let for a rent to be paid in corn, lest
occasions for exercising severity toward the Campanians should be
wanting, a new piece of inquiry which had been ripening in secret, was
brought out in evidence. He had compelled his soldiers, withdrawn from
the houses, to build for themselves huts after the military manner,
near the gates and walls; at once, that the houses of the city might
be let and occupied together with the land, also through fear, lest
the excessive luxury of the city should enervate his troops as it had
those of Hannibal. Now many of these were formed of hurdles or boards,
others of reeds interwoven, all being covered with straw, as if
combustable materials had been employed on purpose. A hundred and
seventy Campanians, headed by the Blosii who were fathers, had formed
a conspiracy to set fire to all these at a late hour of the night; but
information of the conspiracy having been given by one of the slaves
of the Blosii, the gates were suddenly closed by the command of the
proconsul, and all the soldiers had been assembled under arms, on a
signal given all who were implicated in the guilt were seized, and,
after rigorous examination, were condemned and executed, informers
were rewarded with liberty and ten thousand _asses_ each. The people
of Nuceria and Acerra, who complained that they had no where to dwell,
Acerra being partly burnt, and Nuceria demolished, Fulvius sent to
Rome to the senate. Permission was given to the people of Acerra to
rebuild what had been destroyed by fire. The people of Nuceria were
removed to Atella, as they preferred; the people of Atella being
ordered to migrate to Calatia. Among the many and important events,
sometimes prosperous, sometimes adverse, which occupied men's
thoughts, not even the citadel of Tarentum was forgotten. Marcus
Ogulnius and Publius Aquillius went into Etruria as commissioners to
buy up corn to be conveyed to Tarentum; and one thousand men out of
the city troops, an equal number of Romans and allies, were sent to
the same place, together with the corn, for its protection.

4. The summer was now on the close, and the time for the election of
consuls drew nigh; but a letter from Marcellus, in which he stated,
that it would not be for the interest of the state that he should
depart a single step from Hannibal, whom he was severely pressing
while retreating before him and evading an engagement, had excited
anxiety, lest they must either recall the consul from the war at that
time when he was most actively employed, or consuls should not be
appointed for the year. The best course appeared to be to recall in
preference the consul Valerius from Sicily, although he was out of
Italy. A letter was sent to him by Lucius Manlius, the city praetor,
by order of the senate, together with the letter of Marcus Marcellus,
the consul, that he might learn from it what reason the senate had for
recalling him from his province rather than his colleague. Much about
this time ambassadors came to Rome from king Syphax with accounts of
the successful battles which he had fought with the Carthaginians.
They assured the senate that there was no people to whom the king
was more hostile than the Carthaginians, and none to whom he was
more friendly than the Romans. They said, that "he had before sent
ambassadors into Spain, to Cneius and Publius Cornelius, the Roman
generals, but that he was now desirous to solicit the friendship of
the Romans, as it were, from the fountain-head itself." The senate not
only returned a gracious answer to the ambassadors, but also sent
as ambassadors to the king, with presents, Lucius Genucius, Publius
Paetelius, and Publius Popillius. The presents they carried were a
purple gown and vest, an ivory chair, and a bowl formed out of five
pounds of gold. They received orders to proceed forthwith to other
petty princes of Africa carrying with them as presents for them gowns
bordered with purple, and golden bowls weighing three pounds each.
Marcus Atilius and Manius Acilius were also sent as ambassadors to
Alexandria, to king Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra, to revive and renew
the treaty of friendship with them, carrying with them as presents
a gown and purple tunic, with an ivory chair for the king, and an
embroidered gown and a purple vest for the queen. During the summer in
which these transactions took place, many prodigies were reported from
the country and cities in the neighbourhood; at Tusculum it was said
that a lamb was yeaned with its dug full of milk; that the roof of the
temple of Jupiter was struck with lightning and almost stripped of
its entire covering. Much about the same time it was reported that
the ground in front of the gate at Anagnia was struck, and that it
continued burning for a day and a night without any thing to feed
the fire; that at Compitum in the territory of Anagnia, the birds had
deserted the nests in the trees in the grove of Diana; that snakes
of amazing size had leaped up, like fishes sporting, in the sea at
Taracina not far from the port; at Tarquinii, that a pig was produced
with a human face; that in the territory of Capena at the grove of
Feronia, four statues had sweated blood profusely for a day and a
night. These prodigies were expiated with victims of the greater kind,
according to a decree of the pontiffs, and a supplication was fixed
to be performed for one day at Rome at all the shrines, and another in
the territory of Capena at the grove of Feronia.

