and straites of Spayn made such spede that by the guyding of certayne runawayes of Celtiberia he came within ten myles of his ennemies before any knowledge was hadde or any fame was bruted of his comynge There he stode for a season tyll he had by the sayde runawayes or espyes knowledge that his ennemies were lodged in .ii. campes the Celtiberiens on the left hande of the hye waie and were to the noumbre of .ix. M. souldyours the Carthaginenses were on the ryghte hande Sillanus fyrste assayled the Celtiberiens who by the meanes of Mago were soone put in order The battaile endured soore for a season and somewhat the longer by meanes of resorte of the Carthaginenses whiche came frome the other campe to the healpe of the Celtiberiens At the laste Mago seinge his parte lyke to be putte to the worste with two thousande footemen and the wholle power of horsemenne that were lefte on lyue fledde vnto the Gades and came to Asdruball Hanno the other capytayne was taken on lyue with many other noble prysoners ¶ Soone after the battayle with Hanno Cornelius Scipio departed to Tarracon leauynge in that countrey L. Scipio his brother with tenne thousande fotemen and one thousand horsemen who after his brothers departing with this power assanted the townâ— of Qungin not without peyne For they scarsely were suffered to put theyr scalinge ladders to the walles so great was the violence of the dartes and other ingins whiche were throwen at them And so sone as any were raised vp thervnto and men theron striuinge to ascende anone they were eyther throwen downe men and all by the souldiours of the towne hauinge forkes made for that purpose orels they were in ieoperdy to be drawen vp ladders men and all by reason of iron hokes that were throwen vpon the ladders taking suche sure holde on them that the clymbers were often times pulled vp farre frome the grounde and hanged longe by the roundes of the ladders Thus continued the assault very long and was verye fyers and daungerous on bothe partes Then had Scipio deuided his host in thre partes to the intente one parte shulde euer assaulte the towne while the other rested Wherfore he commaunded those whiche were at the fyrst assaulte to withdrawe to their tentes and rest them and incontinent with other two partes of his freshe souldiours he gaue a newe assaulte on two partes of the towne so that the defondours beinge wery with the longe susteinyng the furst assault and also soore afraide as desperate leauinge the walles withdrewe them wherupon the towne was wonne and great occision made of people of all kyndes and ages ¶ Whan tidinges of this noble acte was brought to P. Scipio the capitiane he gretly praysed his brother doing to hym as moche honour as he myght And after sente hym to Rome to beare newes to the senate of theyr spede with hym also he sent Hanno the capitayn of the Carthaginenses diuers other noble prisoners that were before by them taken ¶ Asdruball the sonne of Gysgon and Mago the son of Amilcar desyrouse to redresse theyr harmes and to recouer theyr losses gathered together of theyr friendes in Spayne and of hyred souldiours an huge army to the numbre of .l. M. fotemen and .iiii. M. v. C. horsemen and came to the towne of Silpia where in the plaine fieldes they pitched theyr campes ¶ P. Scipio heringe of theyr great armye assembled all his men lykewise and to be more able to rencountre with his ennemies he sente Sillanus to Colchas the kynge and ruler ouer xxviii cities and townes of whom he had .iii. M. footemen and .v. C. horsemen He hâ—dde in his army when he came to Betula .xlv. M. of horsemen and fotemen Certaine daies after theyr metynge there were shyrmisshes and iustes betwene the horsemen and the lighte fotemen of bothe the armies At the last they bothe descended into the fieldes with al theyr powers in good order of battayle The middell wardes kept the Romaynes on the one syde and the Carthaginenses and the Affricanes on the other syde the wynges of both the parties were of spaniardes and hyred souldiours Thus stode they redye to do battayle tyll it was night without stroke strikinge and euen so they dyd certayne dayes folowynge So that euer it was bruted in bothe armies that the myddle wardes shulde be still of the Romaynes and Carthaginenses where the greatest strength was and where that most noble and experte men of warre were betwene whom also rested the cause and chiefe grounde of the warre Scipio beinge aduertised that his ennemies trusted and beleued that this order shulde be kept still in the battayle againste the daye wherin he thought to fight he chaunged all his order Fyrst in the euenyng before he commaunded all his horsemen before the dawnynge of the day to eate some meate and then to be armed and euery one of them to haue his horse also made redy for the battayle Whiche his commaundement they diligently accomplished Then Scipio so sone as the day appered caused al his horsemen with lyght armour to inuade the station or campe of the Carthaginenses and he with the rest of his hole hoste folowed in good arraye but otherwyse ordered then eyther his ennemies or his owne company loked for For he put his Romaynes in the wynges and in the middle he put all straungers and hyred souldiours Asdruball heringe the greate noyse of the Romayne horsemen with the sodayne rumour and feare of his owne menne ranne out of his tente And when he perceyued all the fieldes garnyshed with his ennemies he sent forthe anone his horsemen against the Romayn horsemen and sone after he hym selfe with all his fotemen came forth of his campe kepyng the same â—rdre that he had doue certayne dayes before without chaungynge any parte therof The battayle betwene the horsemen endured longe but whan the host of fotemen were within half a myle together Scipio caused his horsemen to withdrawe them selues whom he deuided then in two partes and caused to stande behynde the two wynges to be euer redy for theyr ayde and succour Nowe was his myddle warde most of Spaniardes whom he commaunded to marche forwardes not fast but a softe pace Then sente he a messanger to Sillanus and Martius who gouerned the lefte wynge chargyng them to make speede forwardes on theyr partes in lyke maner as they sawe hym do with the ryght winge whiche he ledde hym selfe so that the wynges might be fyghtyng a good space before the myddle wardes shulde mete In this ordre they wente forwardes spreadynge theyr wynges and makynge a great bosome in the myddell of theyr hoste For the spanyardes in the middel went a moch softer pace then the wynges wherby the winges were al redy come to strokes and fought a long space before that the Affricans and Carthaginenses in whom rested the great strength of theyr ennemies were come to any stroke strikinge Agayne to bende to any part of the winges to helpe theyr
wythholden therefrome by his felowe Paulus lykewyse professed yf any euyll dyd happen to them and to theyr souldyours that he wold be clere and innocent of the trespasse saying on fote the wynge of the Numidian horsemen wherof Hasdruball was capytayne ioyned also with the Romans ryghte wynge of horsemen The battayle was stronge on both partes but the Carthaginenses vsed greate subtyltie for at the first encounter about .v. C. of the Numidian horsmen hauing swerdes secretely hydde vnder theyr harneys besydes those that they dyd vse to occupy tourning theyr targettes behind theyr backes makyng as though they had forsaken their host and fledde from theyr company ranne to theyr ennemies and leapynge besydes their horses caste theyr swerdes and other apparant weapons at the fete of the Romans as yelded persons whervpon they were receyued first into the myddell of the Romane hoste and anone they were brought to the vtter and hyndermost warde and there cōmanded to stande tyll the ende of the batayle And whan the battayle began on all partes they stode styll without fyghtynge but after whan they sawe that euery man was busyed and occupied with fighting than drawyng forth theyr swerdes from vnder theyr harneys they toke the sheldes of them that were slayn in the field and russhed on the backes of the Romaynes and so hewynge on theyr backes and hammes behinde they made a great slaughter And whyles that some parte conceyued feare and fledde and some other maynteyned the batayle with smal hope of victory Hasdruball sente a greatte parte of the Numidians to chace and distroy the Romanes as they fled Paulus the consull althoughe he was deadly wounded before yet many tymes with his company restored and renewed the battayles with the helpe of the Romane horsemen who at length alighted from theyr horses and foughte on foote the Consulle for feblenes and bledynge beinge not able to gouerne his horse Than the Carthaginenses seinge that theyr enemies had rather dye in the fielde than flee incontinent slewe those that they coulde not make to flee some they toke and the other that were ouercome being than sparkeled abrode toke suche horses as they coulde get and beganne to flee C Lentulus a Tribune leadyng an empty horse in his hande as he fled sawe Paulus the consull fyttyng on a stone all couered with blud to whome he sayde Lucius Aemilius whome the goddis shoulde take and esteeme as innocent of this cruell slaughter take this horse whyles any strengthe is lefte within the And I beinge thy frende shall lyfte the vp and kepe the on leste thou make this battayle dolefull and sorowfull throughe the deathe of a consull without whyche veryly there is cause of weping and mournyng inough Whervnto the consull answered C. Cornelius be thou increased in vertue but beware lest whyles thou doest bewaile this chaunce thou haue smalle tyme to escape thy selfe Go thou therfore and bydde the senate that they make strong the walles of Rome and strength it with succours before the conquerour come And secretly shewe vnto Quintus Fabius that Lucius Aemilius Paulus doth fyrmly remembre his preceptes ye and lyueth in them and fynally dyeth in them And I pray the suffer me to passe the lyfe amonge these companye of my deade knyghtes lest by lengar lyuynge I become an accuser of my felowe defendynge myne innocency by the trespas of an other and yet at length dye taken as fauty of this dede ¶ The company of them whych fled trode the Consull vnder foote and after his enemise not knowynge who he was dyd ouerpresse hym There was slayn at that battayle fortye thousande footemen and two thousande and seuen hundred horsemen in whyche company was slayne one of the consulles with foure score Senatours and such as had borne great offyce in the cytie whyche voluntaryly gaue theym selues to that battaile Furthermore .xxi. that had borne office of Tribunes besydes that in that batayle were taken .iii. thousande footemen and .iii. hundred horsemen Of the Romans that escaped by fleinge .vii. thousande came into the smaller campe and .x. M. fledde to the greater campe And whan the bataile was fynyshed those Romaynes that were retourned to the greatter campe sente to the other whyche were in the lesse campe to repayre vnto theym in the nyghte whyle theyr ennemies beinge weary of trauayle and ioyfull of theyr victory were gyuen to take theyr reste but they doubted to take on theym that enterpryse sayinge that it were as meete that they of the greatte campe shoulde come to theym but that for the daunger of passynge the hoste of theyr ennemies they were afearde so to doo Thus the most refused to goo out of the campe not withstandyng such as were hardy and valiant by the great noble exhortatiō of P. Sēpronius Tuditanus a tribune issued out came through their enmies in the night with their sheldes on the ryght syde towarde the host of the Carthaginenses wherby they passed by them receyuing the arowes and dartes that were shotte at them vpon theyr saide shieldes and so came to the great campe to the noumber of iii. M. vi C. and from thens takyng with them mony of the other of that company escaped at theyr pleasure to Cannusium The other consul with .l. horsemen fledde to Venusia ¶ Howe Anniball ordered his busynes after the battayle and howe yonge Scipio vsed hym selfe for the sauynge of the commen wealthe Capit. xxiii THe battayle thus ended diuers of the army came to Anniball and wylled him to rest all that day and the nyght after his greate labour but Maharball was therewith nothinge contented saying You shuld nowe incontinent with your horsemen folowe the Romans to Rome in suche spede that they shall knowe ye be alredy come before they heare of your cōmyng And thus doing the conclusyon wyll be that within fyue dayes ye shall lyke a conquerour dyne in the capytoll of Rome Than sayd Anniball The way is longe and we had nede of counsayle or we vndertake so great an enterpryse At lengthe he allowed the harte and noble courage of Maharball but he sayd he wolde deliberate vppon that enterpryse Than answered Maharball The goddis haue not gyuen all thynges to one man thou canste well ouercome thyne ennemies Anniball but whan the vyctorye is gyuen to the thou canste not vse it And it was thought that the same one days reste and slacknes was the cause of the sauegarde of the city of Rome and also of all the whole empire ¶ Anniball after that he had rested the fyrst nyght sente his people to the fielde to see whether any of theyr ennemyes shulde reuyue agayne and as they sawe or perceiued any like to recouer he was incontinent slayne and he proceded and toke the campes and all theym that were in them Wherein was a great numbre of men for beinge afrayde to folow their company they remayned styll in theyr campes And he was contented that the captines shulde be raunsomed euery one after his degree the
the riuer of Iberus ¶ And whan the purpose of the Carthaginenses and Hasdrubals iourney was knowen and shewed to the Scipions they settyng all other busynes aparte with bothe theyr hostes togyther set forwarde to mete hym and prepared to lette his enterpryse supposynge that yf Hasdruball being a capitayn and that great newe hoste of the Carthaginenses were ioyned to Anniball whom alone Italy was scarsely able to withstande that than the empyre of Rome shoulde soone be at an ende Thus they beinge troubled with care of this busynes brought theyr hooste to Iberus And whan they had passed the ryuer consultynge longe whether they shoulde pytche theyr campe neere to theyr ennemies or elles ouerrunne and subdue some of the Carthaginenses frendes therby to staye and prolonge theyr ennemies purposed iourney At last they determyned to besiege the citie called Ibera of the water whiche was nere it the rychest of the countrey at that tyme. Whiche thyng whan Hasdruball knewe in stede of bryngyng succour to his frendes he wente to besiege a Citie that was lately yelded to the Romans so than the Romans left their liege and turned the battayle wholly to Hasdruball There was betwixt the two hostes for the space of certayn dayes the space of fyue myles duryng whiche tyme they were not without small skyrmyshyng At length as it were pretended of bothe partes at one tyme bothe the hole hostes discended into the playne redy to gyue battaile The Roman host was diuided into thre partes part of the footemen were sette before the standerdes and part behynd the horsemen kept the sydes or wynges On the other part Hasdruball sette in the myddell battayle the Spaniardes and in the right wyng the Carthaginenses and in the left winge the Affricans with the hyred straunge sowldiours And he put the Numidians to the footemen of Carthage the residue of the Affricanes he sette before the wynges nother dyd he sette all the Numydians in the ryght wyng but those whose qualities were suche in lyghtnes and nymblenes that rydyng vpon one horse and leadyng a spare horse in theyr handes whan the one was wery they wold among the thickest of their enemyes leape armed on the other freshe horse theyr agilitie and quycknes was so great and the horses of kind so gentil and wel taught Thus stode they in aray and litel difference there was other in the numbre or kyndes of souldiours of eyther hoste Not withstandyng the souldiours hartes were not like The Romane capitayns although they fought farre from home yet myght they easyly persuade their souldiours that they shuld fyght for theyr cuntrey and for the citie of Rome Wherfore by that doubtfull battaile they purposed other to ouercome or to dye trusting therby to haue short returne home to their cuntrey The other hooste hadde not so sterne valiaunt and hardy men for the more parte of theym were Spanyardes whiche had rather be ouercome in Spayne than wynnynge the victory be conducted into Italy Therfore at the fyrste metynge whan the dartes were scarsly throwen the middell warde fledde and gaue place to the Romanes who came vpon them with great violence not withstanding the battailes were nothynge lesse in the wynges for on the one syde the Carthaginenses and on the other syde the Affricans came on them boldly and fought egerly but whan the Romane hoste had gotten in to the myddell togyther they were stronge ynough to put away the wynges of theyr ennemies Wherefore being in numbre and strength best they shortly put the other to the worse There was a great numbre of men slayne and vnlesse the Spaniardes had fledde away so thicke before the battayle was begunne there hadde scarsely any of theym remayned vnslayne There was no bataile betwene the horse men for as soone as the Mauritaynes and Numidians sawe the myddell warde ouercome and putte to flyghte they dryuynge the elephantes before theym sodaynly departed and fledde leauynge bothe the wynges bare Hasdruball remainyng tyll the last ende of the battaile fledde with a fewe with hym That battayle caused the hartes of the Spanyardes whiche doubted before in the frendshyp of the Romanes to be wholly gyuen to them And it dyd not only take the hope from Hasdrubal of leading his hoste into Italy but also that there was scarse tarieng for hym in Spayne Which thinges after they were certified to the senate at Rome by the Scipions letters they were not so gladde of the victory as that Hasdrubal and his host were prohibited the entre into Italy ¶ The oration of the Samnites and the Hirpines to Anniball desyrynge his helpe against the Romaines with the order of Marcellus and Anniball about Nola. Cap. xxxi VVhyles these thynges were done in Spayn the Romanes ordered theyr busines wysely in Italy Titus Sempronius and Quintus Fabius Maximus were chosen consuls Marcellus than laye at Nola and he made dyuers out runnynges with his armye into the fieldes of the Hirpines and Samnites and so dystroyed all with the swerde and fyre that he renued the memorye of the olde distruction of Samnium and than strayght wayes bothe the nations sente theyr messangers to Anniball at ones who spake to hym after this maner ¶ We were O Anniball ennemies to the Romayns of our selues as longe as our weapons our harneys and strengthe were able to maynteyne vs. Afterwarde whan we had smalle hope and truste in theym we fell into amitie with Pyrrhus of whome we were forsaken beinge not able to defende vs we toke truce and peace necessary for that we were vnable to withstande the Romaynes And we haue endured in the same peace the space of fyfty yeres vnto thy commyng into Italy Sens whyche tyme thy onely gentylnes towarde our cytezens whiche beynge taken thou sendest to vs agayne as well as thy vertue and fortune so hathe wonne vs vnto the that yf thou our frende be safe and in good helth we not only wolde not feare the Romans but also yf it were laufull to be spoken we wold not feare the goddis But verily not only thou being safe and sounde but also present where as thou mayst also beholde our houses burnynge and here the waylyng of our wyues and chyldren we are so spoyled and our goodes wasted and dystroyed that it may be thoughte that Marcus Marcellus hath ouercome at Cannas and not Anniball and also the Romaynes may reioyce that thou onely as it were at one battayle art stronge and valyant and at the next wethered and faynt we kepte warre with the Romaynes the space of one hundred yeres beyng succoured by no man sauyng that Pyrrhus the space of .ii. yeres did increase his strengthe and power with our men rather than defende vs by his power We wylle not reioyse of our prosperitie whan we subdued .ii. Consulles with theyr hostes at one time and brought them into our subiection but omytting all suche prosperous chaunces that we had we myghte shewe those thynges that happed infortunately to vs at that tyme yf there were any with lesse
