History of Rome, Vol III by Titus Livius

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15. The spies who were sent to watch his movements brought word back
the next day that Hannibal was making for Bruttium. Much about
the same time the Hirpinians, Lucanians, and Volcentes surrendered
themselves to the consul, Quintus Fulvius, delivering up the garrisons
of Hannibal which they had in their cities. They were mildly received
by the consul, with only a verbal reproof for their past error. To
the Bruttians also similar hopes of pardon were held out, when two
brothers, Vibius and Pactius, by far the most illustrious persons of
that nation, came from them to solicit the same terms of surrender
which had been given to the Lucanians. Quintus Fabius, the consul,
took by storm Manduria, a town in the territory of Sallentum, where
as many as four thousand men were made prisoners, and much booty taken
besides. Proceeding thence to Tarentum, he pitched his camp in the
very mouth of the harbour: of the ships which Livius had employed for
protecting convoys, some he loaded with engines and implements for
attacking walls, others he furnished with machines for discharging
missiles, and with stones and missiles of every kind; not only those
which were impelled with oars, but the storeships also, in order that
some might carry the engines and ladders to the walls, while others
might wound the defenders of the walls by discharging missiles from
the ships at a distance. These ships were fitted up and prepared
to attack the town from the open sea; and the sea was free from the
Carthaginian fleet, which had crossed over to Corcyra on account of
Philip's preparing to attack the Aetolians. Meanwhile, those who were
attacking Caulon, in the territory of Bruttium, fearful lest they
should be overpowered, had retired on the approach of Hannibal to an
eminence, secure from an immediate attack. While Fabius was besieging
Tarentum, he received assistance in the accomplishment of that great
object by a circumstance which in the mere mention, is unimportant.
Tarentum was occupied by a garrison of Bruttians, given them by
Hannibal and the commander of that garrison was desperately in love
with a girl, whose brother was in the army of the consul Fabius. Being
informed, by a letter from his sister, of the new acquaintance she
had formed with a wealthy stranger and one so honoured among his
countrymen, and conceiving a hope that the lover, by means of his
sister, might be induced to any thing she pleased, he acquainted
the consul with the hope he had formed. His reasoning appeared not
altogether unfounded, and he was desired to go to Tarentum as a
deserter and having gained the confidence of the praefect by means of
his sister, he began by sounding his disposition in a covert manner,
and then, having sufficiently ascertained his weakness, induced him,
by the aid of female fascinations, to the betrayal of that custody of
the place to which he was appointed. After the method to be pursued
and the time for putting the plan into effect had been agreed upon, a
soldier, who was sent out of the city by night clandestinely, through
the intervals between the guards, related to the consul what had been
done, and what had been agreed upon to be done. At the first watch,
Fabius, on a signal given to those who were in the citadel, and those
who had the custody of the harbour went himself round the harbour, and
took up a position of concealment, on the side of the city which faced
the east. Then the trumpets began to sound at once from the citadel,
the harbour, and the ships which had been brought to the shore from
the open sea, and a shout was purposely raised, accompanied with the
greatest confusion, in whatever quarter there was the least danger.
Meanwhile, the consul kept the men in silence. Democrates, therefore,
who had formerly commanded the fleet, and happened to be in command in
the quarter, seeing that all was quiet around him, while other parts
of the city resounded with such a din that sometimes shout like that
of a captured city was raised, and fearing loss while he hesitated,
the consul should make some attack and advance his standards, led
his party over to the citadel, from which the most alarming noise
proceeded. Fabius, concluding that the guard was withdrawn, both from
the time which had elapsed and from the silence which prevailed, for
not a voice met the ear from a quarter where a little while ago the
noise and bustle of men resounded, rousing and calling each other to
arms, ordered the ladders to be carried to that part of the wall where
the person who had contrived the plot for betraying the city, had
informed him that the Bruttian cohort kept guard. The wall was first
captured in that quarter, the Bruttians aiding and receiving the
Romans; and here they got over into the city: after which the nearest
gate was broken open in order that the troops might enter in a large
body. Then raising a shout, they proceeded to the forum, where they
arrived much about daybreak, without meeting a single armed man; and
drew upon themselves the attention of all the troops in every quarter,
which were fighting at the citadel and at the harbour.

