restored ageine to them aliue And in short space he brought to passe that his father was not to be compared vnto him in wynnyng the hartes of people He excelled so in wisedome policie and feates of warre that whan the Capitayne wolde haue any weighty matier enterprised he wolde to him aboue all other cōmitte the charge therof He so ordred hym selfe both in obeying his capitayn and rulyng his souldiours that it was harde to knowe whether he was better beloued of his capytayne or of his hooste He was of an hyghe courage in icopardynge on any peryll and of noo lesse counsaile in auoyding the same His body and mind coulde with no labour be weried or ouercomme he coulde as well susteyne heate as colde of meates and dryakes he vsed none excesse but that wolde suffice nature he prescribed no tyme to reste or slepe by nyghte nor by daye And whan he myght from busynes conueniently rest he desired neyther soft beddes nor quiet slepes but being couered with a shorte cloke or souldiours garment he wolde repose him vpon the harde earthe He was not curious in garmentes In pleasant horses and sure armour was alwayes his delite Among all the army on horse backe and on fote he was founde the best he wolde be euer the fyrst and the last in battail Which his noble vertues lacked not dyuers vyces to accompany theym For instede of mercie and pitie he vsed extreme crueltie mixte with vnfeithfulnes he regarded not the obseruyng of his othe whiche was to his great dishonour ¶ Of Hannibals fyrst warres and victory Cap. ii VVHAN THIS YONG capitayn had thus exercysed hym selfe vnder Asdruball the space of .iii. yeres it chaunced that one of that countrey whose mayster Asdruball before had slayne sodeynly ranne on hym and slewe hym Whervpon beinge taken he nother changed countenance nor feared any punyshement that shuld come to hym therfore but with smilyng countenance receyued his deathe Than the souldiours of the army after the losse of Asdruball immediately by one consent chose Hanniball to be theyr gouernour And he appoynting to warre agaynst the Romayns and Italy to be his prouince thought he wold not long stay or tracte the tyme in ouermoch deliberating theron lest therby it myght chance vnto hym as it dyd vnto his father Hasdrubal to be oppressed by some other myschance intēded to moue warre to the Saguntines before rehersed And to colour his intent he fyrste led his army into the costes of Olcades a people of Spayne beyonde the ryuer of Iberus neighbour to the Saguntines to thende it shuld seme that he of purpose or by any pretence of warre dyd not seke to inuade the Saguntines but wynning the countreys adioynyng togyther he shulde also take Sagunt with hym as it laye in his way in order with the other Amonge these he wanne the citie called Carteia that was very riche whiche citie beinge subdued the smalle townes adiacent wyllyngly submitted them selues to be vnder tribute This done he for the wynter tyme withdrue his armye to a citie in Spayne called newe Carthage And with distributing largely to his souldiours the pray before gotten and welpaying of euery mans wages that was behynde he wonne the hartes of all the hoste So that they holly agreed the nexte sommer folowynge to warre vppon the Vacceis Whiche warres brought to passe and ended as they retourned not farre from the ryuer of Tagus the banysshed people of the countreys aforesayde assembled togyther and reysed the Carpetanes by whose helpe they were to the numbre of a hundred thousande and trustyng to theyr great multitude came newly vpon the Carthaginenses Anniball perceyuing that great power commyng vpon hym absteyned from batayle and priuily in the nyght conueyed his 〈◊〉 ouer a fourde and from thense withdrue his people a good space of so that his enemies myght haue place to come ouer the ryuer Than set be xl elephantes alonge the ryuer syde that they myght be redy to oppresse them at the entryng of the water Also he cōmaunded his horsemen that as soone as the footemen were entred the water they shulde fiersly assayle them The Carpetanes with the Vacceis and Carteians thynkyng theyr ennemies for feare to be fledde from theym and intendynge to pursue them without any foresyght or order with all spede makyng great clamour euery man rashely toke his next way through the water Hannibals horsmen perceyuing that they were entred the fourde violently ranne on them and with litell peyne ouerthrewe a great number of their fotemen in the water whiche thyng was easy to doo for a footeman in the strength of the streame coulde in no wyse susteyne the force of a horseman onely the rushe of the horse though the