felowes that foughte they durste not leste they shulde open theyr battayle to theyr ennemies whiche came directly vpon them By this meanes the winges wer anone ouercome and dryuen into the myddell warde and no meruayle For the yong and the hyred souldiours of Spayne were marched with the stronge and olde warriours of the Romaines and the Latines Agayne Asdrubals men were so sodainely taken in the mornynge that they had no tyme to receyue any sustenaunce before the battayle Wherfore whan the daye was somewhat spent they waxed feynte and feble And for that intent Scipio purposely tracted and prolonged the tyme before the myddell wardes shoulde mete to the ende the heate of the sonne towardes the myddell of the daye with the longe standynge in harneis and lacke of meate and drynke shulde take from them bothe theyr strength and corage Thus they beinge wery and assayled bothe before with the middell warde and also on the sydes with the Romayne wynges were constrained to recule Whiche they dyd a great whyle kepynge styll good ordre in theyr withdrawynge for Asdruball continually cried to them and therto exhorted them sayinge If they wolde by lyttell lyttell withdrawe them they shulde sone get the mountaines whiche were at theyr backes and then they shulde be sure out of the daunger of theyr ennemies But at the last seinge them selues ouercome and so many of theyr companye slayne on all partes theyr feare ouercame shame Wherfore with greate slaughter they fledde to theyr campe The Romaynes pursued them faste and had taken theyr campe and tentes had not a vehement storme of rayne sodeynly come vppon them with suche violence that euery man was gladde to gette hym to his owne tent and pauilion ¶ The Carthaginenses althoughe the nighte drewe faste on them being very sore woūded and wet with the rayne wherby they had necessary occasions of slepe rest yet were they so afraide that they ceassed not stylle to strengthen and to fortifie their campe with dyches and stones whiche they gathered in all partes about them trustinge more to the strength thereof then to theyr armour Then many of the hyred souldiours of the hoste of the Carthaginenses lefte Asdruball and came to Scipio Dyuerse stronge townes also were delyuered vp to hym with all the garrisons whiche were left in them Wherfore Asdruball thinkynge hym selfe more sure by fleinge then by his abydinge secretly departed from thense in the nyghte ¶ Scipio in the mornynge being aduertised of the departing of his ennemies sent his horsemenne before and he hym selfe with his army sodeynly folowed them The horsemen at length ouertoke them and made so many skyrmyshes with them that therby they were stayed tyll theyr hole armie of fotemen also ouer toke them Then was there great occuion made of them with small resistence And Asdruball with .vii. M. men with hym was fayne to flee to the next hye mountayne where they encamped them selues and were safe frō any daunger or hurt that coulde be done them Sone after he slypped from thens and stale to the sea whiche was not farre of where he toke shyppynge hym selfe with Mago and a fewe with hym and went to the iles beyonde the furthest parte of Spayne called Gades leauynge the moste parte of his men behynde hym at theyr owne aduenture to prouide for theim selues Parte of them went to the Romaynes parte to such cities as wer then remayninge in the dominion of the Carthaginenses ¶ Scipio after the dryuinge away of Asdruball and his company wyllyng vtterly to expell all the Carthaginenses out of Spayne layde siege to Illiturgus which after longe trauail he wan with force and caused his men to slee al that euer they founde on lyue man woman and childe And after they sette the towne on fyre and threwe downe the walles to the earth that the place whiche hadde ben the chiefe receptacle of theyr ennemies myghte be clerely defaced and the memorye therof abolysshed for euer Frome thense he wente towarde Castulo with his armie The capytayne therof fearynge the crueltie of the Romaynes yelded the towne to them with the Carthaginenses also that were therin Ascapa also a strong towne was won by Martius and brought in subiection with all other townes cities and fortresses that the Carthaginenses before helde Thus were they clerelye expelled oute of Spayne the .xiiii. yere after the warres fyrste beganne and the .v. yere after that Scipio was appoynted by the senate to be capitayne of the army and was assigned to warre in Spayn as his prouince ¶ M. Liuius and C. Nero the consulles entre the citie of Rome in triumphe A prayse of Anniballes gouernynge his armye Capi. lv NOwe let vs retourne to M. Liuius the consull that after the great victory had by hym and his felowe Claudius Nero agaynste the other olde Asdruball in the frontiers of Italy as is before declared He sente Q. Fabius Maximus to Rome to the senatours aduertifynge them that he thought the armye whiche L. Portius the pretor had there was sufficient inoughe for the kepynge of that prouince So that if they thought it beste he and his armye might be well spared there To whom the senatours aunswered that they wylled him to come him selfe to Rome with his army and that Claudius Nero his felowe shuld also mete him the same tyme at Rome leauyng his host with good capitains to kepe the countrey styll against Anniball ¶ Vpon this decree of the senate the consulles wrote letters eyther to other and agreed that lyke as they had with one good wyll and mind gouerned and defended the cuntreye durynge the tyme of their offyce euen soo nowe they shoulde bothe at one tyme come into the citie of Rome althoughe they came frome diuers partes Wherefore it was agreed that who so euer of theim came fyrste to the citie of Preneste shulde there tary the comynge of his felowe Accordyng to the appoyntement there they mette bothe in one baye and frome thense they sent messangers to the citie desyrynge the senatours to mete them in the house of Bellona the goddes of warre the third day folowing There wer they receiued with a great multitude both of senators and of citezins with goodly salutations and great thankes for theyr politike gouernance of their roumes by whose helpe and dexteritie the cōmon welth was nobly preserued and aduaunced Soone after they were brought into the senate there accordinge to the olde custome of conquerours they declared theyr noble actes whiche they had achieued for the common welthe of the citie of Rome and for the same desyred fyrst that honour myghte be giuen to the immortall goddes and then that they mighte with triumphe entre the citie Whiche theyr request was graunted them As touchinge the maner of theyr entringe in triumphe it was appoynted that they shuld not come in seuerally but together as they vainquished theyr ennemies together They agreed also betwene them selues that bicause the victorye was had in the prouince of M. Liuius
langages they were also different in lawes armour and in aparaile To euery one of these he gaue sundry and diuers exhortations either of feare or of comfort To suche as were come to his succours he promysed great rewarde of the pray whiche shulde be wonne by their industry and trauaile To the Liguriens he promised a plentiful reward of the fertile and pleasaunt fieldes in Italy The Moores and Numidians he exhorted to do well for feare leste they shulde els be in greuous seruitude of Massanissa The Frenchemenne wer set on by the naturall hatred which they bare to the Romaynes The Carthaginenses he put in remembrance to fight for the walles of their naturall cuntrey for their propre goodes for the sepulchres of their elders for their children their parentes and trembling wiues There is no meane way sayde he now to be put betwene hope and feare For either must we suffre miserable seruitude after the distruction of our citie and cuntrey orels obteine the empire of all the worlde ¶ By that tyme this noble capitayn had finyshed his wordes the Romaynes blewe vp theyr trumpettes and hornes makynge so terrible a noyse and clamour that a greate numbre of the elephantes beinge furyouse tourned backe vppon theyr companye specially vppon the lefte wynge of the Moores and Numidians Whiche perceyued well Massanissa wherefore he also inuaded the same wing with his horsemen putting theim to suche feare that they fledde leauynge that syde of the hoste bare of succour Dyuers of the elephantes by force wer constrained to entre the myddle battaile to whome anone the lyght armed souldiours gaue place suffryng theim to entre among theim where they were thrust in with speares innelyns so that many were there slain During this while Lelius with his horsmen assailed the right wing of the horsmē of Carthage puttig thē also to slight so that the body of the host was of both sides left without defence of horsmē the winges being chased away thā began the battel of fotemen to be strōg on both partes Great wer the cries that wer there made but the Romans wer of better corage of stronger hope of more strēgth wherfore in a short space they caused their enmies to giue back a certain space of groūd And whā thei had ons gotē some grounde they with theyr shyeldes and targettes came still thrusting on theyr ennemies bearing them backe tyl some sone after the fyrste battayle tourninge theyr backes began to flie and came to the second battayle of the Carthaginenses and Moores who wolde not suffer them to entre leste they shulde cause all theyr arraye to be broken Wherfore betwene them and theyr owne fellowes began great debate and slaughter soo that the Carthaginenses were constrayned to fyghte bothe with theyr owne vnruly felowes and also with the Romaynes theyr ennemies Neuerthelesse they wolde in no wyse receyue theyr felowes that fledde in amonge them leste they shulde mengle that fearefull sorte whiche in the flyghte were hurte and wounded amonge them that were earnestly bent to fight Whiche myght haue turned moche more to theyr dyspleasure But dryuing them away by heapes compelled them to go to gether some into the one side of theym some abrode the fieldes Great was the occision that was made of them in so moche that the Romaynes coulde not come to fyghte with the Carthaginenses but fyrste they muste with peyne go ouer the dead bodies of them that were slayne Then Scipio caused a troumpet to be blowen to withdrawe his men of the first battayle who had ben sore traueyled and many of them were sore wounded These caused he to stand behinde the rereward and made the same rerewarde of his best men to auaunce forewarde vpon the Carthaginenses Then beganne the battayle newe agayne whiche was very sore and fierse For then came the Romaynes to the most assured and strongest men and most expert in warres who before beinge vanquished twyse were nowe lothe and ashamed to be vanquished But the Romaynes were farre moin noumbre and had taken to them a great courage by dryuinge awaye bothe the wynges and also the forewarde of theyr ennemies ¶ Whyles they thus foughte in the seconde battayle Lelius and Massanissa returned with theyr horsemen from the chase of the wynges of the Carthaginenses and with all their power and violence came on the backes of the seconde battayle of the Carthaginenses whiche were busy and valiauntly fought Then were they not able to endure theyr violence but were with force put to flyght and slayne on all partes There were that day slayne and taken of the Carthaginenses aboute .xl. M men Many elephantes and many standardes of noble men were taken in that battayll Great also was the praye of the spoyle founde in the Campe which all the Romanes toke and brought to their shippes The Romaynes also lost at this battayle aboue .x. M. men Anniball with a fewe with him fledde to Adrument But he neuer departed from the field til he had bothe in the battayle and before assayed to do asmoche as was possyble for to be done for the safegard of his people Wherin he that day had prayse bothe of Scipio of al other expert men of warre of the Romains specially for the ordering of his battayl For fyrst he set in the forefront his great nomber of elephantes whose gret strength and intollerable violence shuld breke the arraye of the Romaines putting them out of order whyche is halfe the wynnynge of a battail Then set he foremost his hyred souldiours of diuers nations to the intent such a confused nombre of strangers who fought for no great faith or loue but onely for money sholde haue no place nor tyme to flee from the battayle Also to the intent suche strangers shuld endure the fyrst violence of his ennemies makyng them wery and weake before his chiefe men of most trust should haue any thyng to do Then after theim were his Carthaginenses and Affricans his most trustie souldiours Last of al a good space behinde theim he placed his Italiens as people whome he knew not wel whether they shuld be his friendes or his foes Thus when all his pollicie wolde not serue hym nor yet his strengthe coulde helpe he fledde as I sayd before to Adrument and from thense he was sent for to come to Carthage Whyther he came the .xxxvi. yere after his departynge from thense beinge but a chylde There in the open assemble of the noble men of the citie he confessed hym selfe to be vanquished and that there was none other hope of safegarde for them but by obteyninge of peace ¶ The conditions of peace graūted to the Carthaginenses by Scipio and the ratyfyeng of the same by the senate Ca. lxxi AS Scipio and his hoste were comynge to his shippes laden with a ryche praie worde was brought hym that P. Lentulus was arriued at Vtica with .l. shippes of warre and an C. hulkes laden with all maner of prouision Wherfore Scipio thynkinge to put
barres of yron and other instrumeÌ„tes they broke and brused the rockes and made them away so playne that not only the cattal might passe throughe but also their elephantes and their cariage About this worke they continued .iiii. dayes in whiche tyme theyr câ—ttall was almoste fâ—â—ished for on the hylles was nothing but snowe to be gotten Wherfore they sent theyr beastes to the valeis partes to grase wherethey also rested .iii. dayes and than they came to the playne countreys whiche were occupied with husbandry and were fertile After this maner they came into Italy the fyft moneth after they sette forthe from newe Carthage And as some writers say they passed the mountaynes in .xv. dayes What numbre of menne Anniball brought into Italy the writers do not agree Some say he had C. thousande fotemen and .xx. thousande horsemen somme wryte of more and some of lesse ⧠¶ Howe both the armies of Rome and Carthage approched and the oration that P. C. Scipio the consul made to â—ncourage his men to fyght Capit. x. AT Anniballes commynge to those parties he found moch for his purpose the Taurines and Insubres warryng one agaynste the other but he coulde not arme his hoste to helpe the one parte for their bodies were so wery of labour theyr clothes so foule and fylthy that some desyred to rest after theyr trauaile some sought for vitayles after theyr hunger some taried to chaunge their apparayle and make cleane theyr garmentes they were so soore handled in passynge the mountaynes Which thyng P. Cornelius Scipio the consull perceyued well and that caused hym to make the more spede with his army to the ryuer of Padus that he myght fight with them er they were refreshed of theyr great labour or could haue time to furnishe their army Scipio had receiued of Manlius and Attilius an host of newe souldiors not moch exercised in warres and such as were straungers to him Whan he was come to Placentia Annibal was remoued and had taken and destroied the chiefe citie of the Taurines bycause they wold not willyngly yelde them and had wonne to his amitie all the dwellers about Padus had not the comming of the consull feared them By that tyme that Anniball was a litel remoued from the Taurines the two hostes were almost mette and also the capitaynes And as nother of them was as than knowen to the other so they were stryken with a certayne admiration the one of the other For Anniball by the wynning of Sagunt was drad of the Romayns and like wyse he supposed Scipio to be of no lesse fame and worthynesse for that he was chosen of the Romayns to be capytayn agaynst hym Than Scipio passed ouer Padus and remoued his campe to a ryuer called Ticinus Where before he wold gyue battayle to exhorte and encourage his men this he began his oration vnto them ¶ If I had louyng souldiours the same armye that I had in Fraunce with me I wolde not speake vnto you that which I intende at this present tyme to say For what shuld it nede to stere and incourage those horsemen whyche at the ryuer of Rhodanus soo valyantly ouerthrewe theyr ennemies or those legions with whom I folowed this our fugitiue ennemye Nowe for bycause that hoste was sent by the senate of Rome into Spayne there to make warre vnder my brother Cneius Scipio to the intent you shulde haue bothe a consull and capitayne agaynste Anniball and the Carthaginenses I wyllyngly toke vpon me this warre A newe capitayn to new souldiours shuld vse fewe wordes Notwithstandyng lest ye shulde be ignorant in this kind of warre and not knowe with whome ye shall fyght ye shall vnderstand that with these ye shall haue a do whom in your laste warres ye subdued bothe by lande and sea of whom ye toke truage perforce the space of twenty yeres from whom also you wonne Sardinia and Sicilia as a prey of warre Therfore in this battayle ye must haue the same hartes and myndes that is wont to be in conquerours and in your ennemies muste nedes be suche hartes as happen to men ouercome And they do not now gyue batayle of theyr owne hardynesse and courage but bicause they can not chose onelesse you thynke that they which hauyng theyr hole army freshe and lusty withdrewe them and durste not encounter with vs in battayle beyonde the mountaynes and whyche loste two partes bothe of horsemen and footemen in passynge ouer the same mountaynes shulde haue nowe more hope and trust than before And those fewe that be left of them haue loste both hartes and strength so that they are nowe ymages yea rather shadowes of men than men in dede beinge clonged together with hunger and colde feynte and febled emonge the rocky hylles Besydes this theyr synewes and veynes are shronke togyther with colde of the snowe theyr membres wythered with froste and yse theyr harnies shaken rusty and brokeÌ„ theyr horses feble and lame With these enemies you must fyght ye they ar the leuynges of your ennemies and not your ennemies And I feare nothynge more than before you shall fyght with your foos it shalbe thought that the mountayns haue fyrst ouercome theÌ„ and taken the honour from vs. But so it is perchance necessary and mete that the goddis without mans helpe and without battayle shulde ouercome them that are truce breakers And we that be violated and disceyued shulde next after the goddis as theyr mynisters bryng them to vtter confusyon Peraduenture many of you wyl suppose that I speake these wordes proudly and hyghly onely for your exhortation and comfort and that I shulde thynke otherwise my selfe Therfore ye shall vnderstand that I was sent into Spayn to myne owne prouince whether I was nowe going with myne host where I shulde haue vsed bothe the felowshyp and counsayle of my brother in all peryls and ieopardies and shoulde haue fought rather with Hasdrubal being lesse of power than with Hanniball and so shuld I haue had lesse to do Not withstandyng whan I arriued with my shyppes beyonde the costeo of Fraunce landyng I hearde great bruite of Anniball and sendyng a certayne horsemen before pitched my tentes at Rhodanus and there my company ouerthrewe and put to flyghte those with whom it was theyr chaunce to mete in battayle Than bycause I could not with footemen ouertake myne ennemy whiche fled before me I returned to my shippes and with as good spede as I could make sayling a great compasse about arriued here to mete hym in the front of the mountaines to the intent to gyue hym battayle And to proue whether the earthe hath brought forthe sodainly within the space of these .xx. yeres other Carthaginenses than were wonte to be bredde there or no. For if these be of the kynd of them that warred at the yles of Egates I remembre welle that they were sold from Erix for .xviii. d. a pece come who wold Also I longe to proue whether this Anniball be the folower of Hercules
the Romanes in which season they escaped ¶ Howe Anniball 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 the coâ—sul and by what meanes 〈◊〉 put the 〈◊〉 to â—â—â—ght Cap. xiii DVryng this tyme was Sempronius the other consull going to Sicilia with his army but in his iourney he receiued letters from the senate of the entring of the Carthaginenses into Italy requiring him to aide the other consule as sone as he might Which whan he perceiued he layd garrisons in diuers places to defend the prouinces and came him selfe with a strong power into Italy to kepe the costes Thus whan the two consuls were met together al the power of Rome was there assembled ageinst Anniball Not withstanding the one consul beinge abâ—ted by his fyrst battayle and sore wounde wold rather prolong the matter than fight But the other being freshe and lusty and therfore more fierce wold haue no delay thinking it great honour vnto him if he might recouer agayn that the other consul had lost Wherfore he sayd that there was no man wold deferre the battaile but only he who being more weaker in his harte than in his body for the remeÌ„brance of his wound did refrain to fighte And also that the tyme ought not to be prolonged with sicke folkes Shal we tary and lose time For what third consull or what other army shall we abyde The Carthaginenses haue pitched theyr tentes in Italy and weluere in the citie of Rome who seeke nowe neither Sicilia nor Sardinia that were afore conquered from them nor Spayne beyonde Iberus but they are come to driue and expell the Romaynes out and from their owne lande and natiue countrey O say the he howe moch wold our fathers who were wont to warre before the walles of Carthage lament if they sawe vs their children ye and two consuls with their two hostes tremblynge and quakynge in Italie within our owne campe and that the Carthaginenses had wonne al the feldis betwene the Alpes and Apenniâ—uÌ„ These wordes spake he to his hurt felowe in the Pretory And also the chosynge of offycers at Rome prouoked hym to make haste leste that the taryinge for his felowe beyng hurte myght be occasyon of theyr losse of preyse and victory and lest the warre myght be coÌ„mytted to new consuls whose election was than at hand Which thin ges consydered they prepared for the batayle in haste Annibal although he thought that nothyng shalde be done vnwarely sens the two coÌ„suls were mette together and that the warre shulde be cruell and strong yet dyd not he mystruste good fortune bycause of his fyrst battayle He was also the more busy and intentiue to do battayle whyles he thoughte the souldiours his ennemies were yong and rawe in the warres and whiles one the beste consull was yet not hole of his woundes and whiles the Frenchemens hartes of his armye of whom he than had a great numbre were stronge and hardy whose courage he thought and knewe well wolde rather dyminyshe than increace whan they shoulde be brought any further from theyr owne countrey These thynges considered he sent certayn Frenchmen abrode the cuntrey as spies who shewed hym that the Romayns were all redy to fyght Than Anniball wente to see and prouide a place for disceyte There was in the myddes betweene the two hostes where the fielde shuld be aryuer whiche was closed on both sides with greatte and hygh bankes be sette aboute with the wiedes of the fennes whiche almoste couered all the grounde with yonge wyllowes and shrubbes and also with hygh busshes and thornes whyche whan he had serched and perceyued it to be a place obscure and darke ynough to hyde an inbusshement of horsemen in he sayde to his brother Mago This place shalt thou kepe and thou shalte sayde he chose vnto the one thousande of horsemen and oone thousande of fotemen of the best of myn army to lye here in these couert places and whan tyme shal requyre to do as I shal shew you what therto appertayneth and be ye sure that ye shall haue ennemies blynd in these feates of warre Whan Mago had a M. horsemen and a. M. fotemen deliuered to him Anniball commaunded the Numidian horsemen the nexte mornyng to passe the water of Trebia and ryde vp and downe before the gates of his ennemies campe and whan they hadde with castyng and throwyng into theyr tentes and stations prouoked them to issue out to batail alluring them to pursue after that then they shuld by litell and litell recule backe again ouer the said riuer The residu of the capitayns he coÌ„maÌ„ded that they shuld cause al their men to dyne refreshe them selfes after to be in a redynes against they shuld be called to the battaile Sempronius bearyng the rumour of the Numidies brought all his army beinge very desyrous of battayle to the ryuer whervnto the other reculed backe as was appointed by Anniball The weather was extremely colde and it showed fast The souldiours hadde taken no sustenance before nor made any prouision to strength and kepe theyr bodies warme from the colde frost and snowe But in all haste folowyng the Numidians theyr crafty ennemyes that fledde before theym entred into the ryuer Nowe was the water rysen that nyghte by reason of that snowe as high as theyr brestis Whan they cam out of the water theyr bodies were so stark and benommed with colde that scarsely they could holde theyr armour vpon them and also towarde the myddes of the daye they beganne to faynt for hunger In the meane season Anniball caused great fyres to be made before his souldiours tentes that euery man might warme him and also to put oyle in their gloues whyche shoulde souple their ioyntes and membres Whan they hearde that theyr ennemies were passed the ryuer beinge lusty bothe in body and harte euery man toke his weapon and went to battayle Anniball ordred his battayles circumspectly fyrst he sette forthe his throwers of dartes whyche were of the yles called Baleares than his light harneysed fotemen to the numbre of .viii. M. and after them the other footemen he also bestowed in the .ii. wynges .x. M. horsemen in whom rested the great strength of his battayle and into these wynges also he departed his elephantes puttynge them craftily before the fyght of his ennemies horses whyche were not wont to them so that for strangenes of the syght and the vnaccustomed sauour of them they scattered abrode and than the battayle by the footemen was maynteyned for a season But â—none what by reason of the horsmen and elephantes and also through the sodayne commynge of Mago with the Numidians that fiersely assayled the Romaynes at theyr backes they were stryken with suche feare that they fledde on all partes Some ieoparded to take the water ageyne and escaped to theyr tentes but of them were but fewe for either they were drowned in the depe water or els slayne of theyr ennemies in the chase at the water syde Many toke the ryght way to Placentia and therby were saued On