16. A battle was fought in the entrance of the forum, with greater
impetuosity than perseverance. The Tarentines were not equal to the
Romans in spirit, in their arms, in tactics, in activity or strength
of body. Accordingly, having just discharged their javelins, they
turned their backs almost before they had joined battle, and escaped
in different directions through the streets of the city, with which
they were acquainted, to their own houses and those of their friends.
Two of their leaders, Nico and Democrates, fell while fighting
bravely. Philomenus, who was the author of the plot for betraying the
city to Hannibal, rode away from the battle at full speed. Shortly
after, his horse, which was loose and straying through the city,
was recognised, but his body could not be found any where. It was
generally believed that he had pitched headlong from his horse into an
open well. Carthalo, the praefect of the Carthaginian garrison, while
coming to the consul unarmed, to put him in mind of a connexion of
hospitality which subsisted between their fathers, was put to death
by a soldier who met him. The rest were put to the sword on all hands,
armed and unarmed indiscriminately, Carthaginians and Tarentines
without distinction. Many of the Bruttians also were slain either by
mistake or on account of an old grudge entertained against them, or
else with a view to the report that the city was betrayed; in order
that Tarentum might rather appear to have been captured by force of
arms. The troops then ran off in all directions from the slaughter,
to plunder the city. Thirty thousand slaves are said to have
been captured; an immense quantity of silver, wrought and coined;
eighty-three thousand pounds of gold; of statues and pictures so many
that they almost equalled the decorations of Syracuse. But Fabius,
with more magnanimity than Marcellus, abstained from booty of that
kind. When his secretary asked him what he wished to be done with the
statues of their gods, which are of immense size and represented as
fighting, each having his peculiar habit, he gave orders that their
angry gods should be left in the possession of the Tarentines. After
this, the wall which separated the city from the citadel was razed and
demolished. While things were going on thus at Tarentum, Hannibal,
to whom the troops engaged in the siege of Caulonia had surrendered
themselves, hearing of the siege of Tarentum, marched with the
greatest expedition both night and day; but hearing that the city was
taken, as he was hastening to bring assistance to it, he exclaimed,
"the Romans too have their Hannibal. We have lost Tarentum by the same
arts by which we took it." However, that he might not appear to have
turned his army in the manner of a fugitive, he encamped where he
had halted, about five miles from the city. After staying there a
few days, he retired to Metapontum, from which place he sent two
Metapontines with letters from the principal men in the state to
Fabius at Tarentum, to the effect, that they would accept of his
promise that their past conduct should be unpunished, on condition
of their betraying Metapontum together with the Carthaginian garrison
into his hands. Fabius, who supposed that the communication they
brought was genuine, appointed a day on which he would go to
Metapontum, and gave the letters to the nobles, which were put into
the hands of Hannibal. He, forsooth, delighted at the success of his
stratagem, which showed that not even Fabius was proof against his
cunning, planted an ambuscade not far from Metapontum. But when Fabius
was taking the auspices, before he took his departure from Tarentum,
the birds more than once refused approval. Also, on consulting the
gods after sacrificing a victim, the aruspex forewarned him to be on
his guard against hostile treachery and ambuscade. After the day fixed
for his arrival had passed without his coming, the Metapontines were
sent again to encourage him, delaying, but they were instantly seized,
and, from apprehension of a severer mode of examination, disclosed the
plot.

17. In the beginning of the summer during which these events occurred,
after Publius Scipio had employed the whole of the winter in Spain in
regaining the affections of the barbarians, partly by presents, and
partly by sending home their hostages and prisoners, Edesco, a man
distinguished among the Spanish commanders, came to him. His wife and
children were in the hands of the Romans; but besides this motive,
he was influenced by that apparently fortuitous turn in the state of
feeling which had converted the whole of Spain from the Carthaginian
to the Roman cause. The same motive induced Indibilis and Mandonius,
who were undoubtedly the principal men in all Spain, to desert
Hasdrubal and withdraw with the whole body of their countrymen to the
eminences which overhung his camp, from which they had a safe retreat
along a chain of hills to the Romans. Hasdrubal, perceiving that the
strength of the enemy was increasing by such large accessions, while
his own was diminishing, and that events would continue to flow in the
same course they had taken, unless by a bold effort he effected some
alteration, resolved to come to an engagement as soon as possible.
