Marcellus bestowing his ashes in a Silver pot covered with a Crown of Gold and sent it to his Son to be interred where he pleased Then icinius the Roman Admiral laid hard Siege to Locri wherefore Hannibal went thither again but as soon as his Vant-couriers appeared the Romans ran in confused heapes to their Ships leaving all their Engins and whatsoever was in their Camp to Hannibal C. Claudius Nero and M. Livius were chosen Consuls at which time Asdrubal was already come into France and was approaching towards Italy Livius wold not stir against him but with a considerable Army and those of the choisest men and Claudius with an other Army was sent against Hannibal By this time newes came that Asdrubal was passing the Alps and that the Ligurians and those about Genoa were ready to joyn with him When all was ordered according to the Consuls minde they went forth of the City each his severall way The Citizens were full of fears there being an other Son of Amilcar come into Italy and one that in this expedition seemed to be of more sufficiency than Hannibal For whereas in that long and dangerous march through so many Barbarous Nations over great Rivers and Mountains Hannibal had lost a great part of his Army Asdrubal in the same journy had increased his descended from the Alps like a rowling Snowball far greater than when he came over the Pyrenes This made the People wait upon their Consuls out a Town like a pensive train of Mourners Asdrubal at his first coming into Italy set upon Placentia but there he lost a great deal of time and yet was faigne at last to leave it whereby he gave the Roman Consuls leasure to make ready for him and caused his Brother Hannibal to make no hast to meet him knowing that Placentia would not be taken in hast Nero made what speed he could to meet with Hannibal and stop him from joyning with his Brother He had with him fourty thousand Foot besides Horse with which he oft offered Hannibal Battel and in diverse Skirmishes had the better of him At Crumentum Hannibal fought with him but was worsted yet â—at he off and marched away to 〈◊〉 with Nero still at his heels Thence he went to Canuâ—â—â—m and sat down there neer the place where he had obtained his most memorable Victory There also Nero sat down by him thinking it enough to hinder him from joyning with his succours There was he advertised of Asdrubals approach by letters that were going to Hannibal which he intercepted wherefore he resolved that it was better to run some desparate adventure than to suffer them to joyn together He therefore took six thousand Foot and a thousand Horse all of his choisest men and away he posted as fast as he could to assist his Fellow Consul Livy at that time lay encamped neer to Serea Gallica and Asdrubal within half a mile of him In six dayes Nero finished his journy thither and by the way his company was encreased by some voluntaries The next day after his coming they consulted together and resolved to fight the enemy Asdrubal perceiving that both the Consuls were now together and thereupon feared that Hannibal was slaine and though before he was forward to fight yet now he thought it no shame to retreat farther from them So he dislodged secretly by night intending to get over the River Metaurus but being misled by his Guids he had not gone far before Nero was at his heels with all the Horse which hindred him from going any farther and the other Consul followed with the Legions in order of Battel Asdrubal seeing a necessity to fight omitted no care or circumspection His Gauls he placed in the left wing upon a Hill which the Enemy could not ascend without much difficulty In the right wing he stood himself with his Africans and Spaniards His Lygurians he placed in the midst and his Elephants in the Front of the Battel On the Romans side Nero had the right Wing Livius the left and Portius led the Battel Livy and Portius found strong opposition and with great slaughter on both sides prevailed little or nothing Nero laboured much in vain against the steep Hill where the Gauls stood out of his reach wherefore taking part of his Forces he led them round behind Livy and Portius and charged Asdrubal in the Flank which made the Victory incline to the Romans For Nero ran all along the depth of Asdrubals Battel and put it to rout Of the Spaniards and Africans the greatest part were slaine the Ligurians and Gauls saved themselves by flight Of the Elephants only four were taken alive the rest were slaine most by their riders the Guid having in readinesse a mallet and a chissel wherewith he gave a stroke between the â—ars in the joynt next the Head wherewith he killed the Beast upon a sudden Asdrubal strove with great Patience against many difficulties and performed all the duties of a worthy Generall and stout Souldier and when he saw the losse irraparable he rode manfully into the thickest of the Enemies where fighting bravely he was slain The number of the slain on both sides is variously reported the Camp and all the Riches in it fell into the hands of the Romans