the other syde the Carthaginenses were soo beaten with the rayne myxte with snowe and with the intollerable colde that the beastes elephantes and men were almost peryshed The ryuer of Trebia caused them to retourne from the pursuite of the Romans so that almoste deade for colde they came to theyr campe with very small ioy of theyr victory The next night Scipio conueyed his hoste ouer the ryuer of Trebia and so to Placentia vnware to the Carthaginenses who by reason of the vehement storme of rayne that felle that nyght coulde not here the remouyng or elles for peyne of theyr woundes and werynes of labour dyssembled the matter and toke no hede ther of Thus were the Romans conueyed peasibly to Placentia and from thens they passed ouer Padus to Cremona Whan the chance therof was knowen at Rome there arose suche so dayn feare among them as though theyr ennemies had ben come alredy with baners displayde before the gates of Rome Neyther had they hope of any further succours wherby they myght defende theyr enemyes from their gates and walles The one consul being ouercome at Ticinus and the other called frome Sicilia to helpe hym and nowe bothe beinge togyther ouercome and their two hostis What other capitayns what other legions had they more left to with stande them ¶ Hanniball intendyng to take a certayn castell by stelthe was encountred by the consull wounded and put to the worse and after a great slaughter of the people he wonne VicuÌ„nias And howe Cn. Scipio in Spayne ouerthrâ—we Hanno in battayle Cap. xiiii VVhan Sempronius by chaunce had escaped the great daunger of his enemies he returned to Rome to the chosyng of the new coÌ„suls at which parliament Cneius Seruslius and C. Flaminius were created consulles Whiche thinge done he came to Placentia thynkyng to passe the wynter quietly in that place but the Romans had not quiete so moche as the winter tyme. For the Numidians and other of the hoste of Anniball were sparkled abrode in the coâ—â—es so that they were troubled on euery syde There was a certayn market towne and castell not farre from Placentia very ryche and strongly fensed Thither went Hannibal with his horsemen and suche as were lyght harneysed thynkyng to wynne it by assaâ—â— in the nyght But the watchemen perceyuing his intent reised suche a crye that it was hearde to Placentia Than the consull in the next morning with his horsemen before and his legions in good order folowyng after came thither and gaue them battayle in the whiche Anniball was wounded Wherby the Carthaginenses were in suche feare that they gaue backe and the peace lasted whyles Anniballes wounde was in healynge And ere he was fully cured he went to a place called Vicunuias That place was surely kepte by the Romanes who being a great numbre what of the garrison what of the townes meÌ„ also by reason of the assemble of the people of the countrey who beyng afrayde of the Numidians whiche roued abrode fledde thither for succour these people I say being many in numbre hering of the noble defendyng of the castell adioynynge to Placentia thynkyng to do a great feate with a great route of people without any order ranne to armour and came forth to encounter with Anniball But bycause they were an vnruly company without a capytayne or good order the other being but a fewe in nuÌ„ber and good men of warre hauynge a good capytayn vnto whom they myght truste dyd discomâ—te of them .xxxv. thousande and the nexte daye toke the towne and made suche a slaughter and destruction amonge theym as was not hearde of a great season before These were Anniballes vyctories durynge the wynterseason after whyche they rested the deepe of the wynter And as soone as sprynge tyme of the yere came Sempronius the consull who was than returned from Rome prepared to gyue battayle to the Caathaginenses the first day that they met the Romans had so good for tune that they not only wonne the victory in playn fielde but also draue them to their tentes and indeuored them selfes to wynne their campe But Anniball setting certayn of his fotemen to defend their gates or entrees of their campe and causing the rest as well fotemen as horsemen to recule dyd sette them in aray within the campe to the intent to be in a redines to rushe out vpon their enemies so sone as he made to them a signe The Romans seing they coulde not wynne the campe blewe the retreite Whan Anniball sawe that the bataile was slakid and the Romans began to recule back from his campe he set forthe the horsemen some on the ryght hand and some on the lefte and hym selfe with the fotemen came after from the campe and gaue theym a stronge battayle puttyng them to moch dysplesure But anon the nyght departed them with lyke losse and slaughter on bothe sydes ¶ Whyles these thynges were doone in Italy Cn. Scipio being sent into Spayne with his hoste partely by force and partly by amitie and olde frendshyp he brought all the countreys from Lusitania to the riuer of Iberus vnder the obedience of the Romans And also the fame of his gentil entertayning of people broughte the inhabitauntes on the mountaynes and the wylde nations to be his assured frendes So that they were all redy with theyr armour succours to aide the Romans to the best of their powers Hanno whom Anniball hadde left for the defence of these regions knowynge these actes of Scipio after his arryuall and fearyng leste he shuld be by hym put from the possession of all that countreye appoynted to fight with hym before the matter were ouerfar gone and pytched his campe not farre from the hoste of the Romans Scipio knowyng that yf he did long tary from batayle he shulde haue to do with hym and also with Hasdruball who were bothe lefte for the defence of the countrey thought it better for hym to mete with theym and theyr hostes seuerally thanne to matche with bothe the hostes togither Wherfore he made spede to mete fyrste with Hanno and his company In whyche battayle there were slayne .vi. thousand of the Carthaginenses and .ii. M. taken with their capytayn Hanno and all their tentes with a certain town also nere vnto the campe called Stissus Hasdruball before he herd of the discomâ—iture of his felowe Hanno was passed the ryuer of Iberus with .viii. M. fotemen and one thousande horsemen intendynge to mete the Romaynes at theyr fyrst commynge But whanne he hearde of the ouerthrowe of Hanno and his people he tourned toward the sea where by chance he met with many Romans that were left in the ships not far from Tarracon wandryng abrode vpon the sea costis takynge no hede to theyr ennemies as people mystrustynge nothynge but beynge neglygent by reason of theyr late prosperous successe Of these negligent persons many he 〈◊〉 the rest he drone to their shyppes with greate feare 〈◊〉 the lesse hym selfe being afrayd of Scipios commyng â—urste not
longe tary in those parties but with his army passed the ryuer of Iberus and distroyed the fieldes of the Illergites bryngyng them to his subiection ¶ How Annibal passed the dangerous 〈◊〉 â—â—re to the ryuer of Arnus to the great losse of his meane and cattall where the fenny â—yre caused hym to lose one of his eies And of the haste that Flaminius the Consule maketh to gyue hym battayle Cap. xv AS soone as the sprynge of the yere dyd appere Annibal goinge from the place where he wintred bycause it was sayd that Flamminius the consule was come to Aretium not withstandyng that there was a more easy better way Yet bycause it was further aboute he toke the nexte waye ouer the greatte peryllous fennes where as at that tyme the ryuer of Arnus hadde ouerflowed more hygher than in tymes past he commanded the Spanyardes with the Affricans and the moste part of the olde souldiours with their stuffe to go before lest whan they were constrayned to stay in any place theyr necessaries shulde be wantyng next theym he set the Frenchemen bycause he wolde haue that hoste in the myddell in whom he had lest truste last of all he commanded the horsemen to come giuing in charge to Mago with certayne of the beste Numidians to come behynde and to brynge forth the army specially the Frenchemen lest that other wearynes or feare of the long way shuld cause them to stay or to slyp away as they are very faynt and fearefull people in suche busynes The fyrst company walowyng in the thycke mudde and the depe waters skarcely sauyng them selues from drownyng folowed theyr standardes and guydes The Frenchemen that folowed theym coulde nother saue theym selues from fallynge nother whan they were downe well aryse agayne nother coulde their hartes comfort their bodies nor hope comforte their hartes some drewe their weary membres with peyne after theym Some other where they ones fell theyr hartes being ouercomme with wearynes were constrayned to dye The watche that they suffred .iiii. days and .iii. nyghtes without any slepe was the chiefe cause of theyr confusyon Whan they could fynde no dry place where they myght rest theyr weary bodies the water coueryng al the erth they heaped theyr stuffe and baggage in the water one packe on an other whervpon they rested and saued them selfes The heapes of dead cattell whiche were dead in all the way was in stede of beddis to many that were faint and feble whiche eased them for a lytel space Anniball hym selfe hauynge sore eies by reason of the intemperate sprynge tyme of the yere that chaunged now to heate and nowe to colde being caried vpon an elephant which only remained bicause he shulde be hyghe from the water yet through his great watche and colde and by reason of the fenny ayre beinge noysome to his heade and bycause there was no place nor tyme to heale him he loste one of his eies And whan he had passed the fennes not without great losse bothe of men and of beastes as soone as he came to dry ground he pytched his campe hauing certayne knowlege by his espies that the Romane hoste was about Aretium a cuntrey as plesant and fertyle as was in all Italy ¶ The consull was than fierse and cruell for the ioy and the pride of his newe office And he not onely lyttell feared the lawe and dignitie of the fathers of the senate but also he wanted the feare of the immortall goddis Fortune also had nouryshed this his foolyshe hardynes with prosperous successe as wel in the ciuile busynes and affayres at home as in certain foreyn batayles so that it appered that he wente aboute all thynges cruelly and ouer hastily nother counsaylynge with the goddis nor with men And howe moche more redye he was to folowe his owne foly so moche the busyer was Anniball to prouoke and stere hym to the same Wherfore leauing his ennemies on the left hande he went towarde Fessula intendyng to distroy the fieldes of Hetruria where he shewed the consull as great waste destruction and spoylynge of his frendes as he myght bothe by robbynge slaughter and burnyng to thintent he shulde therby the rather be prouoked to battayle Flamminius of his owne nature was gyuen to be busy although his ennemy wolde haue ben quiete and in rest but whan he sawe the goodes of his frendes caryed awaye and his neyghbours bourned before his face thynkynge it dishonour vnto hym to see Anniball wander throughe the myddes of Italy taking his pleasure without any resistence he determyned incontinent to gyue battayle although many of his men perswaded hym that he shuld tary the commynge of his felowe the other consul so that they shulde with both their counsayles and hoostes togyther procede vnto theyr enterpryse agaynste Annibal and in the meane tyme with the horsemen and lyght harneysed footemen to lette hym frome his robbynge and destroyinge the countrey But he contrary to the aduertisement that was gyuen hym beinge angrye rushed forth of the counsel howse quikly caused the baners and standerdes to be dysplayde and lepte hym selfe vpon his horse but incontinent the hors sodainly fell and cast the consull to the earthe whyche vnlucky begynnynge caused those that were present greatly to feare the successe therof ¶ Of the battayle of Trasimenus with the deathe of the Consul Flamminius and many other Romayns Cap. xvi ANniball this whyle distroyed and wasted by cruell warre all the fieldes that were betwene the citie of Cortona and the lake of Trasimenus thynkynge the hartes of his enemies the sooner to be moued to redresse the iniuries of theyr frendes And they came to a place meete for treason and disceyte where as the great lake or fenne of Trasimenus dydde almoste ioyne vnto the hylles of Cortona There was at that place one onely strayte and narowe waye to enter in but afterwarde the fieldes waxed a lyttell broder and larger Ouer that playne the hylles arose of a great heyght In the same fayre and playne place Anniball pytched his campe where he onely with the Affricanes and Spanyardes dyd reste The rest of the lyght harneysed men of the army he brought about the backe of the hylles And he disposed the horsemen nere to the mouthe of the narowe entre where the hylles myght secretly couer and hide them commaundyng that as soone as the Romans were ones passed the straytes the horsemen shuld appere at theyr backes soo that they shoulde be inclosed and hemmed in on all partes hauynge no waye to escape by reason of the hylles and greatte lake ¶ Flamminius folowynge his ennemies was come aboute the settyng of the sonne to the lake And the next day early in the mornynge whan it was scarcely day lyght he with his hoste were passed the straytes And whan his people began to stray abrode into the larger felde they saw al the place before them occupied with theyr enemies And than they aper ceyued treason bothe behynde them and ouer theyr heades
distroyeng and burnyng all before hym Than began he to lay siege to the towne but he was driuen thense with great slaughter of his men Wherfore supposynge the citie of Rome to be of a great strength seing that lytell towne was so stronge whose strength and power he than not very prosperously hadde assayde he withdrewe his armye to the plentyfull countrey of Picenus and from thens to Pelignes to Arpos and to Luceria a countrey adioynyng to Apulia styll robbynge and spoylynge the countreys abrode in the way as he went ¶ Whan Fabius whom the Romanes had chosen hygh officer had set all thynge at a stay in Rome he takyng with him the army that before was with Seruilius the consull and also .ii. other newe Romayn legions for the encreasyng of his army went with the mayster of the horsemen Minutius to mete with Anniball and to stay hym from the destruction of the countrey Fabius committing nothyng rashely to fortune by easy iourneis and good espies came into the feldes of Arpos pytchyng his campe not farre from his ennemies Anniball soone after his cōminge brought his people into the fieldes in good aray redy to fyght but Fabius al that day kepte his men in their campe whervpon Anniball rebuking the feble courage of the Romans withdrew his people into their tentes fearyng in his mynde the sobrenes of Fabius whiche was a capitayne chosen farre vnlyke to Sempronius or Flāminius Neuerthelesse to proue the fascion and conduicte of Fabius Anniball very oftentymes remoued his campe and euer spoyled the countreys of the frendes of the Romanes as he went Sometyme he wolde sodeynly conuey his army and than secretely tourne out of the way and lye in awayte yf by chaunce he myght take his ennemies at auantage but Fabius euer ledde his hoste by the high places of the countreis styll kepynge his ennemies in syghte so that he wolde not be farre from theym yet intended he not to giue them battayle his men went neuer out of theyr campe but only for the prouisyon of thynges necessary And whan they lacked vytailes forage or woode he sent a great numbre togyther that they myght walke surely And also those that wente therfore he suffered not to stray farre from the hoste He hadde euer his horsemen and lyght harneysed footemen in a redynesse and in aray for feare of sodayne inuasions of his enemies And also to thintent they shulde be redy to oppresse his foes that at any tyme shulde roue abrode for spoyle or for vitailes he mynded neuer to ieoparde the hole estate of the empire in open battayl but he remayned styl as a stay to weary his enemies Whiche his sobrenes was no lesse displeasant to Anniball thā it was to Minutius the maister of the horsemen For he beinge rashe and desyrous to put all in auenture fyrst pryuily and than openly dyspraysed the slacknes of Fabius callynge hym bothe slowe and fearefull Anniball often remouing cam from Arpos to Samnium wastyng the fieldes of the Beneuentanes and there he toke the towne of Tilesia trustyng by the shewe of soo moche displeasure to cause Fabius to gyue hym battayle There camme to hym the same tyme thre gentylmen of Italy whome Anniball hadde before at the bataile of Trasimenus taken prysoners and delyuered to lybertie without raunsome These men shewed hym that in case he wolde conuey his army into Campania they wolde helpe him with smalle peyne to wynne the noble citie of Capua To this their motion Anniball at length agreed sendyng them to Capua before hym to stere the myndes of the rulers and of the communes therto and to retorne bryngyng him the certaintie of their speede Than commanded he his guyde to leade hym the next way to the fielde of Cassinus hauyng knowlege by diuers expert men of the same countrey that yf he were ones mayster of the hyll and strayte there he shulde stoppe the Romanes from bryngyng any succours to theyr men but that he shuld at his pleasure distroy them But the guide mistaking the name of the countrey toke Casilinus for Casinus Wherfore leadyng hym a wronge way he conducted hym by the countreys of Alifinus Calatinus and Calenus to the fieldes of Stellates Whan Anniball behelde that countrey to be on all partes enclosed with mountaynes and ryuers he inquired of his guyde in what region he than was He answered agayn that the same day he wold bring him to Casilinus Wherat Anniball being displeased caused him to be sore beaten with roddes after hanged for the example of other Than seing that he was so farre frō his purpose he thought in reuengyng of his malice to bourne and spoile that plentyfull countrey about the ryuer of Vulturnus ¶ By this tyme was Fabius come by the hilles to the toppe of Massicus the mountayn where the Romayns myght beholde the Carthaginensis lodged in the fayre playnes vnder them who ceassed not to spoyle the fieldes of Falernus and to burne the houses of Simessa This displeasure entred ernestly into the hart of Minutius who aboue other maligned at the cowardise of the dictatour Fabius And by an oration full of great inuectiues set the hartis of the most part of the host agaynst hym But all theyr murmurynge Fabius lyttell estemyng contynued the reste of the sommer in his olde fascion euer kepyng Anniball from battaile the thyng that he most desyred Whan the wynter began to draw nere Fabius perceiuyng the countrey not to be able to susteyne the host of his ennemies any long season and that there was none other way for them to passe out of the fieldes of Falernus but only by the same strayte wayes by whych they before had entred he sendyng sufficient power of Romans to the hyll of Callicula and the towne of Casilinus hym selfe with the mayster of the horsemen kept the narowe way by whyche Anniball must nedes passe Anniball wylling to proue the maner of kepyng of that strayt came thyther and there made a skirmishe with the Romanes somewhat to his losse and was fayne to recule backe And he perceyuynge the Romans to haue the Samnites and the Campanes their frendes at theyr backes redy to succour them with all necessaries and that he and his hoste were so enclosed that he was like to winter among the stones of Formiana and the sandes of Linterni he forgatte not than to renewe his accustomed subtiltie and craft He inuented a deceyte and mockery very fearefull to mens syght wherby he myght passe the straites by stelthe in the nyght he caused rotten styckes and drye pieces of woode to be gathered togither in the fieldes and fagottes of yong roddes and bowes to be made whych he caused to be tyed to the hornes of oxen and kyne whiche he had before taken at a pray in the countrey some being wylde and some tame There were .ii. thousande beastis that shuld be thus ordred And the charge was committed to Hasdruball that he shuld in the beginnyng of the darknes of the nyght