ryder be vnarmed is able to ouerthrowe any foteman so feble is the stay of his fote in the water Thus some were drowned and some other that passed ouer the ryuer were oppressed with the elephantes so that in shorte space they were all vtterly discomfyted and ouercome For before that those whiche last entred the ryuer though they escaped the danger of the horsemen coulde recule backe agayn tolande and assemble togyther and set them selfe in aray Annibal with a freshe band of men entred the water and so quyckly folowed and chased them that fewe escaped Whervpon shortly after he conquered al the Carpetanes and broughtthem vnder subiection of Carthage And thāall the borderers beyonde the water Iberus holly became tributaries to Carthage sauyng only the Sagūtmes with whom as thāthey had not medled but diuers quarels were pycked by their neyghbours to get some occasion to warre ageyuste them And that perceiued well the Sagantines Wherfore to preuent the matter they sent messangers to Rome to require succours in the warres that they vndoutedly loked for ¶ Anniball beslegeth the Saguntines and howe he was there soorewounded Cap. iii. THe same yere that the Ambassadours were sent to Rome Publius Cornelius Scipio Titus Sempronius Lōgus were consuls and whā this matter was waied in the senate hous with many other cōcerning the cōmon welth Publius Valerius Flaccus and Quintus Fabius Pamphilus were chosen ambassadours to go to Anniball with gentyl perswasions to withdraw him from warres with the Saguntines theyr frendes whiche if they coulde nat do that than they shulde go to Catthage to Hasdruball the capitayne chargynge hym vpon peyne of the truce breakyng to cesse and take vp the warres ¶ Whyles the Romaynes prepared theyr legacies and ordered theyr affayres Anniball forslowyng no tyme conuenient to his busynes with his army spoylyng and wastynge the countreye approched and fiersely assayled the citie of Sagunt on thre partes This citie was named the rychest that was beyonde the ryuer of Iberus It stode not passynge a myle from the sea and was in short space so mightily increased by reason of the commodities of the water the fruites of the lande and multitude of people that they excelled all the cities and countreyes aboute theym bothe in number and rychesse
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
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
captain but that wisdom reason shuld haue the dominion ouer al her chances He said further that he had saued his host from a cruel enmy in al this perillous time without harme or shame which he thought ought more to be praised thaÌ„ to kyl a great nuÌ„bre of enmies But in conclusion the determination of the senate was that M. Attilius Regulus shuld be consull in the plabe of FlaÌ„minius And that Minutius the maister of the horsemen who so nobly had gouerned his army shuld be halfe ruler of the hoste with Fabiê° the gouernaÌ„ce therof to be parted betwene theÌ„ ¶ With these displesant actes of the senate Fabius returned to his army trustyng that although Minutius shoulde haue halfe the rule with hym yet shuld he want the policy and maner of ordryng his part of the army to him coÌ„mitted whiche policy by exercyse and great tranayle he had obteyned Minutius perceyuyng hym selfe to be had in suche estymation at Rome as wel with the senators as with the commons where he was before a lyttell proude he than beganne to take moch more on hym bostyng hym selfe that in theyr great calamitie he alone was founde out a captayne able to matche Anniball And than began he to diuise of the parting of their empyre or rule He wold haue had it so parted that one day or one weke he shulde haue ruled all And one other day or weke Fabius to rule al and so to take the hole gouernance by tourne That wolde Fabius none of but wolde haue the army parted betwene them with the ordynances and other necessaries Sayyng that in case he coulde not by his counsayle saue the hole hoste yet he wold assay to saue the halfe therof as wel as he myght And on that poynt they agreed and thervpon deuyded theyr companies or legions and also theyr campes This debate and order of the Romayn capytayns was knowen to Anniball by espyes as were all other thinges that were done in the tentes of his ennemies whyche tydynges brought to hym double ioye One was for that he thought to vanquishe the foolysshe hardynes of Minutius euen as he wolde hymselfe The other was for that halfe the strengthe of Fabius was dymynysshed by reasone of the partynge of the hoste Thanne was there a hylle betweene the hooste of Anniball and the host of Minutius which