Scipio was still more eager for a battle, as well from hope which
the success attending his operations had increased, as because he
preferred, before the junction of the enemy's forces, to fight with
one general and one army, rather than with their united troops.
However, in case he should be obliged to fight with more armies than
one at the same time, he had with some ingenuity augmented his forces;
for seeing that there was no necessity for ships, as the whole coast
of Spain was clear of Carthaginian fleets, he hauled his ships on
shore at Tarraco and added his mariners to his land forces. He
had plenty of arms for them, both those which had been captured at
Carthage, and those which he had caused to be made after its capture,
so large a number of workmen having been employed. With these forces,
setting out from Tarraco at the commencement of the spring, for
Laelius had now returned from Rome, without whom he wished nothing
of very great importance to be attempted, Scipio marched against the
enemy. Indibilis and Mandonius, with their forces, met him while on
his march; passing through every place Without molestation, his
allies receiving him courteously, and escorting him as he passed the
boundaries of each district. Indibilis, who spoke for both, addressed
him by no means stupidly and imprudently like a barbarian, but with a
modest gravity, rather excusing the change as necessary, than glorying
that the present opportunity had been eagerly seized as the first
which had occurred. "For he well knew," he said, "that the name of
a deserter was an object of execration to former allies, and of
suspicion to new ones; nor did he blame the conduct of mankind in
this respect, provided, however, that the cause, and not the name,
occasioned the twofold hatred." He then recounted the services they
had rendered the Carthaginian generals, and on the other hand their
rapacity and insolence, together with the injuries of every kind
committed against themselves and their countrymen. "On this account,"
he said, "his person only up to that time had been with them, his
heart had long since been on that side where he believed that
right and justice were respected. That people sought for refuge,
as suppliants, even with the gods when they could not endure the
oppression and injustice of men. What he had to entreat of Scipio
was, that their passing over to him might neither be the occasion of
a charge of fraud nor a ground for respect, but that he would estimate
their services according to what sort of men he should find them to be
from experience from that day." The Roman replied, that "he would do
so in every particular; nor would he consider those men as deserters
who did not look upon an alliance as binding where no law, divine or
human, was unviolated." Their wives and children were then brought
before them and restored to them; on which occasion they wept for joy.
On that day they were conducted to a lodging; on the following they
were received as allies, by a treaty, after which they were sent to
bring up their forces. From that time they had their tents in the same
camp with the Romans, until under their guidance they had reached the
enemy.

18. The army of Hasdrubal, which was the nearest of the Carthaginian
armies, lay near the city Baecula. Before his camp he had outposts
of cavalry. On these the light-armed, those who fought before the
standards and those who composed the vanguard, as they came up
from their march, and before they chose the ground for their camp,
commenced an attack in so contemptuous a manner, that it was perfectly
evident what degree of spirit each party possessed. The cavalry were
driven into their camp in disorderly flight, and the Roman standards
were advanced almost within their very gates. Their minds on that day
having only been excited to a contest, the Romans pitched their camp.