sauegarde the residue of the day and nyght folowynge The nexte daye whanne we perceyued that we were inclosed and constrayned with the hooste of our ennemies wantynge also water and seinge no hope of escapyng through the thycke hooste and companye of oure ennemyes and consyderynge that it were wysedome and not soundynge to dishonour seing that fifty thousand were slayne of our company that some shulde be lefte of our souldy ours at this battayle alyue We than in conclusion agreed with them for our raunsom that we myght be delyuered And than we yelded vp our weapons whiche coulde lyttell preuayle vs. We haue hearde that our elders were redemed from the frenchmen ye and our fathers being moste fiers and hardy were gladde to sende to Tarent for conditions of peace bycause of redeming their captiues but in Italye with the Frenchemen and at Heracleam with Pyrrhus bothe the batayles were accompted wretched and full of infamy bicause of the cowardise and fleing of our people but so was it not with vs. The deade bodies doo ouersprede the fieldes at Cannas nother hadde we escaped the death but that for our enemyes for wearynes in kyllyng and sleinge lacked both strength and weapons There be many of vs whiche neuer came to battayle but beinge left to kepe the campe whan the tentes were yelded they likewise came vnder subiection to theyr ennemies Verily I doo not enuye the estate or fortune of any citezen or of my felawe in warre nother wolde I that my fame shoulde be extolled and raysed by the infamy of other but truely they ought to haue lyttell rewarde or prayse vnlesse it be of the agilitie and swyftenes of theyr fete whyche being vnarmed for the moste parte fleinge from battayle neuer ceassed tyll they came to Venusia or Cannusium yet do they preferre them selues before vs iustly and not without a cause as they thynke Ye and they reioyse and boste that there remayneth in theym more succour and helpe to the common welthe than in vs. But we wolde ye shulde receyue and take them as good and stronge men And also to thynke vs to be hereafter more prompt and wylling to maynteyn our countrey by howe moche we may be redemed and restored into the same by your benefytes Ye haue taken the muster of all your people of alages and sortes and I here say ye haue chosen .viii. thousande of your bondemen to the warre and there is of vs no lesse a numbre nother wylle our redemyng coste any more than theyr bying wyll cost Truely yf I shulde compare theym beinge seruauntes and bonde vnto vs citezens and free I shoulde greately dishonour the name of Rome But this I wold ye shuld remembre fathers conscripte in suche a councell yf ye wyll be so hard harted as to refuse vs whiche yf you doo you shall doo withoute our deseruyng to whiche of our enemyes wyll ye commytte vs to Pyrrhus or elles to Anniball in whom it is harde to be iudged whether dothe remayne more crueltie or auarice If ye dyd see the bandes and chaines with which your citezens are bounde the filthynes and deformitie that they are in certes it wolde no lesse moue and pitie you than yf ye saw your legions lying deade coueryng the feldes of Cannas Ye may beholde the sorowe the heuynes and the teares of our frendes and kynsfolke standyng at the porche of the senate tarying for your answere And sens they be so sorowful for vs and for them that be absent in prison what myndes wold you suppose those prisoners to haue whose life and libertie is in dout and hangeth nowe in balance Certainly if Anniball contrary to his owne nature wold be meke and gentyl to vs yet neuer the lesse wolde not we desyre to lyue in case we shall be thought of you our noble fathers vnworthy to be redemed Shulde I desyre the retourne into my countrey yf beinge a citezen I shulde not be estemed by you worth .iii. C. peces of syluer Lette euery man do as he wyll fathers conscripte I knowe my body and lyfe to be in doubt but the ieopardye of our name and fame bothe more moue and greue me that we shoulde be reckened vnto you as abiectes and castes awaye for there is no man that wyl suppose you to spare our redemtion for coste ¶ Whan he hadde made an ende of his oration there arose a great noyse and wepynge amonge the people both men and women that were frendes vnto the sayd captiues who helde theyr handes towarde the Senatours desyryng them to restore theyr bretherne and chyldren After many and dyuerse contrary opinyons hadde in the senate somme supposynge it mete that they shoulde be redemed with the common treasure and some contrarye T. Manlius Torquatus a man of ouer harde and cruell nature as it was thought to many beinge desyred to shewe his sentence and iudgement beganne thus to saye ¶ The sore aunswere of T. Manlius Torquatus to the captiues oration wherin he dissuaded their redemption Cap. xxv IF the legates that were sent hyther for the redemption of our captiues had all onely made petition for those who are taken prysoners that they might be restored I wold haue shewed my mynd brefely without rehersall of any of theyr feates for of what ought you rather to be admonysshed than to obserue the custome left by your fathers as concernynge busynes of warre by example necessary But nowe bycause they almost reioyse and glory that they yelded theym selues to theyr ennemies and thynke it meete they shoulde be preferred not onely before those whyche were taken prysoners in batayle but also before those that escaped to Venusia and Cannusium ye and before Terentius Varro the consulle I shall declare vnto you fathers conscripte all that was doone there ye and I wolde to the goddis that these thinges whiche I am about to shewe vnto you myght speake at Cannusium before the hoste Whiche wolde be a sure wytnesse of euery mannes cowardyse and sluggysshenes and also of theyr hardynes and vertue or els I wold that Publius Sempronius were here present whom yf they had folowed they had be now in saue garde in the Romane tentes and not captiues with theyr ennemyes For whan theyr enemyes were weery of fyghtynge and alsoo reioycynge of theyr vyctory and the mooste parte of theym retourned to theyr tentes they myght haue hadde the nyghte free without interruption to haue escaped Veryly .vii. thousande armed men myght than haue escaped through theyr ennemyes takyng so lytell hede to them but truely nother wolde they enterprise this thynge theym selues nor folowe them that wolde take on them that aduenture All the nyght longe almoste Sempronius ceassed not to admonyshe and exhorte them that they should folowe hym as theyr capytayne whyles there were but fewe of their ennemyes about theyr tentes whiles euery man was at rest scilence and whyles the nyght dyd couer and hide theyr purpose Shewynge theym that they shoulde come into sauegarde and to theyr frendes
before the day as by the memory of our grandfathers Publius Decius dyd in Samnio and as Calphurnius Flamma whan we were but yonge men dyd in the first warres Punicke to .iii. hundred that wyllyngely folowed hym Whan he hadde brought them to take a hylle whyche was in the myddell of their ennemyes Let vs here dye sowldiours sayde he and let vs throughe our death delyuer our legyons and army whyche are inclosed and besiged by our ennemies If Publius Sempronius had spoken suche wordes to you and yf none of you had ben of suche hardynes to consent to him he myght haue supposed you neyther to be men nor Romaynes but he shewed you a moche more easye way whyche wolde brynge you as well to glory and prayse as to health and profyte He made hym selfe a capytayne and guyde to bryng you to your cuntrey to your fathers to your wyues and chyldren But you lacked audacitie to folowe hym what wolde you haue done yf he wolde haue moued you to haue dyed for your countrey Fifty thousande citezens and of your frendes laye deade about you that daye in the fielde If the examples of hardynesse and vertue of soo many noble menne wolde nat moue you there is nothynge that euer shall moue you If suche slaughter of your frendes dothe not cause you to haue smalle estymation of youre owne lyues nothynge shall euer moue you thereto You shoulde haue desyred youre countreye whyles ye were free safe and sounde yea you shoulde haue desyred it whyles it was youre countrey nowe doo ye desyre it to late Ye be cleane separate from it ye are vtterly alienate frome the ryght of the Cytezens Ye are nowe made seruauntes vnto the Carthaginenses Wylle ye be redemed srome thense whither you wyllyngly went with cowardyse slowenes and wyckednes you wolde not here Sempronius your citezen commaundynge you to take harneys and to folowe hym but soone after you hearde Anniball commandynge you to yelde your armour and your tentes Why doo I accuse Fathers conscript theyr slouthfulnes and cowardise whan I may rather accuse theyr wicked and abhominable facte they dyd not onely refuse his counsaile which was profitable but also they went about to withstande hym and to constrayne hym to forsake the common welthe vnles noble men with theyr naked swerdes hadde put them from their purpose Publius Sempronius was dryuen I say fyrst to escape by manful courage through those his felowes and citezēs and after through the myddell of his ennemies And shulde this citie and countrey desyre the restitution of suche citezens whom yf the residue of their felowes who were at Cannas had folowed and bene lyke there had no citezen ben lefte vs of those whiche were at the battell of .vii. M. men there were .vi. C. that aduentured to escape and retourne free with armour to theyr countrey nother dyd the hoste of theyr ennemyes whyche were xl M. men lette or hynder them howe safe than myght the two armyes being ioyned togyther haue passed thynke you whiche yf they had done fathers conscript ye shoulde haue had nowe .xx. M. stronge and hardy souldiours at Cannusiū but nowe howe can these be accompted for good and faythful citezens as for bolde they wyll not call them selfes whyche had rather to lye lurkyng in theyr tentes and tary bothe the day and theyr ennemyes than to endeuour them selues with theyr company to escape awaye in the nyghte but seing that theyr hartes wolde not serue theym to auoyde theyr tentes was it lyke trowe ye that they shulde haue hardynes to cōserue kepe the same tētes They say that where they were besyeged for certayne days and nyghtes they defended them selues and at the length whan they had suffered the extremitie whan all the necessaries to their lyfe dyd fayle theym than they being ouerpressed with hungre coulde noo longer susteyn battaile And they say they were rather ouercome for lacke of humayne necessities than with batayle This greate warre that ye speake of lastyng two days was ended in two howres Annibal came to the tentes before the sonne arose to whome without any battayle gyuen or resistence made they yelded vp theyr weapons and them selues Whan they shuld haue fought in the battayle they fiedde to theyr campe and whan they shuld haue defended theyr campe they nother profitable in the battaile nor in theyr tentes yelded vp campe and all Shuld such a sorte be redemed I thynke them fathers cōscript no more worthy to be redemed than I thynke them worthy to be yelded to Anniball whiche escaped from theyr tentes through the myddell of theyr ennemies And through theyr great hardines restored them selues to theyr countrey Whan Manlius had fynyshed his oration al though many of theym were of the kynrede and alyance to the senatours yet the answere was gyuen them that they shuld not be redemed And that for two causes the one was for the olde exaumple of the citie that had euer lyttell fauoured the redemption of captiue prysoners An other was the greate summe of money that muste be payde for them wherof theyr treasure had ben before made bare with manyfolde charges of warre And also they were loth that Anniball than being nedy of money shulde with theyr substance be so greatly enryched Than beganne a newe mournyng for the losse of the cytezens They folowed the legates with greate wepynge and sorowe to the gates One of those tenne Romayne messangers that were sent from Anniball after that his company departed towarde Rome fayned that he had lefte some thynge behynde hym and so returned to his tentes and in the nyght ouertoke his company by whiche fraudulent retourne thynking him selfe quytte and discharged of his othe wente home to his owne house And there remayned styl not returnyng to Anniball but whan his vntruth was knowen he was taken sent to the tentes of the Carthaginenses to do with hym theyr pleasure ¶ Howe Pacuuius by crafte became chiefe ruler of Capua and of the yeldyng of that citie to Annibal Cap. xxvii ANniball after the battayle at Cannas with as greatte spede as he myght went from Apulia to Samniū and to Cossa and so to Naples but the strengthe of that towne made him afrayde to gyue assaut therto Wherfore he went from thens and came to Capua whiche as than flouryshed in pleasure and abundance by long felicitie fauor of fortune Than was there in Capua one Pacuuius a noble mā sauing that he gat not his goodes and riches by honest meanes This Pacuuius bare gret office in the city the same yere that the Romans lost the bataile at Trasimenus And now thynkyng to make a discord betwene the senate and the cōmon people who long had vsed great licence and liberty without reason and therby to increase both his authoritie and substāce deuised a great and perillous enterprise which was that so sone as Anniball shuld come thyther with his army he wold cause the commons to slea the Senatours After whose death he myght
theyr vayne reporte of vyctorye whanne none suche is hadde in dede I thynke than they oughte lesse to be succoured at our handes ¶ With this oration of Hanno very fewe were moued to be of his opynion For the enuye and hatrede that they bare vnto hym and alsoo the greatte kynrede of the other caused hym to be the worse heard Agayne they were soo reioysed with the sodayne and presente ioye that they wold heare noothynge that shoulde hynder the same Supposynge the warres shoulde soone be fynysshed yf they dydde sende any helpe nowe at this tyme into Italye Wherefore by the hole consente of the Senate it was concluded to sende to Anniball forty thousande Numydians to his succours and fortye elephantes and a greatte summe of money And the Dictatoure of Carthage was sente into Spayne with Mago to hyre twenty thousande footemen and foure thousande horsmenne whyche shulde fournyshe agayne the armyes both in Spayne and also in Italy But these thinges were forslowed and done by leysure as commonly it happeth in prosperitie But besyde the naturall industry of the Romaynes Fortune also wrought moche for them for they hapned that yere vppon a Consull that sought all meanes possible to further all suche thynges as shulde be thought necessary to be brought to passe by hym And Marcus Junius beyng Dictatour besydes the Legyons whyche were appoynted before and the bondemenne of the Cytie with other succours suche as he coulde gather togyther of dyuerse countreyes adioynynge to fournysshe the armye He lepte than besydes his horse sayinge All suche as haue commytted any maner of cryme worthye of deathe and they that are condempned to pryson for money yf they wolde be sowldyours with hym and go to the warre he wold pay theyr dettes and lose them from theyr handes and punyshement Thus hadde he of that sort .vi. M. souldyours whom he armed with the armor that C. Flamminius toke from the Frenchemen and than he went out of the citie with .xxv. M. harneyst men ¶ Of the battayle betwene Marcellus and Anniball before the citie of Nola and of Annibals wyntryng in Capua the delycate pleasures wherby he withdrewe the hartes and courages of his men from all warrelyke fascion Cap. xxviii AFter Anniball had taken Capua he assayed many and dyuers ways to haue gotten Naples whiche whan he coulde not brynge to passe he went from thens to the fieldes of the Nolans assayeng by many ways to wyn the towne of Nola. The senate and namely the chiefe stacke surely to their olde frendes the Romaynes The cōmunes being as they are wont desyrous of newes inclyned all to Anniball Wherfore the senate fearyng to stryue with the commons openly agaynste whose power yfnede requyred they were not able to resyst priuyly dissemblyng founde meanes to prolong the time saying they were cōtent to be yelded to Anniball but they knew not after what maner and condition they shuld yelde During whiche tyme of delay they sent ambassadours to Marcellus the pretor of Rome being than at Cannusium shewyng hym the circumstance of the matter wylling him to come to them yf he intended that they shuld kepe the towne Who perceiuyng theyr stedfastnes greately praysed the senate of Nola desyrynge them to perseuere in theyr purpose and vse suche subtiltie in prolonging of tyme as they before had done vntill his commyng to them whych shuld be shortly In the meane season he willed them not to be aknowen of any succour that was commynge Than streyght he made hym redy and with his army toke the way to Calacia and ouer the riuer of Vulturnus and so to Nola. ¶ Anniball before the Pretors comming went from Nola to Naples very desyrous to wynne some towne that laye on the sea costes to whyche the shyppes myght haue free and safe passage from Affrica But whan he vnderstode Naples was defended by a Romane capytayne the Neapolitans had gotten thyther M. Iunius Syllanus and shulde as well be kept out there as he was at Nola he went and layde siege to Nuceria whyche at last vsynge many wayes he caused them by famyne to yelde Marcellus was by that tyme in the towne of Nola and was no surer of his owne souldyours thanne he was of the pryncis of Nola but he feared the commons and aboue all other he dradde a yonge man very hardye and of a noble lygnage whose name was Lucius Bantius who was moche desyrous to yelde the towne to Anniball for beynge founde amonge a heape of dead bodies and soore wounded in the battayle at Cannas Anniball caused hym to be healed and sent home with large gyftes for which gentyll dede he wold fayne that Nola shuld be yelded to Anniball Marcellus perceyued this Bantius to be troubled in his mynde with suche study so that he must eyther with punyshement be refrained orels by benefit reconciled he sent for hym and so beninglye with wordes promyses and gyftes entertayned hym that there was none in the citie so sure after to the Romans as he ¶ Whan Anniball was come from Nuceria which he of late had taken before the gates of Nola Marcellus was entred the citie not fearyng to kepe his campe abrode but lest his taryinge without shulde be an occasyon of betraying and yeldyng vp the citie Than beganne small skyrmyshyng betwene the citie and the Carthaginenses at whiche time the pryncis of Nola shewed Marcellus that the common people hadde secrete metynges and communication in the nyghte with the Carthaginenses in the whiche it was purposed that whanne the Romans were gone out to fyght they wolde take theyr stuffe and cariage and shutte the gates and so whan they had gotten bothe theyr stuffe and goodes they wold receyue the Carthaginenses into the town in stede of the Romans Whā they had shewed these conspiracies to Marcellus he praised theyr fidelitie greatly and thought to assaye what he myght do by battayle before any suche trouble shoulde be within the citie First he ordered his hoste being diuided in thre partes at the .iii. gates whyche opened agaynste his ennemyes He commaunded the stuffe and baggage to folowe a prety space after And at the middel gate he set the strēgth of the Roman legions the newe souldiours and other that cam to their succours he sette at the two other gates straightly commaundyng that the Nolans in no wyse shulde come on the walles nor nere the gates He sent also certayn souldiours to awaite on the cariage and stuffe lest whan they were busy in battaile the Nolanes myghte spoyle and take it Whan all thynges were thus put in good order they stode styll within the walles without makyng any shewe ¶ Anniball standing in aray in the fieldes a longe space as he was wont meruailed that he sawe nother the hooste come to the fieldes nor no man armed on the walles Than he supposed that theyr counsayle was knowen and that for feare the cōmons of the towne were constrayned to forsake their promyse Wherfore he sent part of the