hyll who so euer had goten shuld be able to do moche displeasure to his enemies Annibal desyred not so moche to take it without batayle although the occupation therof shuld be to hym very necessary as to make it an occasion of batail to Minutius whom he wist wel wold euer run to withstande his enterprise in the attaining therof A fielde there was in the myddell betwene hym and the sayd hyll whyche fielde was very playne and fayre and appeered moche vnmete for treason to hyde any embushement in bycause it was nother couered with woode shrubbes nor busshes It semed therfore a place rather mete to descry treson than to hyde it for that in a plaine and bare valey no suche deceyte myght be feared But than Anniball espied that in the bottome of the sayd hyll were diuers caues and holowe places in the rockes of whiche some were able to receyue and hyde .ii. C. souldiours armed In these darke caues Anniball hydde .v. M. footemen and horsemen not withstandyng lest the noyse or the bryghtnes of the harneys myghte happen to discouer his disceyte he sent a fewe in numbre the next mornyng to take the foresayd hyll wherby he withdrew the eies of his ennemies from lokyng to that place of embusshement Whan the company that went to the hyll were apperceyued by the Romanes to be so fewe in numbre they set nought by them and euery man coueted to go to dryue theyr ennemies from that hyll And also the Capytayne no lesse foolyshe than they called his men to harneys thretenynge his ennemyes with vayne wordes Fyrst he sent lyght harneysed yong men than he sent forthe horsemen whiche were a great company laste of all hym selfe commeth with his hole armye And as Anniball sawe occasion and the battayle encrease he sent euer of his men bothe fotemen and horsemen to succour his people so that the battayle was furnyshed on bothe partes and waxed very stronge The Romans were thought to be of a great boldnes and courage and shulde haue done well yf the battayle had ben equally handled they were soo encouraged with theyr late victorye but sodeynly came those that were hydde in the caues forthe on them making great clamour and rumour on theyr sides and backes so that they surprised with feare had nother hartes to fyght nor hope to flye Than Fabius fyrst hearyng the noise and after seing the host troubled afarre of Fortune sayd he hath caught theyr foly no soner than I feared it wolde nowe he that is ioyned with Fabius in the empire hath found Anniball ouerhard for hym both in power and also in Fortune But it is not now tyme sayd he to chyde I wyll referre that tyll more oportunitie Than caused he his men to display theyr baners beyonde the valey and in good aray came forwarde to the helpe of his felowes that some were fledde and some redy to flee so that they all thought that he cam as it were one sent from heauen to their succours And before he shulde come to the casting of dartes or to handestrokes Anniball called backe his men from chasyng any further theyr ennemies that fled and sodeinly withdrewe hym to his campe saying that he had ouercome Minutius but that he was also ouercome of Fabius Than many of the Roman army that by fleing were scatered and sparkled abrode ranne to the hooste of Fabius many other that dyd flee before theyr ennemies tourned agayne to their company so that there was almooste one battayle of them that were ouercome and of them that ranne to theyr succours Whan the moste part of the day was spent vnder the variable standerde of Fortune and that the hostes were come to theyr owne tentes Minutius his souldiours beynge gathered about hym sayd ¶ I haue oftentymes louing souldiours and frendes hearde say that he is moste wyse that can gyue counsell and tel what is to be done in his busynes And that he is next wise that can obey hym that gyueth good counsayl but he that can not her gyue good counsaile hym selfe nor obey other mens counsail is of all other moste abiecte and foolishe Nowe therfore seing that the fyrst of these giftes fortune hath denied vs let vs kepe the seconde and whyles we lerne to rule let vs purpose with our selfes to obey theym that be wyse Wherfore let vs ioyne our tentes with Fabius And whan ye shall here me salute hym as my parent and father you lykewyse shall salute his souldiours as your noble patrons by whose strength and hardynes this day ye were preserued ¶ Thus incontinent they remoued theyr campe and went to the campe of