When it was known at Rome how Nero had left his Army they were much amazed and full of fears The People filled the Market place the Women ran to the Temples with Vows and Prayers and all were filled with melancholly therefore the newes of this Victory was intetained with exceeding joy as if Hannibal were already driven out of Italy Nero returning to his Camp threw the Head of Asdrubal before the Carthaginians and brought forth his African Prisoners bound sending two of them to give Hannibal notice what had happened Hannibal having in this unhappy fight lost besides his worthy Brother all hope that had so long sustained him in Italy withdrew himself into the Country of the Brutians and thither he caused all the Lucans his Friends to remove as likwise all that dwelt in Metapontum For he wanted men to defend so many places as he held lying so far asunder Wherefore he drew them all into â—â—ester compasse in the utmost corner of Italy it being a Country of much fastnesse and the People exceedingly devoted unto his service This was in the thirteenth year after his coming into Italy and from thence to the eighteenth year wherein he departed there was no memorable thing done For Hannibal wanted strength wherewith to make any great attempt the Romans had little minde to provoke him but thought it well that he was quiet This commendation is given him by the Roman Historians themselves That making War upon a People of all others the most Warlike he obtained so many Victories by his own good conduct And that leading an Army compounded of so many sundry Nations Africans Spaniards Gauls Carthaginians Italians and Greeks which were neither in
man whose name is Mago and therewith he fell a laughing which all the Souldiers also took for a good Omen In this great day the Carthaginian excelled himself expressing abundance of Military skill and of greâ—tnesse of spirit and courage He so marshalled his Army that all hands were brought to fight where every one might do the best service His Darters and Slingers he sent before to encounter the Roman Velites His Africans Armed after the Roman manner made the two Wings very deep in File Between these he ranged the Gauls and Spaniards armed the first with broad Swords and the other with short and well-pointed Blades The Gauls were strong of Body and furious in giving the Charge but soon wearied spending their violence at the first brunt The Spaniards were lesse eager but more wary These Hannibal caused to advance leaving void the place wherein they had stood and into which they might fall back if they were over-hardly pressed Between the left Batallion by the River side were the Gauls and Spanish Horse under Asdrubal On the right Wing was Maharbal with the Numidian Horse Hannibal himself with his Brother Mago led the Rear His Army this day was ten Thousand Horse and fourty Thousand Foot His enemies had two to one against him in Foot and he five to three against them in Horse The Roman Army was marshalled after their usuall manner On the right hand were the Roman Horsemen under the Consul Paulus On the left Wing was Varâ—o with the rest of the Horse which were of the Latines and other associates and Servilius had the leading of the Battel The Sun was newly risen and offended neither part the Carthaginians having their faces Northward and the Romans Southward After some light Skirmishes between the two Forlorns Asdrubal brake in upon the Consul Paulus and after a rough charge and much execution done the Roman Horse were overborn and driven by plain force to a staggering recoil When the Battels came to joyning the Roman Legionaries found work enough and more than enough to break that Body upon which at first they fell yet at last Hannibals men were forced to a hasty retreat But whilst the Legions following their supposed Victory rushed on upon those that stood before them and thereby engaged themselves deeply within the principal strength of the enemy the two African Battalions on either side advanced so far that getting beyond the Rear of them they almost wholly inclosed them Asdrubal having broken the Troops of the Roman Horse followed them along upon the River side beating downe and killing most of them without regard of taking Prisoners The Consul Paulus left his Horse and cast himself amongst the Legions as hoping by them to make good the day But he failed of his expectation Yet did he cheer up his men as well as he could both by Words and Example slaying many with his own hands The like did Hannibal amongst his Carthaginians in the same part of the Battel but with better successe For the Consul received a blow from a Sling that wounded him much and though a Troop of Roman Gentlemen did their best to save him from further harm yet was he so hardly laid at that by wounds and weaknesse he was compelled to forsake his Horse whereupon all his company also allighted Hannibal being near and seeing this said pleasantly I had rather he would have delivered them to me bound hand and foot meaning that he had them almost as safe as if they