shame than we maye nowe declare those that be chaunced to vs. There dydde inuade the costes of our countreys at that tyme .ii. noble dictatours the maysters of horsemen and two Consulles with two consulles hoostes hauynge all thynge prouyded for theym necessaryly or they wolde aduenture to robbe and dystroy our countrey But nowe we be almoste a praye to one lyttell hoste beynge lefte for the succours of Nola. Nowe they beynge but a smalle noumbre after the maner of robbers ouercome our countreye with lesse feare thanne yf they were in the Romayne fieldes The cause is that nother thou doeste defende vs and also that all our lustye yonge and valyaunt menne whiche without doubt yf they were at home wolde defende vs are with the and vnder thy baner neyther had we knowen the nor thyne hoste hadde not it happed that through thy myght there were soo many Romans slayne and put to flyght to whome we may suppose it but a lyght thyng to suppresse our robbers ronyng abrode in the fieldes without order runnyng whyther as foolysshe and vayne hope of a pray dothe leade theym whome a fewe of thy Numidians wolde vtterly confounde And I doubte not but thou wylte sende vs some sure helpe and succour excepte thou iudge vs vnworthy to be defended and holpen whan heretofore thou thoughtest vs not vnworthy to be taken as thy frendes and companyons receyuyng vs into thy amitie and frendshyppe ¶ To this theyr lamentable oration Anniball answered that the Hirpines and Samnites dyd shewe their ruine and losse requyryng helpe therein and also dyd complayne that they were lefte withoute succour and vnholpen and all at ones where as they shulde fyrst haue shewed theyr cause askynge succour in theyr myschiefe and afterwarde yf they coulde not haue healpe than to complayne that theyr suite was in vayne Neuer the lesse he promised them succours and helpe not that his army shuld come into any of theyr groundes but that he wolde inuade theyr neyghbours whiche were frendes to the Romaines wherby he shulde drawe the Romans from vexyng of them makyng them gladde to defende theyr frendes And as concernyng the warre betwene him and the Romaynes yf the battayle at Trasimenus were nobler than that of Trebia and the battayle at Cannas more noble than that of Trasimenus he wolde make the fame and memorye of the victory at Cannas but obscure and nothyng to be estemed in comparison of a more noble and triumphant victorye that he trusted to haue of them With this answere and great rewardes he sent them home and leauyng a lyttell company at Tisatis he toke his iourney to Nola. At the same tyme Hanno came to hym from the Brusians with stuffe sent from Carthage and with elephantes ¶ Whan Anniball had pytched his tentes not farre frome Nola he founde all thynges otherwyse than it was shewed hym by the legates of the Samnites For Marcellus so ruled hym selfe euer and all his men that he cōmitted nothinge to fortune nother left any thyng rasshely in daunger of his ennemyes for whan he went about any spoyle of the countrey or to gette any pray he dyd it as prouidently as though he shuld haue done it Anniball beinge present And whan he perceiued Anniball to become he kept his hoste within the citie Whervpon Hanno approched nygh vnto the wall callynge furthe Herennius Bassus and Herius Petreius who by the lycence of Marcellus went furthe to talke with hym Than vnto them by an interpretour he beganne to extoll the vertue and fortune of Anniball and dispised the nobilitie of the Romans which he sayd decayed togyther with theyr power and strength whyche nobilitie and power yf it were lyke as it was in olde tyme not withstandyng knowynge the harde and cruell empire and gouernance of the Romans and the great gentylnes of Anniball towardes all the captiues of Italy the frendship and amitie of the Carthaginēses was to be preferred before the amitie of the Romans And yf both the Consuls with theyr hoostes were at Nola they were no more to be cōpared to Anniball than they were at the battell of Cannas moche lesse one pretor with a fewe new vnskilled souldiours was able to defende Nola. And that they rather than Anniball oughte to care after what maner Nola shuld come to Anniballes possession other taken by violēce or yelded for there was no remedy but haue it he wold as he had Capua and Nuceria He sayd further that he wolde not diuine what shuld happen to the citie being taken but durste rather promyse and vndertake that if they wold yelde Marcellus and the citie to Anniball that no man but they theym selues shulde prescribe the bandes and lawes of the frendeshyp that shulde be betwene them ¶ Whervnto Herennius Bassus aunswered that the amitie betwene the Romanes and the Nolanes had continued many yeres of the whiche nother of them dyd forthynke He said furthermore that if they shuld haue changed or broken their faithes whan theyr fortune fayled or chaunged that nowe it were to late to chaunge for that other chaunged a long time agone And that it had ben foly for them to haue sought succour of the Romaynes if they had bene mynded to haue yelded the towne to Anniball Wherfore theyr myndes were that with those whiche came to theyr succours they were in all thynges ioyned and surely knitte togither and to the deth shulde be Whiche answere toke from Anniball the hope of optayuynge the citie without battayle Wherfore he besette the citie rounde about intendynge to gyue assaulte thervnto on all partes ¶ So soone as Marcellus sawe that hys ennemies approched the walles he ordered his hooste wysely within the walles and than sodeynly issued out to batayle makyng great noyse Some at the fyrste encountrynge were dryuen backe and slayne but whan the armies ioyned togyther the battayle beganne to be very fierse on bothe partes And no faile it had bena soore syght had not a huge tempest and raine departed theym wherby hauynge bothe egre myndes the one was dryuen into the towne and the other to his campe or tentes and lyttell hurt done where beynge bothe desyrous of battayle they abode all the next daye so great was the violence of the storme The thyrde day Anniball sent parte of his souldiours to robbe and spoyle the fieldes which whan Marcellus knewe he streight ways brought his hoste furth to the battayle and Anniball on the other syde was nothinge behynde There was almoste a myle betwene the towne and the campe where the two hostes mette togyther The crye that was raysed on bothe partes caused the companye to returne to battayle which were before sent a spoyling and the Nolans with their power were ready to increase the Romanes hoste whome Marcellus greatly praysynge for theyr good wylles and courage commaunded to stande in aray redy to theyr succour and to conuey them which were wounded out of the battayle And that they shoulde in no wyse fyghte vntylle he commaunded theym The
battayle was stronge the sowldiours fought with all theyr myghtes and lykewyse the Capytaynes prouoked theym to the same Marcellus badde them boldely withstande those that were ouercomme not thre dayes before and that not longe agone fledde from Cuma as vacabundes and the yere before were dryuen from Nola he beynge capytayne And to comforte theym the more he sayde that all theyr enemyes were not in battayle some were a rouynge in the fieldes and those that fought in battayle were wethered with the pleasure of Capua with wyne and hauntynge of harlottes And that the strengthes courage and myghte of theyr bodyes and hartes by the whyche they passed the greatte mountaynes called Alpes and the hylles of Pyrenes was cleane goone He sayde alsoo that those were the leauynges of the foresayde sowldyoures scarse able to beare and susteyne theyr owne membres and harneys shewynge that Capua was as hurtfull and displeasaunt vnto Anniball and his menne as Cannas was to the Romaones for there sayde he they haue lefte all theyr strongthe vertue and good feates of warre yea and haue lefte there not onely all theyr glorye and fame of the tyme past but also hoope of victorye in tyme to come ¶ The exhortation of Anniball to his sowldiours the batayle betweene hym and Marcellus and the victories of the Scipions in Spayne Capitulo xxxii ANd whan Marcellus with suche wordes to his ennemies reproche had incouraged his sowldiours Anniball lykewyse with no lesse rebuke and blame to the Romanes called on his men sayinge that he knewe theym to haue the same armour and standerdes whyche they hadde at Trebia Trasymenus and at Cannas what meaneth it nowe saythe he that ye scarsely are able to withstande one legate Romayne and the battayle of one legyon or wynge where two Consulles hoostes were neuer able to withstande you Shall Marcellus with his newe and vntaught souldyours and the succours of Nola yet agayne prouoke vs and we not reuenged vpon them where are my souldyours that drewe Flamminius from his horse and strake of his heade Where is he that slewe Lucius Paulus at Cannas are your swerdes blunte or are youre ryghte handes astonyed and wearye What a monstrouse thynge is this that you the whyche were wonte whanne that ye were but a verye fewe in noumbre in shorte space to ouercome a great meyny nowe you beinge many suffer a fewe to stycke in your handes you bosted as bolde men with your tongues that you wold wynne Rome yf any man wold bryng you thyther Behold nowe your busines here is moch lesse I wolde ye wolde proue your strength and hardynesse here by wynnyng of Nola a citie of the countrey set in the playne fieldes beinge compassed with nother fludde nor sea and than I shall other leade or folowe you beyng laden with so ryche a pray to what place so euer you wyll ¶ Notwithstandyng neyther these reproches nor his entisynges coulde preuayle to strength theyr hartes they were beaten backe on all sydes The hartes of the Romanes dyd encrease not onely by theyr capytaynes exhortinges but also by the Nolanes steryng and kyndlyng theyr courage to batayle At length the Carthaginenses fledde and were dryuen backe to their tentes And Marcellus brought his souldiours to Nola with great ioye and thankes of the people whose hartes before were most inclined to the Carthaginenses There were slayne that day aboue a. M. of theyr ennemies and one thousande .vi. C. taken of standerdes and baners .xx. and .iiii. elephantes slayne in the battayle There were not a. M. Romanes slayne The nexte daye truce was taken whyche they spente in buryinge the deade bodyes Marcellus made oblation to Vulcan with the spoyle of his ennemies within thre dayes after eyther for displeasure or hope of more wages M. ii C. lxxii of Numidian horsmen and Spanyardes fledde from Anniball to Marcellus whose faithfull stronge helpe and aide the Romanes vsed in that bataile often tymes after Than Anniball sent Hanno agayne to the Brusians with the hoste which he brought before with hym from thens and went hym selfe for the wynter to Apulia and lay about Arpos ¶ So soone as Quintus Fabius harde that Anniball was gone to Apulia and that he had brought corne as moche as he thought necessary to serue them for the winter from Nola and Naples to the campe at Suessula leauyng a sufficiente garry son there he moued his campe nygh vnto Capua burnyng and spoylyng theyr fieldes so that they of Capua were constrayned trustyng lyttel to theyr owne strength to come out of the citie and encampe them selues before the walles fortifyeng them with munimentes without the gates They had .vi. M. souldiours armed they coulde better skylle on horsebacke than on foote Wherfore the horsemen euer prouoked theyr enemies by skyrmyshyng Soone after Quintus Fabius the consull remoued his tentes backe from the Campanes that they myght tyll and sowe theyr grounde nother dyd he come thyther agayne to distroye any of the fieldes of the Campanes before the new corne was come vp of a good height and able to be fother for theyr cattall Than he came thyther agayne and caused it to be gathered and broughte to Claudius tentes aboue Sucssula where he prouided for the wynter cōmaundynge Marcus Claudius that he leauynge a necessary garrison at Nola for the defence therof shuld send the residue of the sowldyours to Rome leste that they shuld be bothe a charge to theyr frendes and a coste to the common wealthe ¶ In the ende of sommer whan all these thinges were done came letters from the Scipions what great and prosperous actes they had done in Spayne but all theyr money grayne and clothynge for theyr souldiours and sea men was spente Whiche beinge pondered in the Senate all thynges necessarye were ordeyned and sente to them And whan these stipendes and necessaries were come into Spayn the towne of Illiturgus was besieged of Hasdruball Mago and Amilcar the sonne of Bomilcar for angre that they had changed their hartes and yelded them to the Romans Neuerthelesse thorough all these thre hostes the Scipions valiantly entred into the towne of theyr frendes not without greate fyght and slaughter bryngynge with theym of grayne good plentye wherof they had great nede there exhorting the citezens so valiantly to kepe and defende theyr towne as they perceiued the Romaynes to fyght for them Sone after they issued out to assayle the great campe wherof Hasdruball was capitayn Thyther came to his succours the other two capitaynes of the Carthaginenses with theyr two hoostes for there they knewe well shulde be the greattest battaile and most busynes And than sodeynly runnyng out of theyr tentes they mette togyther and fought There were of the Carthaginenses at that battayle .lx. M. And of the Romaynes aboute .xvi. M. neuerthelesse the battayle was soo prosperous that the Romanes and that our new man hath gotten good experience the yere is past and a newe muste be put in his roume How can thinges prospere that thus be
gouerned Nowe bycause I haue sufficiently spoken what maner of men ye ought to chuse cōsulles I wyll speake a lyttell of those to whome the fauour of this election hath inclyned ¶ Marcus Aemilius is one of the sacred priestes whom we can not sende from the sacrifice but we shall want the seruice due and accustomed to the goddis And you Octacilius haue maryed my systers doughter and haue chyldren by her Neuerthelesse your merytes and desertes towardes me and my frendes are not suche but that I haue more respecte to the common welthe than to my priuate busynes Euery maryner can in caulme wether rule the shyppe but whan the sharpe stormes aryse the sea beyng troubled and the shyppe tossed with the wynde Than is there nede of a man and a gouernour We sayle not now quietly but are with troublous stormes almost drowned Therfore we must prouyde with great diligence who shal gouerne the sterne or helme yea we must therof take hede before We haue proued thy diligence T. Octacilius in lesser busynes wherin truely thou dyddest not deserue that we shulde committe to the any greatter charge For thre causes we sent furthe a nauy the laste yere of which thou were gouernour Fyrst that the border of Affrica shuld haue bene wasted and distroyed Seconde that the hauens or strondes of Italy shulde haue ben kepte safe for vs And before all thynges that no succour stypende or other necessaries beinge sent from Carthage to Anniball shulde haue free passage I am content that ye make T. Octacilius consull yf he can proue that he dyd performe to the common welth any of these thynges to hym cōmytted But yf thou being capytayn of the nauy all that was sent from Carthage to Anniball had as free passage as though the sea had bene open And if the borders of Italy this yere were more indaungered than the borders of Affrica what canst thou alledge for thy selfe that thou shuldest be chosen chiefe capytayne agaynst Anniball it appertayneth to no man more than to the T. Octacilius to take heede that suche a burthen be not layde on thy necke the weyght wherof wyll peise the downe I do admonyshe and perswade you all that in chosynge your consuls at this tyme ye vse the same circumspection that ye wolde vse yf ye were dryuen to chose twayne to gouerne your bataile whan ye beinge in harneys on the playne againste your ennemies were redy to fyght with theym Trasymenus and the example of Cannas are very sorowfull to be remembred but they are ryght profytable and a good document to be ware of suche an other ¶ After this oration the prerogatiue of the yonge men was called in agayne And than wente they to a newe election in the which Quintus Fabius hym selfe was created the fourth tyme consul and Marcus Marcellus the thyrd time These were created without any variance Nother did any man suspect Quintus Fabius of couetousnes of rule and gouernāce but rather they praised the noblenes and courage of his hart For that whan he sawe that the common welthe dyd want a good capytayne and knewe hym selfe withoute doubte to be one estemed the enuy that he shulde haue yf any shulde aryse of that matter lesse than the profyt of the cōmon welth ¶ Whan all thynges were ordeyned with great care and dyligence for the warres in all partes the Campanes meruaylyng of the great and exquisite ordynance of the Romanes whiche was moche greatter than it was wonte to be and fearyng greatly leste they wold that yere begynne warre vpon theym they sent legates to Anniball incontinent desyrynge hym to moue his army to Capua shewyng hym that the Romanes hoste was chosen and proscribed to besiege Capua for that the defection of them was more displesantly taken of the Romanes than of any citie in Italy And bycause the matter was so fearefully pronounced vnto hym he made the greater spede to come thyther before the Romans Whan he hadde bene there a season he lefte certayne of the Numidians and Spanyardes to defende the citie and wente hym selfe to the lake of Auernus vnder the colour to make sacrifyce Not withstandyng his pretence was to set on Puteolus and them that were left there in garryson ¶ Whan Fabius Maximus hearde that Anniball was gone from Arpos and tourned agayne to Campania without restyng nyght or day he went to the hest and caused T. Gracchus to remoue frome Luceria to Beneuentum and made Quintus Fabius his sonne to abyde in his place at Luceria and hym selfe came to Cassilinum intendyng to besiege it and the Carthaginenses that were therein The same tyme as it were a thynge appoynted Hanno came from the Brusianes with a great host of horsmen and fotemen to Beneuentū but it chanced so that Titus Gracchus came from Luceria thyther somwhat before hym and entred the towne And whan he hearde that Hanno had pitched his tentes .iii. miles from the towne at a water called Calor and wasted the countrey he went hym selfe out of the towne and pytched his tentes a myle from his ennemy and there he had an assemble of souldiours wherof the moste part were of bondemen that had bene in the warre the yere before These bondemen thought by theyr desertes to be made free before they wold desyre it openly not withstandyng he perceyued a murmure of some ofthem complaynyng and sayinge Shall we neuer be free and do battaile like free souldiours and citezens Wherof he wrote letters to the senate as well of their desyre as of their deseruyng sayinge that he had euer vnto that day had theyr good faithful and strong helpe and that they wanted nothing that belonged to good and iust souldiours sauing liberty Cōcerning that matter it was permitted vnto him to do that whiche he shuld thinke mete for the profite of the cōmon welth Whervpon before he wold do battaile with his aduersarye he shewed his men that the tyme was come in whiche they might opteyne theyr libertie that they so longe desyred and hoped after for the nexte day they shuld fyght in a fayre and playne fielde where the battayle shulde be done without any feare of disceyte with cleane strengthe and hardynes and he that then wold shewe the head of one of his ennemies stryken of in battaile shuld streight way be made free and he that fledde shuld be punished with vile seruitude for euer Wherfore nowe sayde he euery mans fortune lyeth in his owne handes For the confirmation of whiche his wordes he said that he alone was not the auctour of theyr lybertie but that Marcus Marcellus the consull and the fathers conscripte were agreable to the same And thereof he had sente hym theyr letters whiche he shewed and red vnto them At these his wordes there arose a great noyse amonge them desyryng battaylle incontynent yf it myghte soo please hym Than Gracchus lette the Conuocation passe and appoynted the battayle agaynste the nexte daye The souldyours were verye gladde and in especiall
those whyche supposed theyr wages for one day to be perpetuall libertie ¶ The battayle betwene Hanno and Gracchus with the rewarde and also the punyshement awarded by Gracchus to certayne bondemen of his hoost Capi. xxxiiii THe nexte daye whan the trumpettes blewe to battayle they came togyther in good araye and anone vppon the sonne rysynge Gracchus broughte his sowldyours in to battayle And theyr ennemyes made no taryeng for theyr part There were of them xvii thousande footemen and one M. ii hundred horsemen the battayle was very sharpe and lasted iiii howres not knowynge whiche shulde haue the victorye There was nothynge troubled the Romanes more than the heades of theyr ennemyes whyche Gracchus had appoynted to be the pryce of theyr libertie Wherfore euer as they had stryken downe any of theyr ennemies they wolde strike of his heade and beare it in theyr handes in stede of weapon Whyche thynge Gracchus apperceyuynge commaunded that euery man shulde leaue the head that he had in his hand and take his weapon and fyghte Than the battayle beganne more fierce than before the capitaines on bothe partes exhortynge theyr men to fyghte Gracchus shewed his people that yf theyr ennemyes were not that daye put to vtterance they shoulde neuer loke for theyr libertie Whan the souldyours hearde hym saye so theyr hartes were so kyndled that they ranne fresshe vppon theyr ennemyes with soo greatte vyolence that they were not able to sustayne theyr myghte and courage but incontynent fledde towarde theyr campe The Romaynes folowyng and pursuyng them made a greatter slaughter in the flyght than they dydde before in the battayle There escaped not of the hole hoste aboue .ii. M. whiche fledde with theyr capitayne away the most parte were horsemen all the resydue were other slayne or taken There were not slayne of the Romayns passynge two thousande Whanne they were retourned in to theyr tentes loden with theyr great pray .iiii. ◠of the bondmen which had done euyll their deuoyre that day in battayle had gotten a lyttell hyll not farre from the tentes who were fetched agayne the day folowyng by the Tribunes and came to the conuocation or courte holden by Gracchus to the souldyours wherin he rewarded the old souldiours as he thought euery one had deserued Than as concernyng the bondemen he sayd that he had rather that bothe worthy and vnworthy shulde that tyme be praysed of hym than punysshed Neuerthelesse bycause it had chaunced well to the commune welth and to them he commaunded that all shulde be free at which commaundement all at ones thankynge him desyred all welth to the Romaynes and to hym Than sayd Gracchus Nowe haue I fully performed my promyse of libertie to you all vniuersally neuerthelesse to thentent it may be knowen that I wyll put difference betwene well doing and euyll doinge betwene vertuous courage and cowardnesse I wylle that ye brynge me the names of all those whiche departed from the fielde the day before That doone he caused theym all to be sworne that none of them shulde other eate or drinke otherwyse than standynge onlesse they were diseased so longe as they seryed in the warres This punyshement sayde he ye shall paciently take yf ye consyder with your selues that I could not haue noted you with a lesse marke for your cowardyse than that is Than commaunded he theym to trusse vp theyr stuffe whiche done the souldyours with great prayse came to Beneuentum not lyke men that came from batayle but as mery as though they had come from a bankette The citezens receyued them meruaylous thankfully and desyred Gracchus that he wolde suffer the souldyours to feast with them whiche he graunted ¶ Whyles these thynges were done at Beneuentum Hanniball wastynge the fieldes of the Neapolitanes moued his tentes to Nola. Which whan the consull Marcellus perceiued he sent for Pomponius the pretor to mete him with the hostes that lay at Suessula intendyng that they bothe togyther wolde meete hym and he sente Claudius Nero with a stronge company of horsemen out of the towne by nyght to compasse Anniball on the other syde commandyng hym that whan he sawe the battayle was begunne he shulde sette vpon his ennemies at theyr backes Whiche his diuise Nero could not brynge to passe eyther bicause he knewe not the cumbersome wayes of the countrey or els for that the shortenes of the tyme wolde not suffer hym Marcellus in the mornynge mette with his ennemies and gaue them batayle in the whiche he had the victory and caused his enemies to flee neuerthelesse he durste not folowe theym bycause he wanted his horseman Wherfore he caused his menne to recule There were .ii. thousande of their ennemies slayne and not .iiii. hundred of the Romanes Nero and the horsemen labouryng in vayne the nyght and the day without seing his enemies came home about the sonne sette for whiche his vayne iourney he was sore rebuked of the consull saying that he was the cause as than that theyr ennemies had not receiued as great losse as they gaue at Cannas The next day the Romans discēded into the fieldes but Anniball kepte hym in his tentes knowlegyng hym selfe to be ouercome And the thyrde day without hope of optaynyng Nola trustyng to haue better spede remoued to Tarentum ¶ Quintus Fabius the other consull had his tentes at Cassilinum whiche was kept with .ii. M. of the Campanes and vii C. of Anniballes souldiours He caused Marcellus to come to hym with his hoste And if that the Nolans thought them selfes not safe from Annibal that they shuld send to Beneuentū to Gracchus to com to theyr succours which thing done Cassilinum was quyckely won and the souldiours that were there as well of Annibals as of Capua were taken and sente to Rome and there put in pryson There were taken by Fabius at that time many cities in Italy and in them to the numbre of .xxv. M. of Anniballes souldiours and frendes taken and slayne beside .iii. C. lxx vacabundes and runawayes whyche were taken and sente to Rome and there whypped with roddes and after put to death ¶ The cities of Sagūt in Spayn and Arpos in Italy at wonne by the Romains kynge Siphax is become frende to the Romans is ouercom in batail by Massanissa Ca xxxv THere were the same yere in Spayne many batailes betwene Mago and Hasdruball the capitaynes of Carthage and the Scipions for before the Romane capitaynes coulde passe the ryuer of Iberus Mago and Hasdrubal had slayne a great numbre of Spaniardes frendes to the Romanes and had opteyned the vtter part of Spayn had not the Scipions come in tyme whose commynge stayed the waueryng myndes of many of that countrey And there was betwixte the two capitaines great and many batailes foughten in the whiche the Romaynes had always the vpperhand and in sundry batayles slewe great armyes of the Carthaginenses and theyr frendes wanne diuers townes and castels brought their enemies to so lowe an ebbe that of a longe season they were glad to rest doing no