any knowlege that they had of the losse of their company for there was such spede made by theyrennemies that worde thereof coulde not so soone be broughte them but their feare was as it were through an inwarde and secrete iudgement in theyr hartes of somme euyll chaunce that was happed vnto theym Agayne Cn. Scipio seing the hoste of his ennemyes encreased by the commynge of Mago and Asdruball meruailed howe they shulde conuey theyr armye thyther so soone without battayle onlesse his brother were slayne He meruayled alsoo that his brother nother dydde lette their commynge thyther nother yet dydde appere folowynge theym For he knewe yf he were on lyne he wolde make haste to come and ioyne his army vnto his In this great trouble of mynde he thoughte to withdrawe hym as moche as he myght Wherefore in the nyght he was gone a good space of grounde but in the dawnyng of the daye the Numidians were ware of their departing and folowed with their horses so that long before nyght they ouertoke theym assayling them now on the one side now on the other and somtyme behynde them but euer Scipio caused theym to keepe good aray and to go euer forewarde in their fightynge to be out of the daunger of the footemen of their enemies that folowed them but the horsemen so vexed them on all partes that they could not go farre Wherfore Scipio gathered his small company vp to a lytell hyll the best that he coulde there espy for his aduātage There he toke this order theyr stuffe and cariage was brought into the myddell of the host and the horsemen sette about the same without them were the foote men who saued the other from the inuasion of the Numidian horsemen tyl the rest of the Carthaginenses were come But than Scipio seing hym selfe so vnable to resist .iii. capitaynes and their great hostes began to diuise howe he might by any meanes cast a trenche about his campe or make some hedge to defende them from the inuasions of theyr enemies but thā was the hyll so bare and the grounde so stony that no bushes or thornes coulde there be gathered nor turues dygged or any trenche made and the hyll it selfe was so flatte that they coulde by no maner of way let the commyng vp of their enemies Than Scipio to make some shewe of a defence aboute the campe deuised to lay his packes and grosse cariage in cōpasse of the campe one vpon an other and thervppon he caused the packsaddels and other fardels to be tyed wherby he raysed the walles of his campe of a good height ¶ Whan the hostes of the Carthaginenses were come they ascended that small hyll with lyttel peyne but than seing that straunge kynde of fortifieng the campe which they had neuer before sene they were amased and stayde for a season The capitaynes perceiuyng theyr sodayne stoppe and wondryng cried on al partes to them saying that it was great shame for them to be so longe or they coulde plucke downe and deface suche a fond deuise and mockery wherwith children and women wold not so long haue ben stayed Go to it therfore with courage sayd they for your ennemies lye lurkyng behynde those packes With these rebukes of the capitaines they assayed to enter on all partes And though a greate whyle they were lette and troubled therabout at the last in diuers partis they entred so few in numbre could no longer endure against so many The campe was wonne and many were slain wherof Cn. Scipio the noble capitayne was one a good number sledde into the woodes that were next vnto them and so escaped and came into the tentes of Publius Scipio whyche than were kept by T. Fonteius Thus were bothe the bretherne and capytaynes of the Romaynes in Spayne slayne within the space of .xxx. dayes whose death was greatly lamented both at Rome and also in Spain And it was thought at their death that the hole army of the Romaines in Spayn was vtterly brought to confusyon and that countrey thereby brought out of the Romaynes handes ¶ L. Martius is chosen capitaine of the Romaine army he maketh an oration to his souldiours and in one nyghte and a day vanquisheth .ii. hostes of Carthaginenses winneth their campes and a greate praye Capit. xlii IN all this peryll and ieoperdous estate one man was founde in the army by whose witte courage and fortune the honour and welthe of the Romaynes was saued and restored And that was Lucius Martius the sonne of Septinius a freshe yonge man and an actiue This Martius hadde longe ben in the warres vnder C. Scipio and of hym had learned moche experience and policy in the gouernance of an army And nowe seing all thinges almoste desperate he gathered togither such souldiours as by fleing were escaped from the last bataile and also assembled a good numbre of men of warre out of dyuers townes and fortresses whiche were vnder the obedience of Rome With all these he came to the tentes of T. Fonteius ioynyng all the Romaines