had been so bound All this while Varro with his associates in the left Wing was marvelously troubled with Maharbal and his Numidians who beating up and down upon the great Sandy plain raised a foul dust which by a strong South wind was driven into the eyes and mouths of the Romans These using the advantage both of their number and lightnesse wearied the Consul and his followers exceedingly neither giving nor sustaining any charge but continually making offers and then wheeling about Yet at the first they seemed to promise him a happy day of it For when the Battels were even ready to joyn five hundred of these Numidians came pricking away from their fellows with their Shieldes on their backs as was the manner of those which yeilded and throwing down their Armes yielded themselves Varro had no leasure then to examine them but bad them to rest quietly behind his Army till all was done These crafty marchchants did as he bad them for a while till they had oportunity to put their designe in execution Under their Jackets they had short Swords and Poniards with which and other weapons that they gathered up of those that were slaine they flew upon the hindmost of the Romans whilst all eyes were bent another way where they did much mischief and raised great terrour Thus Hannibal in a plain ground found meanes to lay an Ambush at the back of his enemies The last blow that put an end to all was given by the same hand that gave the first Asdrubal having routed and slain all the Roman Horse save the company of Aemilius that joyned themselves to the Foot did not stay to charge upon the face of the Legions but fetching a compasse he came up to the Numidians with whom he joyned and gave upon Terentius This fearfull cloud prognosticated a dismal storme wherefore Terentius his followers having wearied themselves much in doing little and seeing more work towards than they were like to sustain thought it their safest not how to use a Victory and God had otherwise determined When Hannibal had sacked the Roman Camps and trused up the spoils he dislodged and marched away to Samnium finding a disposition in many People thereabouts to forsake the Romans and to make aliance with him The first Town that opened their Gates to him was Cossag where he laid up his Baggage and leaving his Brother Mago to take in other pâ—aces he hastened into Campania He dismissed all his Prisoners that were not Romans without ransome whereby he won the affections of most of the Common People in Italy to incline to him He also gave leave to his Roman Prisoners to send to Rome to procure their ransome with whom he sent Carthalâ— the General of his Horse to see how Rome stood affected to peace The Senate commanded Carthalâ— to depart out of their Territories and refused to redeem their Prisoners probably because they wanted Mony wherewithall to do it Campania is a most pleasant and fruitfull Country and Capua the chief City in it rich and wealthy the Citizens despised now the unfortunate virtue of the Romans and sent Ambassadours to Hannibal with whom these Articles were agreed upon That the Campans should be absolutly free and Governed by their own Lawes That no Citizens of theirs should be subject to any Carthaginian Magistrate in War or Peace and that Hannibal should deliver to the Campans three hundred Roman Prisoners such as themselves should choose whom they might exchange for their Gentlemen
was expected but there came no more than a few Elephants and Hannibal was forced to rest contented with them Then did he take the Field and sought to make himself master of some good Haven Town that might serve to intertain the Carthaginian Fleet when it should arrive with the supplies For this end he sent Himilco who by the help of his good Friends the Brusians won Petilia he won also Concentia and Crotan and the City of Locri and many other places only the Town of Rhegium over against Sicily held out against him The Romans at this time were in such a case that Hannibal with a little help from Carthage might have reduced them to great extremity But his own Citizens suffered him to languish with expectation of their promised supplies which being still deferred from year to year caused as great opportunities to be lostâ— as a Conquerer could have desired But whatsoever Hannibal thought he was faign to apply himself to his Italian Friends and to feed them with Hopes and to trifle away his time about Nola Naples Cumae c. being loath to weaken his Army by a hard Siege that was to be reserved for a work of more importance Many offers he made upon Nola but alwayes with bad successe Once Mercellus fought a Battel with him there under the Walls of the City having the Citizens to assist him wherein Hannibal lost a thousand men which was no great marvil his forces being then divided and imployed in sundry parts of Italy at once At this time T. Sempronius Gracchus and Q. Fabius Maximus the late famous Dictator were chosen Consuls But Fabius was detained at Rome about matters of Religion or Superstition rather wherewith the City