their campe but also they kept the hyll without euer throwing doune the Romās that stroue wondersly to clymme the place Neuerthelesse at length by great pein and trauaile and also with great losse and hurt of men they gat to the diches of the campe The consull aduisyng well the mischief that shulde fall to his company in winning the place callid the tribunes vnto him saying that he wold no further at that time pursue his folishe enterprise but that he wold returne for that day to Beneuentū And on the morow he wold ioyne his campe to the campe of his enmies so that the Campanes shuld not issue out nor Hanno haue recours again to thē whan he were returned And to bring this better and more surely to passe he wolde sende for his felowe Claudius the consull with his army to assist him therin whan the tribune caused the retreate to be sowned his souldiours that were earnestly busy aboute their enterprise wolde gyue none care therto Among other there was one Vibius a capitain of a cōpany of the Pelignes who streight toke his baner in his hande and with force threwe it ouer the diche into the campe of the Carthaginenses Than sayd he Euyl might I fare and my company if myn enemies shall enioy my baner Than by great force he lightly went ouer the diche clame vp and entred the campe of his enemies whom his company boldly folowed While they thus fought within the cāpe of the Carthaginenses on an other part cried Valerius Flaccus what sluggishe cowardes are we nowe waxen shall the Pelignes wynne the honour of taking the campe of our ennemies before vs Romans Whervpon Titus Pedanius a capitayn of a hūdred men toke his standerd in his hande from his standerde bearer saying This standerde wyll I beare in to the fielde of myne enemies folowe me syrs as many as wolde be lothe of the losse therof And anone he and his companye were goten into that other part of the cāpe The consul perceyuing their hardynes changed his mynd of calling them away and began to comfort them exhorting the rest to helpe their felowes that so valiantly fought in the campe of theyr enmies By whose harty wordis euery man inforced him selfe to enter not regarding the dartes nor weapons of their enemies as people fearyng no peryll And as people that cared not for deth so they might dye in the campe of their enemies Thus within short space that strong place was wōne aboue vi M. slayn .vii. M. taken with the men of Campania that came for corne with al their cartes and a riche pray that Hāno before had gotten in the fieldes of the frendes of the Romans Whiche pray the consuls solde for by that tyme was Claudius also come thither therwith rewarded their men specially Vibius and Pedanius Whan Hanno hearde of the losse of his people he fledde backe againe to the Brutianes with a fewe men whiche he had taken with hym to get in the wheate for the Campanes ¶ The Cāpanes heryng of the losse of their men frendes sent to Annibal shewing him that both the cōsuls were at Beneuentū within a days iorney of Capua intending to lay siege to their city And it was to be feared lest if he did not shortly succour them that the Romans wold wynne and distroy that citie They said further that nother the castell of Tarent nor the town also ought to be so moch estemed of him as Capua the noblenes wherof he knew well him selfe In so moch that he was wont to compare it vnto Carthage Wherfore they trusted that he wold not leaue it vndefended to haue it spoiled and distroyed by the Romayns ¶ Annibal hering this message shewed to the ambassadours what loue he bare vnto their citie promising to be euer a defender therof With these gentyll wordes he sent them home again he sent with them also .ii. M. horsmen by whose helpe they might defend their fieldes from robbing and wastyng ¶ In the meane whyle P. Cornelius the pretor with certain shippes laden with wheate came into the hauen of Tarent through the hole power of the Carthaginenses He caused also suche souldiours as were at Metapontus in garrison to come to the castell of Tarent there to remaine for the defence therof by whose cōminge they of the castell were than sure from any hurt of their ennemies but so soone as the inhabitantes of Metapontus were deliuered of the Romayne garrison they incontinent fell in leage and amitie with Anniball Whervpon the Thurines also hauynge a grudge to the Romans for sleing diuers of their frendes as is aforsaid deuysed a meane to bringe their citie to the amitie of Anniball The kynsmen of them that were slayne sente messangers to Hanno and Mago who than were among the Brusians willing them to come with their army to lay siege to the towne not doubtyng but that one Marcus Attinius the ruler of a smalle company of the Romaynes left for the defence of the towne wolde anon be brought to issue out and to gyue them battaylle vppon the trust that he had in the yong men of armes of the towne whom before he had armed and instructed in the feates of warre after the Roman facion And they douted not but this sort wold doo hym small pleasure whan he shuld haue most nede of theym The two capitains hearing this glad tidinges with spede entred the fieldes of the Thurines diuydyng their company betwene theym Hanno with the footemen with baners displayed in good aray went towarde the towne Mago with all the horsmen abode in a valey vnder certayn hylles that were nigh the towne Attinius knowing only of the company of fotemē put his men in good aray and with great courage issued out of the towne nothing mystrustyng the myschiefe wrought agaynst hym within the towne The battaile was quicke on the part of the Romans but the Thurines stode as men that gaue the lokynge on not as enemies Hanno with his men of pourpose gaue backe to drawe the Romanes into the daunger of their horsmen And whan they came nere the hilles than they fiersly assayled the Romayns and on the other syde Mago with his horsemen came sodainly and egrely vpon them at the fyrst encountring the Thurines fledde into their towne as fast as they coulde The Romans for a season mainteyned the battaile but at the last being constrained thereto they also fledde towarde the towne The traytours that were causers of al this mischief had gotten to the gate with their power and against the commyng backe of the Thurines that fledde they kept open the gates and receyued them into the towne but whan the Romanes came fleyng also thinkyng to haue entred with the other they cried It is tyme nowe to shutte the gates for els we shall lette the Carthaginenses into the towne among our owne men and so lose all Whervpon they shut theyr gates and suffred the Romans to be slayne by their ennemies
and of noble courage of mynde correspondent to the same ¶ This Centenius being broughte into the senate house by P. Cornelius Sulla desyred of the senatours that he might haue deliuered him only .v. M. souldiours with whose helpe he doubted not but that with the knowlege that he had both of the countreys and also of the crafty feates of his ennemy he wold with the same subtiltie and policies deceiue Anniball by whiche he before had deceiued the Romaynes This his vnwise promise vnto them was as vnwisely beleued of them And where he demaunded but .v. M. they gaue him .viii. M. men and he in the countreys as he went gathered togyther almoste as many mo of suche as willyngly went with him hauing hope in his courage and promise With this noumbre of men he came into the fieldes of the Lucanes where Anniball had rested hym and his company wery of the chase of Appius Claudius Whan either of them sawe others army they incontineÌ„t put their folke in aray The matche was not equall nother of capitaines nor of souldiours neuerthelesse the bataile indured more than two howres Centenius perceiuinge his part to suffre the worse and fearing leste if he shulde lyue after his men were slayne he shulde suffer great shame and infamy during his lyfe for the losse of suche a numbre of men by his folishe enterprise at the last willingly he entred the thickest prease of his enemies where he was shortly slayne and than his men fledde on all partes but they were so harde chased with horsemen that of that great company there escaped scant one thousand ¶ One other happy chaÌ„ce fortune sent to Annibal as it were for a farewel or leue takyng of him before she thought to depart to the Romans the occasion therof was that one Cneiê° Fuluius bearing the office of pretor lay than in Apulia with his host besiegyng suche townes as before were come to the amitie of the Carthaginensis And in his busynes he had soo well sped and was become so welthy and riche bothe he and his men with prayes whiche they had taken that leauyng all good order of warre or the peynfull pursuite thereof they were growen into slouthe and sluggysshe ydelnes Of theyr vndiscrete order the Appulians sente woorde to Anniball by messangers And he knowing by experience what wolde folowe the gouernance of an army by an vnwise capitane wherof of late he had the triall by Centenius with spede he remoued into the costis of Apulia Whan the Romains had knowlege that their enemies approched and were ouen at hande they were all mynded to haue displayde their baners and to haue runne to batail without the coÌ„mandement of their capitain The night folowing Annibal perceiuing their great hast to battaile coÌ„manded .iii. M. of his light men of warre to lye priuily hyd in woodes bushes couertes next adioyning gyuing them a signe or token at what tyme they shulde issue out and assaile their enmies Than caused he Mago with .ii. M. horsemen to lye priuily in the wayes by which he demed the Romans wolde flee after theyr discomfiture These thynges in the nyght tyme being wysely disposed yarly in the morning he came with his host into the fieldes putting the rest of his men in goodly aray ¶ On the other side Fuluius the pretor made no tarying being moche inforced therto by the hasty wilfulnes of his souldiours Wherfore with suche aduysement as they came into the fielde with suche lyke aduysement were the batayles ordred For euery man went to what place him semed best and chose his coÌ„pany with whom he wold be and somtyme changed his place again at his pleasure The forward and the left wing were fyrst ordered and that all in length and of a small thyknesse The Tribunes cried to them to set more strength of men in the myddell of their battailes or els their enemies myght easyly go through them with small force at theyr pleasure But they were so wylfull and hasty that they gaue noo eare to theyr wordes By that tyme were the Carthaginenses come in good order redy to ioyne at whose fyrst cominge with great noise bruite the Romains were put to the wors whervpon the capitayn seing all lyke to go to mischiefe toke his hors and with two hundred horsemen with him fled The reste that abode were almooste all slayne for of .xviii. M. of the company there escaped not past .ii. M. alyue The tentes and stuffe was also taken by the Carthaginenses whiche was a good pray The tydinges of these great sodayn losses were brought to Rome whiche caused the citie to be in great feare and mournyng Neuerthelesse by cause bothe the Consulles with their armies were safe and did somwhat prosper in their affayres they toke the more comforte to theym And incontynent sent messangers to the Consuls wylling them to serch for all such as were escaped at these two battailes that they shuld be gathered togither and called vnto them lest either for feare or for dispaire they wold yeld them to their enmies whiche thyng with all diligence they dyd execute ¶ The citie of Capua is beseged by the two consuls Anniball coÌ„meth to the succour of the citezeÌ„s giueth the coÌ„suls battel from thens goth to Rome ward with his host to thintent therby to draw the coÌ„suls from the siege of Capua Ca. xxxix IN the meane season was Capua compassed besieged by both the consuls great prouision of corne made for the same laid in garners in the castel of Casselinê° Than sent they to Suessula for Claudius Nero the Pretor who leauyng a small garrison there came hym selfe to theym to Capua with all his power Thus was Capua compassed with thre greatte armyes on three partes and to enclose the citezens the more surely they prepared to compasse the hole city with a great diche And thervpon they made many castels a good distance thone froÌ„ the other The CaÌ„panes thinkynge to let their work issued many times fought with the RomaÌ„s but their fortune was euer such that they lost still of their meÌ„ and at the last were constrained to kepe them within the walles of their citie but before the warkes or siege was so straite and strong they had sent ambassadours to Anniball complaynyng that he had forsaken theym and his citie of Capua and that yf he dyd not shortly succour them they must yeld them to the Romans To whom Anniball answered that of late he had resâ—ued them and raysed their siege ones and that shortly he wolde come to helpe them againe not doubting but the Romayns shuld be vnable to resist his power at his coÌ„myng With this comfortable message they retourned to their citie whyche they founde so compassed with a double dyche that with peyne coulde they fynde the meane to enter into it neither coulde they haue entred had not the letters of P. Cornelius the pretor bene wherin he aduysed the consuls before the dyche shuld be fully
finysshed to proclaime that as many of the Campanes as wolde issue with their baggage and bagges before a day by him lymitted shulde go free where they wold and haue their goodes their owne After that day soo many as remained they wolde take and vse as their enemies But this proclamation was so disdainfully taken of the Campanes that besyde that there wold none issue out of the city they also spake proude and opprobrious wordes in dispite of the Romaynes Whervppon the workes of the dyche were ended and the citie fully enclosed ¶ Anniball desyrous to succour his great frendes of Capua left al his heuy cariage among the Brucians and with a great numbre of chosen horsemen and light fotemen hasted thither as faste as he might and after his hooste came .xxxiii. of his elephantes With this army he came to the valey that was vnder a mountayn adioynyng to Capua called Tifata er the Romans had any knowlege of his cōming Than sent he spies to the Romayns hoste to Capua commaundynge them soo soone as he shulde gyue them battaile on his parte that Bostar and Mago with the horsemen and garrison of the Carthaginenses assemblynge also all the power of the citizens shoulde sodaynely issue oute of the citie and with force assayle their ennemies This diuise of Anniball was executed with soo sodayne crye and clamoure that the Romaynes were in greate feare and daunger Neuertheles with as great spede as they coulde they prepared their battayles and dyuyded their people Appius Claudius wente to withstande the Campanes and Fuluius wente agaynste Anniball Claudius was stronge inough for his ennemies but Fuluius was hardly handled of the Carthaginenses and Spaniardes One cōpany or legion of his men were driuen backe and than a great companye of Spanyardes with thre elephantes had broken the myddell warde of the Romaynes and were come to the trench of the campe redy to enter into the tentes and campe of their enmies Whan Fuluius sawe what daunger his people and campe were in he cried to Q. Nanius and other pety capitaines exhorting them to assaile that company of Spaniardes that fought at the diche shewyng them what danger all was in onlesse they might sone be confounded which was easy inough to be done sens there was of them no greatter a number Nanius was a strong man and of a huge stature And whan he hearde the consulles exhortation anone he toke the standerde from hym that bare it and commaundyng his company boldly to take parte with hym he sette furthe towarde the Spanyardes with a great courage As sone as the Spaniardes sawe hym drawe nere they threwe plentye of dartes at hym and beganne violently to assayle him But he nother beynge stayde with the multitude of his ennemies nor with the dartes that were caste at him with great force went stylle forwarde tyl by the helpe of Marcus Attilius Portius Lucius and other they had slain the elephantes and made great slaughter also of Spaniardes ¶ On the other part the Campanes were dryuen back with the garrison alsoo of Numidians and Carthaginenses soo that the battaile was stronge euen at the very gate of Capua that was towarde the ryuer of Vulturnus This gate was garnished with Crossebowes dartes and other suche ingyns wherby many of the Romayns were wounded by the shot out of the towre of the gate Amonge other the Consul Appius Claudius was soore hurt on the breast vnder the left shulder Neuerthelesse the citizens with their helpers were driuen into the citie with great slaughter and losse of theyr company Anniball seing the slaughter of his Spaniardes and that the Romaynes so manfully defended theyr campes he caused his people to withdrawe them and made the horsemen to abyde hyndermoste for the defence of the footemen yf their ennemies happed to chase them The Romaines were very egre and wolde haue folowed them in the chase had not Flaccus caused to sounde the retreate ¶ In this batayle Anniball wrought one crafty poynt he sent dyuers of his men forth that coulde speake the latine tunge into dyuers partes of the hooste of the Romaynes whyche shulde in the consuls name and behalfe declare that the Romayne campes were taken and spoyled Wherfore he wylled euery man to saue hym selfe by fleing to the next mountayns sens by lenger tarying the greater shuld be theyr losse This crafty deceite made many of them amased but at the laste it was espied to the great slaughter of their ennemies ¶ After this battaile the Romaynes kept them in their campes and so straightly besieged the citie that Anniball seinge he could no more drawe them furth to bataile nother through the campes of the Romaines haue any way to enter into Capua fearyng leste his vitayles shuld be cut from hym and his hoste he determined to depart from thens And than he ymagyned that he wolde go towarde Rome not doubtynge but whan the Romayn capitaynes dyd perceyue Rome theyr head citie to be in any daunger that either one or both wolde leaue Capua and come to the defence therof And than theyr powers being diuided bothe partes shoulde be the weaker and he trusted that either he or the Campanes shulde haue a fayre day of some of them One thynge troubled hym soore lest the Campanas seing his departyng from them wolde incontinent yelde the citie to the Romayns Wherfore by fayre wordes and great giftes he had gotten one of Numidia to go with his letters through the campes of the Romains as one that was runne away from the Carthaginenses army whan he shuld come to the further part of the host towarde the citie than secretly to enter into Capua and deliuer his letters which were full of comfort declaring his departyng to be for theyr profite to thintent onely to withdrawe their ennemies from Capua to defende their owne citie bydding them not to dispayre but to take pacience for a season trustyng shortly to lose them of the daunger they were in Sone after he departed with his hoste and passed the ryuer of Vulturnus taking the way towarde Rome His commynge caused great heuynes in the citie The senatours consulted what was beste for to be done in this daungerous case At length it was agreed that Q. Fuluius shulde come from Capua with a certayn legions with him leauing his felowe at the siege with a numbre sufficient for that purpose Q. Fuluius hauing this cōmandement toke with him .xv. M. fotemen and one thousand horse men and folowed Anniball as spedily as he could Now was Anniball come within .iii. miles of Rome where he pitched his tentes and made his campe on a riuer side And soone after came Quintus Fuluius Flaccus into Rome with his army and consulted with the senators of the affaires that were to be done touching their enmies Than toke Annibal .ii. M. horsemen with hym and camme to the walles and gates of Rome riding from the gate called Porta Collina to the temple of Hercules viewynge the situation of the citie and