power togither and in short space his name and honour was so exalted that by the whole consent of the souldyours of the army he was chosen to be their capitayne and guyde Whervpon he incontinent applied himselfe busyly to make sure theyr campe and also to make good prouisyon for vitayles of all sortes To whose pleasure and commaundement all the men of the hoste gladly obeyed Neuerthelesse whan they hearde that Hasdruball the sonne of Gysgon was at hande with his army myndynge to dystroye vtterly all the Romaynes that were lefte and also whan they sawe theyr newe capitayne makynge redy his people and auauncyng his standerdes they than remembryng theyr olde noble capytaines and the great power wherwith they were wont to go to all batayles coulde not forbeare to wepe and lament theyr myshappe in suche wyse that nother theyr pety capitaynes nor yet Martius hym selfe myght appease them yet dyd they sometime rebuke theyr feminine and vnprofitable wepinges sometyme styrre them to defende them selues and their countrey and also to reuenge the deathe of theyr olde noble capitaynes of late slayne Whyle they thus were spendyng the tyme vnprofytably theyr ennemies were at hande and redye to assaile them and to enter into their campes but than the Romaines tournyng their teares to a furious rage in haste toke their armure and weapons and not only defended the entries of their campe but also issued out fiersely and ranne on their ennemies whiche kepte no very good aray so littell they mystrusted any such resistence This sodayne issuing out of them caused the Carthaginenses to be striken with a feare and also to meruaile howe the Romaine hoste was so shortly encreased whiche so late was almooste wholly slayn and put to vtterance They mused also of their sodayne courage and hardynesse and what newe capytaine they myght haue to truste on the two Scipios beinge slaine In that feare and dout they beganne somwhat to giue backe and than the Romaines folowed vppon
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
folowed him to the warres leadinge him many sure wayes whiche to Anniball his brother were then vnable to be passed Agayne the wayes ouer the mountaynes by the continuall vse of goinge ouer them were made moche more easy then they were and the people more gentyll to intreate For before Annibals comynge they were not vsed to the company of straungers neyther had sene any before in the countrey wherfore they were wylde and sauage people They thoughte also at the fyrste tyme that the Carthaginenses had come to take theyr castelles and cattell from them But nowe the fame of the warre holden in Italy betwene the Romaynes and the Carthaginenses taught them and made them to know that the hole contention betwen those noble head cities of the worlde beinge so farre distant a sundre was onely for the honour and for riches so that they wolde trye whether of them shulde possede the dominion of the hole ¶ These causes knowen made the mountaynes open and easy for Asdruball to passe but his speede was not so good in passynge the same as his let was great in the besieginge of Placentia Whan he was come ouer he had thought the citie beinge in a faire plaine countrey had ben easy to wynne and by the fame of the wynnynge therof he thoughte all other cities adioyninge shulde haue trembled for feare But the strength therof moche deceyued him and that knewe Anniball full wel For when he came ouer the riuer of Trebia he in vayne had assayed the strength therof So that Asdrubals assieginge of Placentia was not onely a lette of his owne iourneye but also it stayed Anniball moche longer after he harde therof ere euer he sette forthe of the place where he wyntered with his hoste ¶ The consulles with theyr armyes went to their prouinces M. Liuius towardes Placentia whome ere he departed Q. Fabius warned and exhorted that he shulde not ouer hastyly fyght with his ennemies before he knewe the maners and conditions of theim To whom Liuius remaynynge yet in dyspleasure towarde his citezens for his banyshement answered that he wolde fyght with theim so soone as he might haue fyght of them Whan the cause was demaunded of hym why he wolde make therm suche haste Truely sayd he eyther I wyll quyckely haue great honour by subduinge myne ennemyes or els greatte ioye by the sleynge of myne owne vnkynde cytezens Whyche ioye althoughe it be to me not honeste yet shall it be accordyng to theyr deseruynges ¶ Quintus Claudius Nero made haste tyll he approched nere vnto Anniball who as than was gone into the countrey of the Lucanes and lay by the towne of Grument Claudius hadde in his army