At night Hasdrubal withdrew his forces to an eminence, on the summit
of which extended a level plain. There was a river on the rear, in
front and on either side a kind of steep bank completely surrounded
its extremity. Beneath this and lower down was another plain of
gentle declivity, which was also surrounded by a similar ridge equally
difficult of ascent. Into this lower plain Hasdrubal, the next day,
when he saw the troops of the enemy drawn up before their camp, sent
his Numidian cavalry and light-armed Baleares. Scipio riding out to
the companies and battalions, pointed out to them, that "the enemy
having abandoned, beforehand, all hope of being able to withstand
them on level ground, had resorted to hills: where they stood in view,
relying on the strength of their position, and not on their valour and
arms." But the walls of Carthage, which the Roman soldiers had scaled,
were still higher. That neither hills, nor a citadel, nor even the sea
itself, had formed an impediment to their arms. That the heights
which the enemy had occupied would only have the effect of making it
necessary for them to leap down crags and precipices in their flight,
but he would even cut off that kind of retreat. He accordingly gave
orders to two cohorts, that one of them should occupy the entrance of
the valley down which the river ran, and that the other should block
up the road which led from the city into the country, over the side
of the hill. He himself led the light troops, which the day before
had driven in the advanced guard of the enemy, against the light-armed
troops which were stationed on the lower ridge. At first they marched
through rugged ground, impeded by nothing except the road; afterwards,
when they came within reach of the darts, an immense quantity of
weapons of every description was showered upon them; while on their
part, not only the soldiers, but a multitude of servants mingled with
the troops, threw stones furnished by the place, which were spread
about in every part, and for the most part convenient as missiles. But
though the ascent was difficult, and they were almost overwhelmed with
stones and darts, yet from their practice in approaching walls and
their inflexibility of mind, the foremost succeeded in getting up.
These, as soon as they got upon some level ground and could stand with
firm footing, compelled the enemy, who were light-armed troops adapted
for skirmishing, and could defend themselves at a distance, where an
elusive kind of fight is carried on by the discharge of missiles, but
yet wanted steadiness for a close action, to fly from their position;
and, killing a great many, drove them to the troops which stood above
them on the higher eminence. Upon this Seipio, having ordered the
victorious troops to mount up and attack the centre of the enemy,
divided the rest of his forces with Laelius; whom he directed to go
round the hill to the right till he could find a way of easier ascent,
while he himself, making a small circuit to the left, charged the
enemy in flank. In consequence of this their line was first thrown
into confusion, while they endeavoured to wheel round and face about
their ranks towards the shouts which resounded from every quarter
around them. During this confusion Laelius also came up, and while the
enemy were retreating, that they might not be exposed to wounds from
behind, their front line became disjoined, and a space was left
for the Roman centre to mount up; who, from the disadvantage of the
ground, never could have done so had their ranks stood unbroken with
the elephants stationed in front. While the troops of the enemy were
being slain on all sides, Scipio, who with his left wing had charged
the right of the enemy, was chiefly employed in attacking their naked
flank. And now there was not even room to fly; for parties of the
Roman troops had blocked up the roads on both sides, right and left,
and the gate of the camp was closed by the flight of the general and
principal officers; added to which was the fright of the elephants,
who, when in consternation, were as much feared by them as the enemy
were. There were, therefore, slain as many as eight thousand men.

19. Hasdrubal, having seized upon the treasure before he engaged, now
sent the elephants in advance, and collecting as many of the flying
troops as he could, directed his course along the river Tagus to
the Pyrenees. Scipio, having got possession of the enemy's camp, and
giving up all the booty to the soldiers, except the persons of free
condition, found, on counting the prisoners, ten thousand foot and two
thousand horse. Of these, all who were Spaniards he sent home without
ransom; the Africans he ordered the quaestor to sell. After this, a
multitude of Spaniards, consisting of those who had surrendered to
him before and those whom he had captured the preceding day, crowding
around, one and all saluted him as king; when Scipio, after the
herald had obtained silence, declared that "in his estimation the most
honourable title was that of general, which his soldiers had conferred
upon him. That the name of king, which was in other countries revered,
could not be endured at Rome. That they might tacitly consider his
spirit as kingly, if they thought that the highest excellence which
could be attributed to the human mind, but that they must abstain from
the use of the term." Even barbarians were sensible of the greatness
of mind which could from such an elevation despise a name, at the
greatness of which the rest of mankind were overawed. Presents
were then distributed to the petty princes and leading men of
the Spaniards, and out of the great quantity of horses which were
captured, he desired Indibilis to select those he liked best to the
number of three hundred. While the quaestor was selling the Africans,
according to the command of the general, he found among them a
full-grown youth remarkably handsome; and hearing that he was of royal
blood, he sent him to Scipio. On being asked by Scipio "who he was,
of what country, and why at that age he was in the camp?" he replied,
"that he was a Numidian, that his countrymen called him Massiva; that
being left an orphan by his father, he was educated by his maternal
grandfather, Gala, the king of the Numidians. That he had passed over
into Spain with his uncle Masinissa, who had lately come with a body
of cavalry to assist the Carthaginians. That having been prohibited by
Masinissa on account of his youth, he had never before been in battle.