them soo that they were constrayned to flee and in that flyght many of them hadde bene slayne or elles the folowers hadde bene putte to greatte hurte and dyspleasure by theyr faste pursuite hadde not Martius hym selfe sounde the retreate and halfe agaynste theyr wylles stayed theym frome the chase and broughte theym backe to theyr tentes beynge styll hotte fyerse and desyrous by slaughter to reuenge theym on their enenmies The Carthaginenses fledde faste for a season but at the laste seynge noo manne to folowe them thought that they for feare durste noo longer pursue theym Wherefore they made noo more suche haste but wente softely to theyr campe and whanne they were come thither they also regarded not greatly the good watche and kepynge therof but lefte all thinges negligently and vnsurely nothynge mystrusting their ennemies that were at hande for that they demed them to be but the remenaunt and leauynges of two hostes lately beaten nowe beynge gathered togyther again This neglygence of the Carthaginenses was knowen to Martius by espies Wherefore he at the fyrste apparance semed rather rasshely than boldly to enterpryse the night folowinge to inuade theym in theyr tentes and fielde thinking it more easye for him to wynne the campe of Hasdruball alone beinge sodainly taken and vnprouided than he shoulde be able to defende his owne campe and fielde if he taried tyll the .iii. capitaines of the Carthaginenses and theyr arinies were ioyned togither agayne Neuerthelesse before he wold sodainly and in the night time enterprise so high a feate he thought fyrst to make his companye priuie therof and also to make vnto them an oration whiche he began in this wise ¶ The greatte loue that I haue euer borne vnto oure good capytaynes louynge souldiours as welle whan they were onlyue as also nowe they are deade and our presente fortune at this tyme is sufficient to perswade any man that this greatte authoritie and rule which of your goodnes ye haue gyuen me is both weighty and full of care and troubles For although my mynde be sore troubled and disquieted that it can almoste at no tyme fynde any comfort or consolation but onely whan feare dryueth away the sorowes thereof yet in my dolour I onely am constrayned to comforte and relieue you all of your sorowes Neyther whan I am deuysynge by what meanes I may saue and preserue the leauynges of the two Romaines hostes for the wealthe of the countrey can I at any tyme be quitte and ridde of my sorowes For euen thanne the two Scipios bothe by daye and by nyghte doo vexe and trouble me sommetyme in dreames they appeere vnto me and many tymes they awake me out of my slepes cōmanding me not to leaue them nor yet their noble souldiours your cōpanions nor the cōmon welth vnreuenged And for that intent they will me to folow the rules and discipline that they haue taught me And as whiles they were lyuing there was no man more obedient to their commandement thā I was so lykewyse now they ar departed I shall always be as glad to do that thyng which I do suppose they wold haue done yf they werehere with vs lyuing And I wold ye shuld not thynke it best worthy warriours to mourne and weepe for theym as though they were cleane deade sens they lyue perpetually through the noble fame of their honorable actes but whan so euer ye shall going to battayle remembre any of them I wolde haue you so vahantly fight as though ye sawe them setting furthe before you with baners displayde and exhortyng you to wyn honour Such an imagination caused you yesterday so manfully to vanquysshe and put to flyght youre enemies Wherfore I am moche desyrous to proue whether you that were so hardy for your owne pleasure dare now vndertake as moche at the desyre and exhortation of me youre capitayne For yesterday whan I called you backe from the chase of your enmies I dyd it not to plucke downe your stomakes or to quench your noble courage but only to deferre the same to your more and greatter honour and also better oportunitie to the intente that you beinge prepared therfore may assayle theym vnpurueyde for the same that you armed may take them vnarmed and a slepe Our enemies thinke nothyng lesse than to beinuaded of vs in their campe whome they accompt as people besieged within our owne campe let vs nowe therfore enterpryse that whiche no man will thinke that we dare enterpryse And that shall be founde moste easy that semed moste harde to be compassed I my selfe wyll be your guide in the dead of the night and leade you so secretly and with suche silence that we wyll be within theyr campe er they shalbe ware of our comming I am ascertained that they kepe no watche nor order Their campe shall we wyn at the fyrst brunt And than let me see you make the slaughter amonge them that you intended yesterday to haue made whā against your wylles I called you back frō the pursuit of thē wherwith ye were than very angry This enterprise I know to be very great and hardy but in suche necessitie suche coūsels are best For whan occasion is offred and oportunitie serueth it muste be taken or els it wyll flee away without recouerie One of theyr armies is here at hande and two other are not farre hense Nowe yf we assayle this one hoste there may we fynde oportunitie and haue some equall matche Ye haue alredy yesterday assayed bothe your owne strength and theyrs but in case we delay it beinge contented with yesterdays honour it is ieoperdy lest all the capitayns with their powers come togither and than howe shall we be able to sustein the power of thre armies with their gouernours whom Cn. Scipio with his army was not able to withstand as by diuyding their hostes our two noble capitaynes were slayne lykewyse our enemies beinge diuided seuered may by vs be oppressed Other way is there none for vs to take nowe but only to loke for the oportunitie of this next night Wherfore in the name of the goddis go ye now to your restes and cherishe your bodies that whan I call on you you being strong and lusty maye enter into the campe of your ennemies with the same hertes and courage that of late ye defended your owne Campe. ¶ This newe counsaile of the newe capitayn was wel heard and so moche the more ioyfully receiued by howe moche the acte semed to be more bolde and hardy Wherfore they prepared all thynges in a redynesse for the departure and rested them selues the rest of the day and a good part of the night Than Martius caused them to be called vp and sette theym secretely on the way forwarde aboute thre of the clocke after mydnyght Than was there an other armye of the Carthaginenses seuen myles beyonde the campe of Hasdruball the sonne of Gysgon and in the myddes of that waye there was a holowe valeye and therin a lyttell woode Into this
tidynges of his victory and with hym he sent Mago and .xv. other senatours of newe Carthage whiche wer at the takynge of the same citie taken also prisoners after he had repaired the broken walles of the citie set therin a sufficient numbre of souldiours for the defence of the same he remoued to Tarracon whyther he had apoynted the legates of all his olde friendes and also of his newe gotten acqueintaunce to resorte for a further communication of theyr aliaunce and for the further procedynge in theyr affaires ¶ Anniball sleith Cn. Fuluius with xiii M. Romaynes beside Herdonea Marcellus the consull chasith Anniball through Apulia makyng many shirmishes with hym ca. xlvii IN this estate were the warres in Spayne durynge whiche tyme the consull Marcellus toke Salapia by treason and .ii. other townes of the Samnites by force where he slewe .iii. M. men of warre whiche Anniball had lefte for the kepyng of the same townes And Cn. Fuluius the proconsull trusting to wynne Herdonea from Anniball which was not very stronge of it selfe neither had any garnyson left there for the sufficient defence therof he remoued thyther with his army hauyng the more hope and comfort to atteyne the same for that he knew wel that Annibal after the losse of Salapia was departed into the cuntrey of the Brutians But suche as were the sure frendes of Anniball in the towne of Herdonea sent hym priuyly worde by messangers And he desyrous to kepe styl his old frendes hasted so with his horsemen and lyghtest footemen makyng so great iourneys that he was alredy com nere Herdonea before the fame of his comiÌ„g wer well knowen And to put the Romayns in more feare he appered in good aray of battaile sodainly with baners displaied Whiche Fuluius perceiuynge with lyke hardynes made spede to put his folke in aray and ioyned battayle with hym Than Anniball coÌ„manded his horsemen that after a signe or token to theim made whiles the Romains were busy in battail against his footemen and euery mans eye wer occupied busyly that they shoulde secretelye cooste the fielde and parte of them to set vpon the backes of his ennemies one other parte of them to inuade their campe and tentes with greate noyse and slaughter saying that he trusted to vanquyshe this Fuluius as he had .ii. yeres paste ouercome an other Fuluius of his name in the same cuntrey And in his hope he was nothing deceyued for so soone as the horsemen assailed the Romayns on theyr backes with great feare and slaughter anon from the campe was hearde a great crye wherby the Romayns that before kept aray and fought boldly were so disinayd that some fledde and many mo were slayne Among which the said Fuluius and .xii. tribunes with .xiii. M. Romayns were slayne and theyr campe and stuffe taken ¶ Than Anniball trustyng nothyng to the strengthe of that towne remoued the inhabitantes therof to Metapontus and to the Thurines He slew the capitains therof which had secrete coÌ„munication with the Consull and after he set the town on fyre ¶ Marcellus the Consulle baynge nothynge afrayde with the tydinges of this losse sente letters to the senate of Rome byddynge them to be no whytte discomforted therwith for he doubted not but he wolde cause Anniball to haue but very short ioy of his victory WhervpoÌ„ he immediately remoued toward Annibal pitchyng his campe in the playne fieldes euen in the syght of his ennemies And soone after valyantly came furthe in order of battayle redy to fyght On the other syde Anniball was no lesse quicke than he The battayle betwene them bothe of the horsemen and of the footemen was meruaylous fiers cruell neither ceassed it tyll the nyght departed theÌ„ with indiffereÌ„t losse of both parties In the night Anniball secretly remoued and went into Apulia Marcellus in the mornyng perceyuynge the departure of his ennemies folowed incontinent and ouertoke theim nere vnto Venusia Thus passed they all Apulia without any notable battaile the one folowinge the other And euer Anniball wolde remoue in the nyght sekyng a place to deceiue his ennemies But the consull always folowed in the day tyme sendynge before hym espies to be sure from the crafty trayne of Anniball ¶ The summer was almost ended and the tyme of chosynge consuls drewe nere at the whiche chusyng Marcellus shulde haue been hym selfe but he sent his letters to Rome affyrmynge that it shulde be ryght hurtfull to the common welth yf he dyd depart one foote from Anniball For his absence yea his onely ceassyng to assayle hym shulde gyue hym moche courage Whervpon he was coÌ„maunded to abyde stylle with his army The other consul Liuius was sent for Than were chosen consuls Q. Fabius Maximus and Q. Fuluius Flaccus Besyde this it was determined that M. Claudius Marcellus shulde kepe also his army and the warres agaynst Anniball one yere longar ¶ As touchynge the warres in Spayne it was ordeyned that Publius Scipio and Sullanus shoulde be there gouernours not onely for a yere but vnto the tyme they were called from the same by the senate ¶ Aboute this tyme came the ambassadours of kynge Syphax from Affrica to Rome shewynge the prosperous battayles that he hadde fought with the Carthaginenses desyrynge to haue the amitie of the Romaynes agreed to hym by the whole senate whyche before was moued betwene hym and the two bretherne Cneius and P. Scipio in Spayne To whose ambassadours the senatours not only gaue gentyl thankes and louynge answeres but also sent by them to the kyng ryche presentes ¶ Not longe after tidinges wer brought to Rome out of Affrica that Massanissa the sonne of kynge Gala was come to Carthage with .v. M. Numidians and that a great numbre of other Affricans wer hyred to go ouer into Spayne to Asdruball to the intent that he strongly accompanied might depart shortly from thens into Italy to his brother Annibal in whom they iudged the hope of theyr victory to rest ¶ About the same time came Lelius out of Spayne to Rome bryngynge with hym a great numbre of prisoners rehersynge in the senate house the happy wynnynge of newe Carthage in one daye with the gettyng of many newe friendes in Spaine These newes made theim not so mery as the comming of Asdruball into Italy made theim afrayde consyderinge that before he was come all theyr power was skant able to resiste the onely power of Anniball Neuerthelesse with as good chere as coulde be they discharged Lelius sendyng hym agayne in to Spayne with the shyppes that came with hym ¶ Marcellus gyueth battayle to Anniball in whiche his men be put to flyght wherupon he maketh them a sharpe oration he reneweth the battayll on the morowe puttâ—th Anniball and his host to flight with losse of many of his men cap. xlviii THe newe Consull leauynge all thynges in good order at Rome departed towardes the warres Q. Fuluius Flaccus passed Capua to whome Q. Fabius made instant requeste before he departed that he wolde kepe
strayght and quicke warres with Anniball whyles that he dyd besiege the citie of Tarent whiche citie if he myghte ones take frome hym he shulde haue no place sure to go to neyther knowe to what cost he myght safely tourne hym so that he shuld afterwarde haue small cause to abide in Italy The same request he also made to Marcellus by his letters who thynkynge no man in Italy so able to matche Anniball as he was hym selfe was so kendeled stirred with Fabius letters that so sone as the wynter was passed and any fode was founde in the fieldes able to susteyne his army and cattel he went to Canusium where Annibal then laye and hadde moued the rulers of the towne to yelde vnto hym leauyng the Romayne amitie But so sone as he parceyued that Marcellus was come he remoued from thense leauynge that playne countrey and sought the hylly and woddy countrey whiche myght be more apte for traynes of deceipte for his ennemies ¶ Marcellus euer folowed him harde ioyning almost campe to campe Dyuers skyrmyshes were made betwene the horse men of bothe partes But Anniball not mynding to ieoparde all at ones fledde before hym in the nyghte At the last the other ouertoke hym in the playne fielde And as Anniball caused his campe to be trenched fortified Marcellus with his men let the workes therof so that whether he wold or no he was enforced to do batayl which thyng he had most eschued Wherefore they ordered theyr armies on bothe parties and fought tyll the nyght departed them On the morowe Marcellus early put his men in good aray and Anniball dydde the same exhortyng his men to remembre their noble conquestes at Trasymenus and at Cannas and not to suffre theyr gredye and vnreasonable ennemy so to vexe them that they might not haue tyme to incampe them selues ye scarsely to loke aboute or to take breathe The sonne whan it ryseth and the Romain army do bothe at one tyme appere in the fieldes But in case saythe he ye so handle hym that he may ones departe with losse of his men out of the fielde he wil herafter be more easy to intreate With these exhortations and also being euyl contented with the tedious continuall pursuing of theyr enemies they fiersly went to battaile where they fought cruelly by the space of .ii. longe houres At the last the ryght wynge of the Romayns gaue backe whose place to fulfyll Marcellus appoynted an other legion of men of armes of his company But as the fyrst reculed with feare so the other came fayntly into their places At the last the Romayn host being more fearefull than shamefast began to flee There was slayn that day of the Romains .ii. thousand and seuen hundred wherof .iiii. wer capitaines hundreders and two tribunes ¶ Marcellus after that he was come into his campe made to his souldiours so soore and cruell an oration that the wordes of the angry capitayne semed to them more displeasaunt and peynefull than the trauayle that they toke in the battaylle the daie before ¶ I am moche bounde sayth he to the immortall goddes when ye so fearfully toumbled together into your tentes that it chaunced not your ennemy after his victory to assayle your campe also For no fayle loke with what feare ye left the battayle with lyke feare also had ye forsaken your campe What sodayne feare hath nowe inuaded you What thynge hath caused you so sone to forget bothe the estate of your selfe and also of your ennemies Do ye not remembre that these be the same ennemies whom ye ouercame and pursued the last soÌ„mer these be the same whome fleinge before you bothe daye and night ye chased through the cuÌ„treis Ye they be the same that yesterday ye wold neither suffer to flee from you nor yet gyue theim so moche time as to fortifye theyr fielde I wil no more reherse thynges wherein ye may glory but nowe wyll I declare thynges whereof ye ought moche to be ashamed Yester daye ye departed from the batayle with euen hande and nowe what hath this daye or this nyghte ben so greate a lette vnto you or taken from you Was your army therby any whit lessed or theyr power any whyt encreased Truely me thinketh nowe that I speake not to mine owne company of souldiours nor yet to Romains I perceiue here nothing of theim but bodies and armour For if ye had had the same hertes and miÌ„des your ennemies shuld neuer haue loked you on the backes nor you had loste none of your standardes Before this time he could neuer glorie of the slaughter of any of our company only yesterdaie ye gaue him the honour by the death of your felowes ¶ Then euerie man cried out aloude to him desirynge pardon of the daie past and ones againe to trie the herte and courage of his men when so euer it shulde please him Nowe saide he truely and I wyl proue you againe For I wil to morowe in the morninge set you forthe in araie to the intent that ye as vanquishers may aske forgiuenes rather then as people vanquished ¶ On the morrowe after that his men had well eaten and dronken and made theim stronge when he should put his people in order he set in the vâ—warde those that fled first the daye before and those companies that loste their standardes and then the other as him best lyked comaundinge theim all earnestely to fyghte and to ouercome theyr ennemies so that the victorie of that present daie might fly and come to Rome before the sclaunder of yesterdaies flienge ¶ Whan Anniball herd of the fierse courage of Marcellus he sayd We haue to do nowe with suche an ennemye as can neyther suffre his good fortune nor badde For yf he ouercom his ennemies he gredily styl assaileth theim And whan he is ouercome he also fiersly renueth the warres vpon theim After these wordes he incontinent brought his hoste furthe into the fielde where the battayle was more cruell than it was the daie before The Carthaginenses euer stryuynge to kepe the honour and the Romaynes to auenge the shame gotten the daie before The aduauntage of the battayle betweene theim abode longe in suspence Marcellus as a present witnesse was euer redye to comforte and exhorte his Romaynâ—s Anniball seinge the doubtefulnesse of the fyght and victory to putte his ennemies to sodayne feare caused his Elephantes to be sette agaynste the forewarde whyche at the fyrste comynge brought theim out of order and didde theim muche trouble and hurte wherby the one parte thereof was lefte bare and voyde of resystence and the reste had fled also hadde not Decius Flauius a Tribune taken the standerde of one of the bandes of horsemen commaundynge the company belongynge to the same standerde to folowe hym boldely whom they obeyde and he incontinent brought theim where the company of elephantes dyd moste displeasure causynge mooste trouble and rumour Than badde he theim couragiousely to throwe theyr dartes and speares at those beastes whyche
his army Liuius answered that best it was he entered into his campe secretly in the nyght For the more suertie wherof he gaue a pryuy watche worde or token wherby one tribune shulde receyue an other one centurio or hundredour an other one horseman an other and one foteman shulde receyue an other And it was thought that there was space ynoughe in the fyrste campe to receyue hym and his cōpanye sense those that came with Claudius Nero brought lyttle more with them but onely theyr armour for the spedinesse of theyr war Liuius tentes were then pitched nere to Sena and Asdruball rested not past halfe a myle thence When Nero approched he couered hym with mountaynes and hylles tyll it was nighte Then kepynge greate sylence they entred the campe of Liuius and were euery man broughte into the tentes by his lyke officer where they were friendly and gentylly receyued with great ioye and gladnesse L. Portius the pretor had his campe ioynynge to the campe of the consull The daye folowynge they counsayled what was best then to be done Some gaue aduyse that Nero with his company beinge wery shulde reste them certayne dayes and that the battayle shulde be differred tyll they were fully refreshed of their longe trauayle and in the meane tyme to knowe the maner of theyr ennemyes But Nero wolde in noo wyse agree therto he instantly desyred them so to worke that his secrete enterpryse whiche by his swyfte comynge thither was made sure shulde not by theyr long tarying be made folyshe and voyde For Annibal beinge deceyued kepeth hym close in his tentes not knowynge of my comyng hyther nor of the vnsure leauing of myne armye in my campe but this deceyte can not longe behyd With spede makyng Asdruball and his host may be ouerthrowen er euer I departe and then may I with lyke speede returne to my company into Apulia But whoo so by prolongynge of the tyme gyueth space to his ennemies he causeth my campe in Apulia to be delyuered to Anniball and openeth the way for hym to come hither to be ioyned to his brother Asdrubal at his pleasure Wherfore incontinent let vs go to battayle and therby bothe our ennemyes that be absente in Apulia and also those that be here present at hand shalbe deceyued the other by thynkynge our numbre there to be no lesse then it was and these by thinking your numbre to be nothynge increased ¶ After these earnest wordes of Claudius they departed frō the counsaile and euery man armed hym selfe and were put in good order of battayle The Carthaginenses also were alredy come out of theyr campe and stode in array redy to fyght and bothe the armies had without taryeng gone to gither had not Asdrubal for a season caused his company to stay He with certayne other horsemen in his company rode before his host where he perceiued amonges the Romaynes to be many olde shildes whiche he had not seene before Also he marked many carreine leane and ouer laboured horses He thought also the numbre of his ennemies was greatter then it was wont to be Wherfore hauyng a mistrust of that whiche in dede was true he blewe the retraite And incontinent sent certayn of his men to the ryuer where the Romayne horses were watered to espye and marke whether any of theyr horses were discoloured by dashinge with myre of the waye or with dust wherby they might appere to be of late iourneyed He also caused some other to ride a farre of aboute theyr campes to se whether the trenche that enuironed the campe were enlarged any whyt or not Furthermore to marke whether the trumpet did sounde ones or two tymes within the campe of the Romaynes Nothinge deceiued him so moche as when worde was broughte him that the campes were nothynge enlarged but that there were but twaine as was before one of Liuius cōsull the other of L. Portius and neither of thē altered otherwise then they fyrste were Neuerthelesse it troubled hym sore beinge a wyse man and moche vsed to warres with the Romaynes when it was shewed hym that the trumpet blewe but ones in the pretors campe but in the other it blewe two tymes wherfore he iudged surely that bothe the consuls were there Whervppon he began to muse howe the other consull shulde be departed from his brother Anniball He could not deuyse the thing as it was that his brother was so illuded by the departinge of the capitayne from his campe whiche was not farre of with part of his power He iudged that he had susteined some gret losse wherby he durst not followe the consull Wherfore he feared greatly least whan all was lost before he was come to late to his brother with socours He also mistrusted that his letters neuer came to Anniballes handes but that they with his messangers were taken vp by the waye vpon the syghte wherof the other consull was come with hast to vanquishe him also Beinge in this great perplexitie he caused all the fires to be put oute and euery man to trusse vp his stuffe and baggage and in the begynninge of the nyghte he with his hole host departed secretely folowinge two guides Whoo had not farre gone with them but partly for feare and partely beinge troubled with the rumour of the armye toke no good hede to their waye wherfore they secretely slypped awaye leauyng theim without a guide Some wandered abrode in the fieldes some beinge wery and ouerwatched laide them bowne to slepe and to rest them leauynge theyr standardes When the daye appered Asdruball caused his standardes to go before the hoste alonge the syde of the ryuer of Metaurus sekynge for fordes where he myght passe ouer but the further he went vp the riuer the hyer were the bankes Thus wanderynge styll after the crokes and tourninges of the banke sekyng a place of passage he spente a great parte of the daye in waste wherby the Romaynes had gotten tyme and space to followe them Fyrst Nero with his horsemen ouer toke them sone after came Lucius Portius with his light harnessed men They slewe many of Asdruball his folke that abode behynd in the fieldes to rest them Asdruball seinge no remedy to escape soughte for some hyll by the riuer syde wheron he myghte lodge his host By that tyme was Liuius also come with al his power of fotemen armed and in good array Then ioynynge theyr companies to gether they put euery man in order Claudius Nero led the ryght wynge Liuius kept the lefte wyng Portius the pretor came in the myddell warde ¶ Whan Asdruball sawe to remedy but that he must needes fyght he left the fortifiyng of his campe and put his people in array In the forefront he set his elephantes about theim on the lefte hande agaynst Claudius Nero the consull he set his frenchemen not for that he trusted to theim moche hym selfe but bicause he thought his ennemies feared theim most The ryghte wynge he kepte hym selfe with his spanyardes his olde meane of warre in