5. Marcus Valerius, the consul, having been summoned by letter, gave
the command of the province and his army to Cincius the praetor, sent
Marcus Valerius Messala, commander of the fleet, with half of the
ships to Africa, at the same time to plunder the country and observe
what the Carthaginians were doing, and what preparations they were
making, and then set out himself with ten ships for Rome; where,
having arrived in safety, he immediately convened the senate. Here
he made a recital of his services. That "after hostilities had been
carried on, and severe losses often sustained, both by sea and land,
through a period of almost sixty years, he had completely terminated
the business of the province. That there was not one Carthaginian in
Sicily, nor one Sicilian absent of those who through fear had been
compelled to go into exile and live abroad; that all of them were
brought back to their cities and fields, and were employed in
ploughing and sowing; that the land which was deserted was now again
inhabited, not only yielding its fruits to its cultivators, but
forming a most certain resource for the supply of provisions to the
Roman people in peace and war." After this, Mutines and such others as
had rendered any services to the Roman people were introduced into
the senate, and all received honorary rewards in fulfilment of
the consul's engagement. Mutines was also made a Roman citizen,
a proposition to that effect having been made to the commons by a
plebeian tribune, on the authority of the senate. While these things
were going on at Rome, Marcus Valerius Messala, arriving on the coast
of Africa before daylight, made a sudden descent on the territory
of Utica; and after ravaging it to a great extent, and taking many
prisoners, together with booty of every kind, he returned to his ships
and sailed over to Sicily. He returned to Lilybaeum on the thirteenth
day from the time he left it. From the prisoners, on examination, the
following facts were discovered, and all communicated in writing to
the consul Laevinus in order, so that he might know in what state the
affairs of Africa were. That "five thousand Numidians, with Masinissa,
the son of Gala, a youth of extraordinary spirit, were at Carthage,
and that other troops were hiring throughout all Africa, to be passed
over into Spain to Hasdrubal; in order that he might, as soon as
possible, pass over into Italy, with as large a force as could be
collected, and form a junction with Hannibal." That the Carthaginians
considered their success dependent on this measure. That a very large
fleet was also in preparation for the recovery of Sicily, which they
believed would sail thither in a short time. The recital of these
facts had such an effect upon the senate, that they resolved that the
consul ought not to wait for the election, but that a dictator should
be appointed to hold it, and that the consul should immediately return
to his province. A difference of opinion delayed this, for the consul
declared that he should nominate as dictator Marcus Valerius Messala,
who then commanded the fleet in Sicily; but the fathers denied that a
person could be appointed dictator who was not in the Roman territory,
and this was limited by Italy. Marcus Lucretius, a plebeian tribune,
having taken the sense of the senate upon the question, it was
decreed, "that the consul before he quitted the city, should put
the question to the people, as to whom they wished to be appointed
dictator, and that he should nominate whomsoever they directed. If the
consul were unwilling that the praetor should put the question, and
if even he were unwilling to do it, that then the tribunes should make
the proposition to the commons." The consul refusing to submit to the
people what lay in his own power, and forbidding the praetor to do so,
the plebeian tribunes put the question, and the commons ordered that
Quintus Fulvius, who was then at Capua, should be nominated dictator.