forty thousande fotemen and two thousand and fyue hundred horsemen Anniball gatherynge togyther as moche power as he coulde amonge the Brutians and from suche fortresses as he than helde lay incâ—mped nigh vnto the walles of Grument and within halfe a myle of them was the campe of the Romaynes Betwene bothe the campes there was a goodly playne valey hauynge on the oone syde fayre playne hylles without any wooddes or couerte for to hyde any embusshement or cause deceyte Wherfore it was the lesse suspecte to bothe parties These hylles laye adioynyng to the lefte syde of the Carthaginenses and to the ryghte syde of the Romaynes In the playne medowe were many lyght eskyrmysshes made betweene the hostes and many excursyons the Romayne consull caused to be made onely to kepe his ennemyes there frome goynge towarde Asdruball ¶ On the other syde Anniball desyrous to remoue out of that place with all his power intended to gyue hym battaile Wherfore he putte his whole hoste in array Claudius Nero perceyuynge his intent caused secretely the nyght folowynge Titus Assellus and P. Claudius two tribunes with a good noumbre of men with theim to passe ouer the sayde hylle adioynynge and to abyde in the valeye behynde the hylles appoyntynge theim a tyme whan they shoulde descende from the mountayne on the backe of theyr ennemies He hym selfe in the breake of the daye with the reste of his footemen and horsemen came into the fielde in good araye Anniball lykewyse commaunded his men to arme theim and greate noyse was made in the campe euery man runnynge to harneys And whan they were armed they ranne oute of the campe yates bothe horsemen and footemen without array before Anniball had knowledge therof And as soone as they were out of the Campe in the playne they ranne to their ennemyes fyghtynge bothe on horsebacke and on foote as chaunce gaue theym to meete with theyr ennemies kepynge none order ¶ Whan the Consull sawe theym thus rounnynge abrode in the fyelde without order he commaunded C. Arunculeus with the horsemen of a legyon to inuade the Carthaginenses with as moche vyolence as he myght wherby he myght slea theym beinge without order lyke beastes before they coulde be brought in array Whyche he dydde dilygentely execute makynge greate slaughter The battayle was strong for a season by reason of contynuall resorte of freshe souldiours runnyng to the succours of theyr felowes ¶ Anniball being yet in his campe hearyng the noyse of his men fyghtyng came furthe with the reste of his power and so dilygently applyed him selfe that euen as his menne were fyghtynge he put many of theym in araye Whiche thynge hath not bene lyghtly seene and therein he shewed hym selfe to be an experte capytayne hauyng olde and well acquaynted warryours vnder hym And thus had he brought his wholle hoste in order as they were styll fyghtyng had not C. Assellus with his bandes of Romaynes sodainely descended from the hylles at the backe of the Carthaginenses with greate clamour By the meanes wherof they beyng aferde lest they shuld be stopped from their campe began to flee on all partes The horsemen slewe many of them in the chase and many mo had been slayne had not the campe been so nere at hande yet lost Anniball of his men at that battayle .viii. M. which were slayne and vii C. taken aliue The next day and diuers days after the Romains in array kept the fielde desyrous to fight but the Carthaginenses abode styll in theyr tentes ¶ Soone after in the nyght Anniball with his army remoued towardes Apulia makinge great fyres before the campe towardes the Romaynes and leauynge in the entree of his campe certayne Numydian horsemen for a shewe tyl he with his hooste myght be farre gone frome his ennemyes Whan it was day lyght the sayd Numidians shewed theim selues in the gate of the campe for a season purposely to deceyue the Romaines and whan they sawe theyr tyme they spedily rode after theyr companie ¶ Than the consull hearynge noo noyse in the tentes of his ennemyes sent two light horsmen to viewe theyr campe who fyndynge it voyde of theyr ennemies retourned to Claudius certifiynge hym of theyr departyng Whervpon he with his hoste wente thyther and toke the spoyle of suche baggage as was there leste and on the morowe early