was commonly especially in the times of danger very much troubled so Gracchus alone with a Consular Army waited upon Hannibal amongst the Campanes not able to meet him in the Field yet attentive to all occasions that should be presented The Slaves that lately had been Armed were a great part of his followers These and the rest of his men Gracchus continually trained and had not a greater care to make his Army skilfull in the exercises of War than in keeping it from quarrels that might arise by their upbrading one another with their base condition Gracchus at this time had a bickering with the Capuans upon whom he came at unawars and slew above two thousand of them and took their Camp but staid not long to rifle it for fear of Hannibal that lay not far off By this his Providence he escaped a greater losse than he brought upon the Capuans For when Hannibal heard how things went he presently marched thither hoping to find these young Souldiers and Slaves busied in loading themselves with the Booty But they were all gotten safe into Cumae which so angred Hannibal that at the earnest request of the Capuans he assailed it the next day Much labour and with ill success he spent about this Town He raised a woodden Tower and brought it close to the Walls thereby to assault it but they within built a higher Tower whence they made resistance and found meanes to set Hannibals Tower on fire and whilst the Carthaginians were busy in quenching the fire they issued out charged them valiantly and drove them to their Trenches The Consul wisely sounded a retreat in time or Hannibal had requited them The day following Hannibal presented Battel to them but Gracchus refused it Seeing therefore no liklyhood to prevail he raised his Siege and departed About this time Fabius the other Consul took the Field and recovered some small Towns that Hannibal had taken and punished the Inhabitants severely for their revolt the Carthaginians Army was too small to Garrison all the Towns that had yeilded to them and with all to abide as it must do strong in the Field Wherefore Hannibal attending the supply from Carthage that would enable him to strik at Rome itself was driven in the mean time to alter his course of War and instead of making as he had formerly done a general invasion upon the whole Country he was faign to wait upon occasions that grew daily more commodious to the enemy than to him When Hannibal was gone to Winter in Apulia Marcellus wasted the Country of the Hirpines and Samnites the like did Fabius in Campania The People of Rome were very intentive upon the work they had in hand they continued Fabius in his Consulship and joyned with him Cladius Marcellus Of these two Fabius was called the Shield and Marcellus the Roman Sword The great Name of these Consuls and the great preparations which they made put the Campans in fear that Capua it self should be besieged wherefore at their earnest request Hannibal came from Arpi and having comforted his Friends on a sudden he fell upon Puteoli a Sea-town of Campania about which he spent three dayes in vain there being six thousand in Garrison wherefore he left it and marched to Terentum werein he had great intelligence In the mean time Hanno made a journy against Beneventum where T. Gracchus met him Hanno had with him about seventeen thousand Foot Brutians and Lucans besides twelve hundred Horse most of them Numidians and Moors Four hours he held the Romans work ere it could be perceived to which side victory would incline But Gracchus his Souldiers which were most of them Slaves had received from him a peremptory denunciation that this day or never they must purchase their Liberty by bringing every man an enemies head The sweet reward of Liberty was so desireable that they feared no danger in earning it though the cuting off their enemies Heads troubled them exceedingly which Gracchus perceiving proclaimed that they should cast away the Heads assuring them that they should have their liberty presently after the Battel if they wan they day This made them run headlong upon the enemy whom their disparate fury had soon overthrown if the Roman Horse could have made their party good against the Numidians But though Hanno did what he could and pressed so hard upon the Roman Battel that four thousand of the Slaves retired to a ground of Strength yet was he glad at length to save himself by flight with two thousand Horse all the rest being either slain or taken Gracchus preformed his promise to the Slaves making them free only on those four thousand that went aside in the Battel he inflicted this slight punishment that as long as they served in the Wars they should eat standing unlesse sicknesse forced them to break this order So Gracchus with his Army returned into Beneventum where they newly enfranchised Souldiers were Feasted in publike by the Townsmen some sitting some standing and all with their Heads covered as the manner of such was with white Caps This was the first Battel worthy of note that the Carthaginians lost since the comming of Hannibal into Italy Thus the Romans by degrees began to get heart and