But on the night preceding the day on which the assembly of the people
was to be held for that purpose, the consul went off privately into
Sicily; and the fathers, thus deserted, decreed that a letter should
be sent to Marcus Claudius, in order that he might come to the support
of the state, which had been abandoned by his colleague, and appoint
him dictator whom the commons had ordered. Thus Quintus Fulvius was
appointed dictator by Marcus Claudius, the consul, and in conformity
with the same order of the people, Publius Licinius Crassus, chief
pontiff, was appointed master of the horse by Quintus Fulvius, the
dictator.

6. After the dictator had arrived at Rome, he sent Cneius Sempronius
Blaesus, who had acted under him as lieutenant general at Capua, into
the province of Etruria, to take the command of the army there, in the
room of the praetor, Caius Calpurnius, whom he had summoned by letter
to take the command of Capua and his own army. He fixed the first date
he could for the election: which, however, could not be brought to
a conclusion, in consequence of a dispute which arose between the
tribunes and the dictator. The junior century of the Galerian tribe,
to whose lot it fell to give the votes first, had named Quintus
Fulvius and Quintus Fabius as consuls; and the other centuries,
on being called upon to vote according to their course, would have
inclined the same way, had not the plebeian tribunes, Caius and Lucius
Arennius interposed. They said, "that it was hardly constitutional
that a chief magistrate should be continued in office but that it was
a precedent still more shocking, that the very person who held the
election should be appointed. Then therefore, if the dictator
should allow his own name to appear they would interpose against the
election; but if the names of any other persons besides himself were
put up, they should not impede it." The dictator defended the election
by the authority of the fathers, the order of the commons, and
precedents. For, "in the consulate of Cneius Servilius, when the other
consul, Caius Flaminius, had fallen at Trasimenus, it was proposed
to the people on the authority of the fathers, and the people had
ordered, that as long as the war continued in Italy, it should be
lawful for the people to elect to the consulship whomsoever they
pleased, out of those persons who had been consuls, and as often as
they pleased. That he had a precedent of ancient date, which was to
the point, in the case of Lucius Posthumius Megellus, who, while he
was interrex, had been created consul with Caius Junius Bubulcus, at
an election over which he himself presided; and a precedent of recent
date, in Quintus Fabius, who certainly would never have allowed
himself to be re-elected, had it not been for the good of the state."
After the contest had been continued for a long time, by arguments
of this kind, at length the tribunes and the dictator came to an
agreement, that they should abide by what the senate should decide.
The fathers were of opinion, that such was then the condition of the
state, that it was necessary that its affairs should be conducted by
old and experienced generals, who were skilled in the art of war;
and, therefore, that no delay should take place in the election. The
tribunes then withdrew their opposition, and the election was held.
Quintus Fabius Maximus was declared consul for the fifth time,
and Quintus Fulvius Flaccus for the fourth. The praetors were then
created; Lucius Veturius Philo, Titus Quintus Crispinus, Caius
Hostilius Tubulus, and Caius Aurunculeius. The magistrates for the
year being appointed, Quintus Fulvius resigned the dictatorship. At
the end of this summer, a Carthaginian fleet of forty ships, under the
command of Hamilcar, passed over to Sardinia. At first it laid waste
the territory of Olbia, and then Publius Manlius Vulso, with his army,
making his appearance, it sailed round thence to the other side of the
island, and devastating the territory of Caralis, returned to Africa
with booty of every kind. Several Roman priests died this year, and
others were substituted. Caius Servilius was appointed pontiff, in the
place of Titus Otacilius Crassus. Tiberius Sempronius Longus, son
of Tiberius, was appointed as augur, in the place of Titus Otacilius
Crassus; and Tiberius Sempronius Longus, son of Tiberius, was
appointed decemvir for the performance of sacred rites, in the room of
Tiberius Sempronius Longus, son of Caius. Marcus Marcius, king of the
sacred rites, and Marcus Aemilius Papus, chief curio, died; but no
priests were appointed to succeed them this year. The censors this
year were Lucius Veturius Philo, and Publius Licinius Crassus chief
pontiff. Licinius Crassus had neither been consul nor praetor before
he was appointed censor, he stepped from the aedileship to the
censorship. These censors neither chose the senate, nor transacted any
public business, the death of Lucius Veturius prevented it; on this
Licinius also gave up his office. The curule aediles, Lucius Veturius
and Publius Licinius Varus, repeated the Roman games during one day.