whom his moste truste was The Liguriens men of a countrey of Italy were sette in the middell behynde the elephantes There was a greatte hylse betwene the Frenchemen and Claudius Nero so that he by no meanes with his host might come to fight with theim Wherfore they stode styll a good space without doing of any thing But betweene Asdruball and Liuius fyers and mortall was the fyght There were the greate numbre of Romayne fotemen agaynst the multitude of Spaniardes his expert warryours and also agaynst the Liguriens which wer very stronge and valiant men The elephantes also dyd at the fyrste moche displeasure Claudius seinge that he coulde not haue to doo with the Frenchemen tourned aboute his company and fetchyng a compasse came on the other syde of Asdruballes armye Than were the Spanyardes and the Liguriens slayne on all parties and the fyght was alredy come to the frenchmen who were able to make smal resistence for many of their company were shronken away and feble for labour and ouerwatchynge as they be a people that can not well away with peyne Many of theim were there slayne Many also of the elephantes were slayne by the Romaynes but moo by theyr owne rulars that rode vppon theim For after they were ones stryken and aferde the beastes were so vnruly and dyd soo moche hurte to theyr owne Carthaginenses hoste that theyr owne kepers and ryders slewe theim ¶ Asdruball lyke a full noble capitayne handled hym selfe in that battayle sometyme fyghtâ—ng valiantly in his owne persone sometyme exhortyng his men manfully to fight sometyme he desyred his werye souldiours to take some peyne for hym and for theyr owne lyues sometyme he rebuked theyr sluggyshnes And yf any began to flee he anon brought them backe to the battayle and restored agayne the fielde whyche in diuers places was slaked At the last whan he saw no helpe but that withoute remedy he muste lose the fielde not myndynge to lyue after so great a slaughter of his men and friendes whyche for his sake vndertooke that voyage he ranne his horse with the spurres into the myddell of the Romayne hoste where to declare the noble valour of his stomacke of whome he was descended lyke the sonne of Amilcar and brother to Anniball he valyantly fought and fyghtyng was slayne Greate was the slaughter of the Carthaginenses in that battayle so that it was thought equall to the Romaynes losse at Cannas as well for the numbre of menslayne as for the losse of the capitaynes There was of Asdrubals hoste in this battayle slayne syx and fyfty thousande men and there were .v. thousande and foure hundred taken prysoners The pray at the spoyle was great bothe of golde and syluer and also of the Romayne prisoners whiche before Asdruball bad taken Of whyche Romayne prysoners there were founde aboue .iiii. M. The Romayns lost in this battayle almoste .viii. M. men On the morowe woorde was broughte to Liuius that those frenchemen and Ligures whiche were left on liue at the battayle the daye before were nowe assembled togither agayne and went away without any capitayn or kepyng good order so that they myght soone be all slayne yf he wolde send but one wynge of horsemen to pursue theim Not so sayd Liuius we wyll suffre some of our ennemies to escape whyche shal remayne and be messangers both of the distruction of our ennemies and also of our noble honour and prowesse ¶ Claudius Nero the night after the battayle foughten departed with his company agayne toward his owne camp making so moche hast in his retourne that the syxt day folowing he was come to his owne campe and to the frontiers of his ennemy Annibal he made suche spede that no messenger was come thyther before him whiche hadde broughte any newes of the victorie Wherefore his personalle comynge with the sodein declaration of their good spede caused so greatte ioye and gladnes in the Romayne armie as thoughe an heauenlie comforte had ben sent theym after an extreme doloure At Rome also when newes were brought of their prosperus successe suche ioye was made as canne not well be expressed For after Claudius departynge towarde his selowe frome the sonne rysynge to the some settynge the senatours neuer departed frome the senate howse neyther wente the cytezens out of the market place The matrones of the citie were in contynuall prayers soo that with theyr clamour pylgremages and vowes theyr goddis were all weryed But whame the certayntie of the vyctorye the greatte occision of theyr ennemies with the deathe of the Capytayne was broughte theâ—â— by the legates of the consulles theyr suspended hoope was sodaynely tourned into a perfecte ioye whyche passed measure Thâ—n beganne the marchauntes to bye to sell to paye to receyue and to make all maner of contractes as they were wont to do intyme of peace ¶ Claudius the consâ—ll retournynge frome the battayle broughte with hym the heade of Asdruball whyche at his fyrste comynge he caused to be throwen before the entree of Anniballes campe He alsoo caused the Affricans whyche he hadde taken prysoners in the battaylle bounden as they were to be sette before his campe to the intente his ennemyes myghte see theim And for the more encrease of Anniballes sorowe he loosed two of his sayde Affricanes prysoners commaundynge theim to goo to Anniball and to declare vnto hym the ordre of all thynges as they hadde ben done in the battayl wherwith he was so stryken with sorowe bothe for the losse of soo greate noumbee of menne of his brothers armye as also for the losse of his friendes and famylyars that he sayde he knewe full well what shoulde be the fortune and fatall chaunce of Carthage within shorte space Whervppon he remoued into the fieldes of the Brutians And for that he hadde no power lefte hym of men to defende his fortresses that yet helde being so farre of he gathered to gyther all the Metapontanes and the Lucanes suche as were his frendes and brought them all into the countrey of the Brutians where he remayned for a season counsailing what were beste for hym to doo ¶ Scipio in dyuies battayles discomâ—iteth the Carthaginenses taketh Hanno on â—yue dryucth Hasdruball and Mage with all theyr power cleane out of Spayne Cap. liiii IN Spayne betwene the Romayns and the Carthaginenses thus was the countrey diuyded Asdruball the sonne of Gysgon was dryuen with his companye into the vttermoste parte of Spayne and to the yles called the Gades The rest of the countrey eastwardes was vnder the dominion of the Romaynes onelesse it were very fewe cities whyche were kepte by the Affricanes to whose succours Hanno a newe capitayne was sent from Affrica with a newe armye in steede of Asdruball that was slayne This Hanno had also hyred a great nomber of men of warre in Celtiberia With this great hoste he ioyned to Mago Agaynste whome Scipio sent M. Sillanus with .x. M. footemen and v C. horsemen And he passynge the hye hilles and manifold daungerous passages
as I haue endeuoured my selfe that no man shoulde forethynke hym of the warre begunne thorough mine occasion in like maner shal I nowe enforce my selfe that none shal repent of the peace which I shall take His oration finished Scipio made him thervnto this aunswere ¶ The answere of Scipio to the oration of Anniball with the battaile thervpon had betwene them wherin Anniball was vanquished and put to flyght Ca. lxx I Knewe ryght well Anniball that the truste of thy comyng home made the Carthaginenses to breake the truse betwene vs taken and also to let all further hope of peace And this thou doest not denye thy selfe but thou nowe withdrawest from vs all thynges that we requyre and were also graunted in that treatise of peace saue onely those countreys wherof we haue alredy the possession Wherfore as thou doest labour that thy citezens may feele of what burthen they be discharged by the so must I trauayle that noo parte of that whyche they haue promysed me shall be nowe withdrawen for to remayne vnto theim as a rewarde of their vntrouth consyderyng the same theyr vntrouthe hathe made theim vnwoorthye to haue the conditions of peace before to theim offered Neyther dyd our father fyrste make warre for Sicilia nor we nowe for Spayn But than the dangier wherin the Mamertines our frendes and fellowes were put into and nowe the distruction of Sagunt caused vs iustly to make warre That all hath bene by your prouocation thou hast cōfessed thy selfe The goddis also be witnesses who gaue suche ende to the first warre as of right it behoued to haue And in this warre haue gyuen and I doubt not but wil giue like end As for my part I consyder well bothe the infirmitie of man and the power of fortune and I know that all our actes be subiect to a. M. chances But as I do knowlage that in case thou woldist haue come to desire peace of me before I toke so grettrauaile to come into Affrica and that thou haddest with thy good wil departed with thine army out of Italy if I had then denied thy requeste I might well haue been iudged to haue wrought proudely and stubburnely Euen so now after that I haue drawē the and thy power home into Affrica where thou arte redy to make vs resistence And seinge that a peace and truce was ones taken whiche ye haue broken taking our shippes with force in tyme of truce and violatinge our embassadours I may ryghte well with honour byd you prepare for the warre sens you could not hold you contented with peace whan ye had it Thus without any agrement of peace the .ii. capytaines brake of their communication and departed euery one to his company determining to try the matter by battail and to take suche fortune as the goddis wolde gyue theim ¶ As soone as they were come into their campes they openly on bothe partes gaue commaundement to their souldiours to make them redy to fyght now theyr last battaile wherby in cas they dyd ouercome they shulde haue felicitie not for one day but for euer For before the next nyght they shuld know whether Rome or Carthage shuld haue the superioritie And that not onely of Italye or of Affrica but of all the worlde whiche shulde be a rewarde nowe to hym that shuld haue the victory On the contrary part the peryll and ieoperdye was no lesse declared to that part whiche shulde haue the worse in this battayle For the Romaynes hadde no place whether to flye beinge in a straunge countrey And to Carthage muste nedes come an vtter distruction in case this their last army of refuge were vanquished or ouerthrowen ¶ In this great ieopardy on the next day the .ii. valyant capitaynes of the two most noble and rychest people sette furthe with their .ii. myghty armies intendynge that day eyther to increase the honour whiche before they had gotten or els to be ouerthrowen and lose all Hoope and feare were myngled bothe togyther in theyr myndes And whan they sawe theyr owne battaile and the battayle of their ennemies they conceiued in their myndes both ioye and sorowe And that that the souldiours fayled to remembre theyr capitaines declared vnto theim with greate warnynges and exhortations Anniball rehersed to his people all theyr actes done in Italy how many Romayne capytaynes and howe many armyes they hadde slayne Scipio shewed his conquestes in Spayne and also of late in Affrica with the confessyon of his ennemyes that they for feare were constrayned to requyre peace although theyr vntrouth wold not suffre theim to kepe the same whan they had it Wherfore he gessed that the goddis had appointed theim to fyght in this bataile with lyke successe and lucke as they had whā they fought at the yle of Egates Now sayd he all warre trauayle is at an end The spoyle of Carthage is euen at hande after whyche ye shall retourne home in to your countreye to youre parentes your wyues your chylderne and your owne goodes These comfortable woordes he sette furthe with suche gesture of his bodye and merye countenaunce as though he hadde al redy hadde the vyctory of his ennemies Afterward he putte his men in order First his spearemen than his chiefe and mooste assured footemen not in greate multitudes togyther before any standarde but in smalle bandes whyche shoulde be a certayne space distaunt the one from the other to the intent the elephantes of theyr ennemyes myghte come betweene the sayde bandes and be receyued of theim without breakynge any arraye In these voyde spaces betweene the sayde bandes he appoynted dyuers of his lyghtest harneysed souldiours to stande to fulfyll the voyde places commaundynge theim that whan the elephantes pressed on theim that they shuld recule behynde the sayd bandes whyche were in array or els to steppe in among those that went before the standerdes on their right hande or on their left hand giuing way to the vnruly beastis to entre amonge his men where with weapons they myght be wounded and ouerthrowen The lefte wynge ledde Lelius with the Italyan horsemen The ryghte wynge ledde Massanissa with his Numidians ¶ Anniball on the other part in the forefront of his battaile sette his elephantes whyche were to the numbre of .lxxx. After whome he put in ordre all suche nations as were hyred or came to his succour as Liguriens Frenchemen and men of the Iles named Baleares now called Maiorque and Minorque myngled amonge a great numbre of Moores In the seconde battaile he sette his Carthaginenses with the Affricanes and the legion of the Lacedemonians sent thither to the succours of the Carthaginenses from Philip kyng of Macedome And within a lyttell space of from theim he placed the Italians which cam with him whan he left that cuntrey The winges wer of horsemen The left winge helde the Numidian horsemen The right wynge was of the Carthaginenses In this hoste of Annibal wer men of diuers nations cuntreis of diuers tunges and
Romans .iii. C. peces of syluer other that came to theyr succours and of Italy ii C. and theyr seruantes for .i. C. Whiche money beinge ones payde for theyr redemption they shuld haue libertie to go to theyr cuntreis This done he caused the deade bodyes of his owne host to be searched and buried whyche were to the numbre of .viii. M. amonge whyche he caused the body of the Consulle to be buryed ¶ There was a certayn woman of a noble kynred called Busa whyche succoured the Romans that were fledde to Cammusium bothe with meate drynke clothe and other necessaries for whyche dede the warre beynge fynysshed she was had with the Romaynes in great honour There were that timein Cannusium .iiii. Tribunes whiche were Fabius Maximus the yonger and Lucius P. Bibulus P. Cornelius Scipio and Appius Claudius Pulcher they al by the assent also of the other souldyours gaue the whole rule and gouernance of the whole company of the Romanes whyche were there to P. Scipio beyng than very yonge and to Appius Claudius To whome whan they were consultyng amonge other for the profyte of the common welth P. Furius Philius sayd that theyr counsell was but in vayne for to restore and brynge agayne that whyche was vtterly loste And that the common wealthe was deserte and cleane subuerted aduysyng the noble yonge men to folow the purpose of Lucius Cecilius Metellus and to take hym as theyr gouernoure who was redy with many other with hym to depart the city in haste takynge theyr shyppes whiche were purposely ordeyned for theym and by the sea to flee ouer to some prynce or kyng for succour Whyche cruell counsell sodeynly gyuen after theyr great losse and mysfortune made them very fearefull and in great doubte what they shulde do in so moche that many beinge there present thought to deliberate on the matter Whyche deliberation yonge Scipio elect by desteny to fynyshe the same warres agaynst the Carthaginenses denied and dispised We must sayth he be bolde and valyantly enterpryse thynges in so great a myschiefe and not stande longe consultyng vpon them Wherfore he commaunded that soo many as wolde haue the common welthe safe shulde go with hym armed And than he with a fewe folowyng hym went to Metellus lodgynge where fyndynge an assemble of yonge men in coniuration vppon the dyuise of Furius Philus before declared he helde his naked swearde ouer theyr heades and sayde With my whole mynde and wyll I sweare that I shall neuer leaue the common wealthe of the cytie of Rome nor shall suffer any citezen of Rome to leaue it And if I wyllyngly be false than I pray the mighty and omnipotent Iupyter to distroy my house my familye and all my goodes with mooste vylest destruction Whiche othe I requyre of the Lucius Cecilius and of all other that are here presente And he that wyll not sweare the same lette hym knowe that my naked swerde shall passe through hym All they beyng no lesse feared with his wordes than yf Anniball had bene present toke the same othe and commytted theym selues to the tuition of Scipio ¶ While these thinges were done at Cannusium there were gathered togither about .iii. M. horsemen and fotemen and were come to Venusia where the consulle Varro was with whyche company the consul came to Cannusiū and hauyng so great a numbre about hym thought hym selfe able to defend them selues and the citie from Anniball ¶ Of this great losse in the batayle newes was broughte to Rome without any mencion of sauyng of the sayde number that were with the consull but that euery man was slayn and no Roman left on lyue Whyche newes caused as great feare and rumour in the cytie as euer was hearde there before In soo moche that it was bruted abroode that nother capitayn nor souldiour was left in the Roman campes and that almooste all Italy was yelded to Anniball Wherefore they loked euery howre whan theyr ennemies wolde come to besiege the cytie of Rome Whervppon the senatours prepared at Rome all thynges necessary for the succours of the citie Than they ordeyned theyr legyons and offycers Marcus Iunius by the whole consent of the Senate was chosen Dictator and Titus Sempronius mayster of the horsemē There was also by the same auctorite chosen 4. legions and a thousande horsemen of yonge men of the age of .xvii. yeres besydes that they sente to theyr frendes in other places of Italye that they also shoulde prepare sowldyours of the same sorte with horse harneys and all other necessaries ¶ The cytie thus beinge in extreme feare letters came from the Consull Terentius to Rome certifyenge the Senate of the losse of the battayle and of his felowe the other Consul And howe he with the leauynges of the hooste that escaped at the battayle were at Cannusium to the noumbre of tenne thousand men Whych newes somwhat comforted the hartes of the citezens ¶ Howe lette vs retourne to Anniball who beynge busyed about his prysoners suffered tenne of the Romayn captiues in the name of all the other to go to Rome to see yf the fathers conscript or any of theyr frendes wolde redeme them and theyr company that were prysoners desyrynge of these tenne messangers none other suerties for theyr retourne sauynge theyr othe With whom he sent a noble baron of Carthage to the intent that yf it shulde happe theym to intreate of peace he myghte brynge the condycions thereof with hym The pryce of the redemption of a Romayne horseman was fyue hundred peces of syluer called Quadrigati so named for that the coygne bare in it the prynt of a charyote The pryce of a Romane cytezen was thre hundred the price of a seruaunt was one hundred All other prysoners of Italy that camme to the helpe of the Romayns he lette go free to theyr countreys without raunsome And whan it was shewed the councell that they were come to Rome a messanger mette this baron of Carthage whose name was Carthabo and shewed hym that the Dictator commaunded that he shulde depart from the boundes of Rome before the nyght ¶ Sone after the Senate or parlyament was holden for the captyues messangers where one of theym that was of most authoritie thus began to say openly pronounce his oracion ¶ The oration of the captiue prisoners made to the senate for theyr redemption Cap. xxiiii IT is not vnknowen to you all Fathers conscript that there was neuer more wretched vyle prisoners to any citie thā haue ben to this our citie Hot withstandyng vnles we stand very moch in our owne conceit there were neuer Romans takē prysoners in warre which were lesse worthy to be dispysed vnto you than we be nowe For truely we dyd not yeld vp our harneys and wepons in battel for feare as cowardes but whan it drewe towarde night standyng vpon heapes of deade bodies we withdrewe from the battayle and went to our tentes where as we beinge bothe weary with labour and soore wounded kepte our selues in