Wife and Children and this was accordingly done by all with much cheerfullnesse Then went forth Marcellus against Hannibal whose Army was now greatly diminished by long and hard service His credit also amongst his Italian Friends was much weakened by the losse of Capua This put him upon pillaging those Towns which he could not keep thinking that the best way both to enrich himself and to presâ—â—â— it from his enemies but this farther alienated them from him whereupon Salapia yeilded to Marcellus and betrayed to him a gallant Regiment of Numidians the very best that Hannibal had After this the Consul took two Cities of the Samnites wherein he slew above three thousand of Hannibals men which Hannibal could not prevent the Romans being grown stronger in the Field than he But now came newes that Massanissa was at Carthage with five thousand Horse ready to set sail for Spain whither when he came he was to accompany Asdrubal the Brother of Hannibal into Italy This did not more comfort Hannibal and his followers than it terified the Romans At this time Hannibal was informed that Cn. Fulvius a Roman Prator lay neer to Herdonea to get the Town by practice Hannibal made great marches thitherward and when he came offered Battel to Fulvius who readily embraced it The Roman Legions made good resistance a while till they were compassed round with the Carthaginian Horse then fell they to rout and a great slaughter was made of them Fulvius with twelve Collonels and about thirteen thousand were slain and Hannibal set Herdonea on fire because it was appointed to be delivered up to the Romans Marcellus hearing this hasted thither At Venusia they met and fought a Battel from morning till the night parted them and ended with uncertain Victory Many more skirmishes they had but none of importance Then Q. Fabius Maximus and Q. Fulvius were again chosen Consuls and Fabius resolved to besiege Tarentum which if he could win like it was that scarce any one good City would remain true to Hannibal and in the mean time he desired Fulvius and Marcellus with their Army to presse Hannibal so hard that he might have no leasure to help Tarentum Marcellus was glad of this opportunity judging that no Roman was so fit to deal with Hannibal as himself He followed him therefore from place to place desiring ever 〈◊〉 come to Battel but upon unequall tearmes Hannibal only intertained him with skirmishes meaning to keep his Army intire till Asdrubal came to him But Marcellus was so importunate that he could not be rid of him wherefore Hannibal bad his men to beat soundly this hotspur Roman Captain of whom he could not be rid till he had let him bloud Then followed a Battel wherein Hannibal had the victory took six Ensigns and slew about three thousand of the Romans Marcellus rated his men exceedingly and called them cowards which did so shame them that they asked pardon and desired him to lead them forth again against the enemy Hannibal was angry to see that nothing would make them quiet and so they fought again and though the Romans had the better of it fighting very desparately yet they lost so many men that they had little cause to boast of the Victory Only this advantage they had that hereby Fabius got time to prosecute his Siege at Tarentum without disturbance Fulvius the other Consul this while took in diverse Towns of the Hirpines Luâ—uls and Volscentes that willingly rendred themselves and betrayed Hannibals Garrisons to him Fabius by the Treason of a Brusian Captain in Tarentum had the Town delivered into his hands and yet when he was entered he put all to the Sword Brutians as well as others whereby his credit was much empaired All the Riches of the Town he sought out which was very great and sent it to the Treasury at Rome where there was much need of it Hannibal having gotten cleer of Marcellus fell upon those that besieged Caulonia all whom he slew or took Prisoners and then he hasted to relieve Tarentum But when he came within five miles he heard that it was lost This grieved him yet he said no more than this The Romans have also their Hannibal We have lost Terentum in like sort as we got it But lest he should seem to retreat out of fear he encamped there four or five dayes and thence departing to Metapont he bethought himself how to take Fabius in a trap He caused the chief of Metapont to write to Fabius offering to betray it into his hand These Letters were sent by two young men of the City who did their errand so well that the Consul wrote back and appointed the day when they should expect him Hannibal being glad of this at leasure made ready his Ambushes for the wary Fabius but something hindred him from coming and so aâ—l was frustrated M. Claudius Marcellus and T. Quintus Crispinus were chosen Consuls who had a strong desire to make War upon Hannibal assuring themselves of Victory Crispinus had also a desire to make his Consulship Famous by taking some good Town as Fulvius and Fabius had done by taking of Capua and