The plebeian aediles, Quintus Catius and Lucius Porcius Licinius,
furnished brazen statues for the temple of Ceres, out of the money
arising from fines, and exhibited games with great pomp and splendour,
considering the circumstances of the times.

7. At the close of this year, Caius Laelius, the lieutenant general
of Scipio, came to Rome on the thirty-fourth day after he set out from
Tarraco, and entering the city accompanied by a train of captives,
drew together a great concourse of people. The next day, on being
brought into the senate, he stated that Carthage, the capital of
Spain, had been captured in one day, that several cities which had
revolted were regained, and that fresh ones had been received into
alliance. From the prisoners, information was gained, corresponding
for the most part with what was contained in the letter of Marcus
Valerius Messala. What produced the greatest effect upon the fathers,
was the march of Hasdrubal into Italy, which was with difficulty
resisting Hannibal and his forces. Laelius also, who was brought
before the general assembly, gave a particular statement of the same
things. The senate decreed a supplication for one day, on account of
the successes of Publius Scipio, and ordered Caius Laelius to return
as soon as possible to Spain, with the ships he had brought with him.
I have laid the taking of Carthage in this year, on the authority of
many writers, although aware that some have stated that it was taken
the following year, because it appeared to me hardly probable that
Scipio should have spent an entire year in Spain in doing nothing.
Quintus Fabius Maximus for the fifth time, and Quintus Fulvius Flaccus
for the fourth having entered on their offices of consuls on the ides
of March, on the same day, Italy was decreed as the province of both,
their command, however, was distributed to separate districts. Fabius
was appointed to carry on the war at Tarentum; Fulvius in Lucania and
Bruttium. Marcus Claudius was continued in command for the year. The
praetors then cast lots for their provinces. Caius Hostilius Tubulus
obtained the city jurisdiction; Lucius Veturius Philo the foreign,
with Gaul; Titus Quinctius Crispinus, Capua; Caius Aurunculeius,
Sardinia. The troops were thus distributed through the provinces:
Fulvius received the two legions which Marcus Valerius Laevinus had in
Sicily; Quintus Fabius, those which Caius Calpurnius had commanded
in Etruria. The city troops were to succeed those in Etruria; Caius
Calpurnius commanding the same province and the army. Titus Quinctius
was to take the command of Capua, and the army which had served under
Quintus Fulvius there. Lucius Veturius was to succeed Caius Laetorius,
propraetor, in his province and the command of the army, which was
then at Ariminum. Marcus Marcellus had the legions with which he had
been successful when consul. To Marcus Valerius together with Lucius
Cincius, for these also were continued in command in Sicily, the
troops which had fought at Cannae were given, with orders to recruit
them out of the surviving soldiers of the legions of Cneius Fulvius.
These were collected and sent by the consuls into Sicily, and the same
ignominious condition of service was added, under which the troops
which had fought at Cannae served, and to those troops belonging to
the army of Cneius Fulvius, the praetor, which had been sent thither
by the senate through displeasure occasioned by a similar flight.
Caius Aurunculeius was appointed to command, in Sardinia, the same
legions with which Publius Manlius Vulso had occupied that province.
Publius Sulpicius was continued in command for the year, with orders
to hold Macedonia with the same legion and fleet. Orders were given
to send thirty quinqueremes from Sicily to Tarentum, to the consul
Fabius. With the rest of the ships, orders were given that Marcus
Valerius Laevinus should either pass over himself into Africa to
ravage the country, or send either Lucius Cincius or Marcus Valerius
Messala. With regard to Spain, no alteration was made, except that
Scipio and Silanus were continued in command, not for the year, but
until they should be recalled by the senate. In such manner were the
provinces and the commands of the armies distributed for this year.