That the day on which the battle took place with the Romans, he had
clandestinely taken a horse and arms, and, without the knowledge of
his uncle, gone out into the field, where his horse falling forward,
he was thrown headlong, and taken prisoner by the Romans." Scipio,
having ordered that the Numidian should be taken care of, completed
the business which remained to be done on the tribunal, and returning
to his pavilion, asked him, when he had been called to him, whether he
wished to return to Masinissa? Upon his replying, with tears of joy,
that he did indeed desire it, he presented the youth with a gold ring,
a vest with a broad purple border, a Spanish cloak with a gold clasp,
and a horse completely caparisoned, and then dismissed him, ordering a
party of horse to escort him as far as he chose.

20. A council was then held respecting the war; when some advised that
he should endeavour to overtake Hasdrubal forthwith. But thinking that
hazardous, lest Mago and the other Hasdrubal should unite their forces
with his, he sent a body of troops to occupy the pass of the Pyrenees,
and employed the remainder of the summer in receiving the states of
Spain into his alliance. A few days after the battle of Baecula, when
Scipio on his return to Tarraco had now cleared the pass of Castulo,
the generals, Hasdrubal, son of Gisgo, and Mago came from the farther
Spain and joined Hasdrubal; a late assistance after the defeat he had
sustained, though their arrival was somewhat seasonable, for counsel
with respect to the further prosecution of the war. They then
consulted together as to what was the feeling of the Spaniards in the
quarters where their several provinces were situated, when Hasdrubal,
son of Gisgo, alone gave it as his opinion, that the remotest tract of
Spain which borders on the ocean and Gades, was, as yet, unacquainted
with the Romans, and might therefore be somewhat friendly to the
Carthaginians. Between the other Hasdrubal and Mago it was agreed,
that "Scipio by his good offices had gained the affections of all,
both publicly and privately; and that there would be no end of
desertions till all the Spanish soldiers were removed to the remotest
parts of Spain, or were marched over into Gaul. That, therefore,
though the Carthaginian senate had not decreed it, Hasdrubal must,
nevertheless, march into Italy, the principal seat and object of the
war; and thus at the same time lead away all the Spanish soldiers out
of Spain far from the name of Scipio. That the army, which had been
diminished by desertions and defeats, should be recruited by Spanish
soldiers. That Mago, having delivered over his army to Hasdrubal, son
of Gisgo, should himself pass over to the Baleares with a large sum of
money to hire auxiliaries; that Hasdrubal, son of Gisgo, should
retire with the army into the remotest part of Lusitania, and avoid an
encounter with the Romans. That a body of three thousand horse should
be made up for Masinissa, the flower of the whole cavalry; and that
he, shifting about from place to place throughout hither Spain should
succour their allies and commit depredations on the towns and lands
of their enemies." Having adopted these resolutions, the generals
departed to put in execution what they had resolved on. Such were the
transactions in Spain of this year. At Rome the reputation of Scipio
increased daily. The capture of Tarentum, though effected by artifice
more than valour, was considered honourable to Fabius. The fame of
Fulvius was on the wane. Marcellus was even under an ill report, not
only because he had failed in his first battle, but further, because
while Hannibal was going wherever he pleased throughout Italy, he had
led his troops to Venusia in the midst of summer to lodge in houses.
Caius Publicius Bibulus, a tribune of the people, was hostile to him.
This man, ever since the time of his first battle which had failed,
had in constant harangues made Claudius obnoxious and odious to the
people; and now his object was to deprive him of his command. The
connexions of Marcellus, however, then obtained leave that Marcellus,
leaving a lieutenant-general at Venusia, should return to Rome to
clear himself of the charges which his enemies were urging, and that
the question of depriving him of his command should not be agitated
during his absence. It happened that nearly at the same time,
Marcellus, and Quintius Fulvius the consul, came to Rome, the former
to exonerate himself from ignominy, the latter on account of the
elections.