Tarentum wherefore he went and besieged Locri the best City in Italy that held for the Carthaginian bringing all sorts of Engins to promote the work But Hannibal was not slow to relieve the City at whose approach Crispinus rose and retreated to his fellow Consul Thither followed Hannibal to whom the Consuls offâ—red Battell He â—â—fused it yet dayly intertained them with â—kirmishes waiting for some advantage and reserved his Army to a time of greater imployment when his Brother Asdrubal should come into Italy Marcellus was not well pleased with this and therefore sought to force him to fight for which end he comanded a Navy by Sea and the Garrison of Tarentum again to besiege Locri But Hannibal had an eye behind him and by the way laid an Ambush for those of Tarentum slew three Thousand of them and made the rest to fly back into Tarentum As for the Consuls Hannibals desire was to wast them by little and little Betwixt him and them was a little Hill overgrown with bushes amongst them he hid some Numidians willing them to attend every advantage To this Hill the Consuls thought fit ro remove their Camp thither therefore they rode to view the place taking with them the son of Marcellus a few Collonels and other principal men and about two hundred Horse The Numidian Centinel gave warning of their approach and the other discovered not themselves till they had surrounded the Consuls and their Company The Consuls defended themselves hoping to be quickly releived from their Camp that was neer at hand But all their Horse save four forsook them and fled Marcellus was slain with a Lance Crispinus had his Deaths wound and young Marcellus was wounded yet got to the Camp the rest were all slain Hannibal gave an honourable Funeral to
they declined the fight The Carthaginian Battel was herewith more terrified then before so that refusing to give way to the Mercenaries they sell out amongst themselves and forbore to make head against their Enemies Thus were many of them beaten down and slain through their own indiscretion And this gave the Romans such advantage that the made a great slaughter both of the Carthaginians and Mercenaries who could neither fight nor easily fly Such as could ran towards Hannibal who kept his ground and would not stir to help these run-wayes Then did Scipio advance against Hannibal who intertained him after an other manner than ever he had been received in his life before All the former dayes work seemed but a Pastime in comparison of this The Romans were incouraged because they had prevailed all the day before they were also far more in number But Hannibals old Blades were fresh and the better men They fought with such obstinate resolution that no man gave back one Foot but rather chose to die than to lose their ground so that for a long time the Victory was uncertain But the return of Massanissa and Laelius with the Horse from the pursute of the Enemies was to the Romans most happy and in a needfull time These upon a suddain charging Hannibal upon the Reer overbore them with meer violence and put them to â—ouâ— Hannibal with a few Horse saved himselfe by flight and staid not till he came to Carthage where coming into the Senate he told them plainly that there was no other way left but to make such a Peace as could be procured Amongst other things it was agreed that the Carthaginians should pay to the Romans two hundred Talents a year for fifty years together Which mony when it came to be collected there was pitious lamentation amongst the People the Roman yoak begining to pinch them already that some of the Senators could not forbear weeping but Hannibal could not refrain from laughter For which Asdrubal Haedus one of Hanno's faction checked him saying that it ill becommed him to laugh since he had been the cause why all others did weep He answered that laughter did not alwayes proceed from joy but sometimes from indignation Yet said he My laughter is more seasonable and lesse obsurd than your teares For you should have wept when you gave up your Ships and Elephants and when you bound up your hands from use of Armes without the good leave of the Romans This miserable condition keeps us under and holds us in assured sevitude But of these things you had no feeling Now when a little mony is wrung from you you are very sensible of that God grant that the time come not wherein you shall acknowledge that it was the least part of your misery for which you have shed these teares Afterwards Hannibal in the Civill administration of the City gave an overthrow or two to the Judges which at that time bore all the sway in Carthage having all the lives goods and fame of the rest in their power Shortly after Hannibal was chosen Praetor by virtue of which Office he was superiour to them for that year He sent upon an occasion for one of the Treasurers to come to him but he proudly refused wherupon Hannibal sent a Pursevant for him and brought him in Judgment before the People accusing not only him but the rest of the Judges for their insolency and unbridled power withall propounding a Law that the Judges should be chosen from year to year He found also that they had robbed the Treasury which caused the Taxes to be laid upon the common People whereof he made such plain demonstration that they were compelled to restore with shame what they had gotten by knavery This so irritated his Enemies who were of the Romans Faction that they complained to the Roman Senate that the Barchine Faction grew strong again and that Hannibal would shortly be in Armes For he was like a wild Beast that could never be tamed that he held secret intelligence with King Antiochus who was an enemy to the Romans c. Hereupon the Senate sent three Ambassadors to Carthage to demand Hannibal but he kept such good espiall upon the Romans that he was informed of their intentions against which he was never unprepared And therefore when night was come he stole out of the City accompanied with two Friends whom he could trust and having Horses in a readinesse he rode all night and came to a Tower of his own by the Sea sâ—â—e and having provided a Ship in readinesse he bad Africk farewel lamenting the misfortune of his Country more than his own and shaped his course to Tyre which was the Mother City of Carthage There he was intertained Royally in whose worth and honour the Tyrians thought themselves to have interest because of the affinity between the Cities Thence went he to Antiochus who was exceeding glad of his coming intending War against the Romans To him Hannibal gave excellent advice how he might carry on his War against the Romans with best advantage but Antiochus hearkned more to his Courtiers than to him and so was shamfully beaten by the Romans at which time he admired Hannibal as a wise man yea as a Prophet who long before had foreseen and foretold him what now was come to passe and when it was too late wished that he had followed his Counsel To be brief Antiochus was forced by the Romans to sue for Peace which at last the Romans yeilded to Provided amongst other things that Hannibal might be delivered into their hands Hannibal getting an incling of this fled to Gortina in Creet where he lived a long time very quietly but at length he fell into the envy of many by reason of his great wealth whereupon he filled certain great chests with Lead and deposited them in the Temple of Diana there as if he kept the Treasure for a dead lift and thereupon the People having such a Pledge as that of him looked lesse after him But he in the mean time stole away to Prusias King of Bythinia having first molten his Gold and powered it into some hollow Statues of Brasse which he carried away with him Shortly after there fell a War between Prusias and Eumenes King of Pergamus Prusias being encouraged to break his League and to make War upon him by his confidence in Hannibal whom he had there to mannage his War for him The War therefore grew hot betwixt them both by Land and Sea But Eumenes by the assistance of the Romans overpowred Prusias in both And whereas Prusias was but weak of himself Hannibal procured him the assistance of some other Kings and States and those of very Warlike Nations and amongst them the aide of Philip King of Macedonia who sent him Philocles his General with a very considerable Army to help him When Prusias had received an overthrow from Eumenes by land he sought to try his
they that were neer him asked him what that meant He answered that it betokened that the Enemies braines were troubled and beclouded who having places of advantage hard by them yet encamped in the plaines Indeed the Lacedemonians waited there for their Allies who yet failed them For all of them having at leasure considered of the speech of Epaminondas at Sparta began to distast the ambition of the Lacedemonians Epaminondas seeing his advantage caused his Army to march with speed and wan the straights by the City of Coronea and encamped there Cleombrotus understanding that the Thebans had possessed themselves of that passe despairing to recover it he made his Army to march a great compasse about the Country of Phocide going along the Sea Coast through a dangerous and troublesome way and so at the last he entered into the Country of Boeotia and as he went he took in some little Towns and certain Gallies that lay upon the Coast and at the last arrived at Leuctres and there sate down to refresh his men who were overwearied with their tedious march Then did Epaminindas presently advance that way to meet them and having passed over some little Mountaines he discovered them in the plain of Luctres where his men were much amazed to see so great an Army of their Enemies The six Counsellors came together to consider whether they should go forward and fight few against many or else retreat waiting for some beter advantage In this Councel their opinions fell out to be equall Three judged it best to retreat the other whereof Epaminondas was one thought it best to fight and with these three Pelopidas who was Captain of the Sacred Band joyned whereupon they all agreed to give them Battel Epaminondas seeing his Souldiers somewhat affirighted at the former ill signes to put courage into them he suborned some that were newly come from Thebes to scatter a report that no man could tell at Thebes what was become of the Armes that hung up in the Temple of Hercules but it was commonly said that the Demigods their Ancestors had taken them away to aid their posterity at this present time He caused another also who was newly come from Trophonius hole to report that the God which gives his Oracles therein commanded him to tell the Boeotians that when they had overcome their enemies in the plain of Leuctres they should celebrate yearly Playes to the honour of Jupiter and to gain the more credit to these devices Leandridas a Spartan that was banished out of his own Country and now was assisting the Boeotians being brought before the Souldiers he encouraged them to fight valiantly that Day For he swore unto them that the Lacedemonians had many Oracles biding them to beware of Leuctres Epaminondas also assembling his Army encouraged them with strong and lively reasons to shew their valour so that at lasty Souldiers being freed from their superstitious feares longed for nothing more than to come to blowes Epaminondas ever concluded his Orations to them with these Words O worthy men embrace sacred Death Advance your selves to a most honorable and famous Fight for your Country for the Tombes of your Ancestors and for your Holy things Just at this very time there came to the Thebans an aid of five hundred Horse and fifteen hundred Foot all Thessalians conducted by Jason This Jason endeavored to have made peace with both parties but could not prevail Also as Cleombrotus retired with his Army out of Boeotia he met a great supply of Lacedemonians and their Allies brought to him by Archidamus the Son of Agesilaus These he sent before thinking to daunt the courage of the Thebans with the sight of them and himself with the rest of his Army suddenly returned into the plain of Leuctres being fully resolved to fight and the Boeotians for their part shrunk not an inch back and so on both sides they set their men in Battel array Epaminondas ordered his Battel after a new fashion never before practised by any Captain For having chosen out of his Army the best and most valiant Souldiers he placed them together in one of the Points of his Battel where himself meant to fight in Person seconded by Pelopidas and his three hundred chosen men called the Holy Band In the other Point he placed his weaker men commanding them expresly not to abide the charge of their enemies that should assaile them in Front but fair and softly retire when they saw them come near them and it fell out as he wished and he hoped to determine the Battel by the virtue and prowess of those where he had placed all the flower and choice of his Army Now the sign of Battel being given the Lacedemonians advanced with the two Horns of their Battel ordered in the form of a Crescent On the contrary one of the wings of the Battel of the Boeotians began to give back and the other with great fury ran to charge the enemy in the Flank and soon they were come to the Swords point At the first because either side fought desperately the Victory for a time stood doubtfull But at last Epaminondas his Troop brake in amongst the Lacedemonians and slew most of those that were about Cleombrotus Yet while the King was alive he kept back the Thebans from the victory being accompanied with all the flower of his Army who fought very valiantly about him But after he fell dead to the ground having received and given an infinite number of wounds then thronged they together on all sides and there was a bloody and cruell fight about his Body where were heaps of men slain one upon another and though Epaminondas did all that possibly he could yet the Lacedemonians made such resistance that at last they forced the Thebans somewhat to give back whereby they conveyed the Body of the King out of the presse But this continued not long For Epaminondas both by his words and example did so raise up and encourage the hearts of his men that they fought like Lyons and gave so fierce a second charge upon their enemies that they wholly routed them and made them fly for life and Epaminondas fiercely pursuing the flying enemy made a great slaughter of them and obtained the most glorious victory that ever Captain won having in a pitched Field overcome the most Noble and warlike Nation of all Greece and that with a far smaller number of men than his enemies had He also rejoyced more in this than in all his other victories because it happened to him in his Fathers life-time and he often used to say that of all the honest and happy Fortunes that befell him nothing joyed his heart more than that he had vanquished the Lacedemonians at Leuctres his Father and Mother living to see it and indeed he that day did not onely preserve their lives but of all his Citizens besides the Lacedemonians having fully resolved utterly to destroy the Thebans Epaminondas used at