THe morowe after the battaile was fought and the kyng Syphax escaped as is before declared Scipio sent Lelius and Massanissa with all the Romayn horsmen the lyghtest harneissed footemen and also the Numidians to folowe the kyng and Asdruball whiles he went about to wynne the townes and countrey adiacent to Carthage They within xv dayes came into Numidia at whose coming a people therof called Masesuli receiued gladly Massanissa and deliuered hym the whole realme as to theyr ryghtfull kynge whose cominge they had so longe desyred expellynge cleane out of the cities and fortresses therof all the garnysons of Syphax soo that he was glad to kepe hym within the bondes of his owne realme His harte swelled at this displeasure wyllynge to be reuenged whervnto his wyfe and her father moche intyced hym and prycked hym forwardes He hadde great plentie of men and also of horses whyche moche encouraged hym to make a newe fielde Wherefore he assembled as many as he thoughtable gyuyng theim horses and harneys diuydynge his horsemen and footemenne into companyes appoyntynge to theim capitaines accordynge as he before had learned of the Romaynes Thus hauyng all thinges in a redynesse he marched towardes his ennemies with as great an hooste as he had before but they were almoste all newe souldiours and yonge men of warre Whan he came nere the host of the Romains he there fortified his campe And anone certayne of his horsemen issued and badde base to an nother numbre of the Romayne horsemen And who soo was beaten retourned agayne to his company and was anon rescued of an other numbre of his company Thus by diuers issuynges and helpynge euery part theyr companies beyng either ashamed or angrye of theyr driuynge backe the battayle beganne to be quicke on bothe partes so that at the last the hole companyes of horsemen on bothe partes were come to the fieldes The noumbre of kynge Syphax hoste was come so thicke to the bataile that the Romaynes were fayne to recule and had been put to the worse had not the Romain legyons of fotemen come to theyr succours At whose comynge the kynges people musynge of theyr order and maner of fyghtyng began to stay and at the laste were dryuen backe and began to flee Syphax wyllynge to withholde his people from flyght beganne to exhort them to abyde and manfully to fyght shewynge vnto theim bothe the shame and also the ieoperdye that woulde ensue through theyr flyinge ¶ And whyles he rode about the fielde comfortyng his people he hapned to come nere a company of Romaynes where his horse was stryken downe and slayne vnder hym and he taken alyue and brought to Lelius His people fledde as faste as they myght and came to the citie of Cirtha whyche was the chiefe citie of all that realme There were of his menne slayne in that battayle .v. M. and aboute .ii. M. v. C. taken Than sayd Massanissa to Lelius There were nothynge to me more pleasant than hauyng nowe victory to visite my fathers kyngdom which after my long exyle I haue now recouered But the time will not suffre vs to cesse from our enterprise wherfore if ye wil suffre me to take with me all the hors men and the kyng also nowe prisoner I will goo before you to Cirtha where I shall fynde euery man soo supprised with feare that I shall soone wynne it with smal resistence ye with your fotemen may come after me small iourneys at your ease ¶ To this his diuyse Lelius assented And Massanissa with his horsemen hasted tyll he came to the walles of the citie of Cirtha where he called certaine of the towne to him and desired to haue certain of the noble meÌ„ of the citie to come furth and speake with hym which done he moued them gentylly to yelde vp their citie But they not knowing of the takinge of their king in no wise wold be perswaded to submit them selfes to the Romains Than caused Massanissa the king Syphax to be brought before them bound as a prisoner After which pitifull syght the citezens partly for feare partly trustyng therby to obteine fauor of Massanissa and of the Romains opened the yates of the citie And Massanissa leauyng fyrst the gates wals furnished with his people to thintent none of the citie shuld escape out he with great spede rode to the kinges palaice Where at his fyrst entre he found Sophonisba the wife of Syphax daughter to Asdruball of Carthage who abode his coming at the gate of his palaice whan she espied him coming amonge a great route of men of armes she iudging partly by his goodly armure partly by his riche apparaile that he was the kyng she fell on her knees before hym and sayd The goddis thy strength and thy good fortune 〈…〉 the full power to do with vs what so euer shall be tâ—y pleasure Neuer the lesse if the praier of a poore woman â—â—y take place with her lord that hath power both of lyfe and of deth I humbly beseche the by that royall maiestie wherin of late also we wer and for the loue of the name of the people and cuntrey of Numidia which appertained both to Syphax and to you for the loue also of the goddis of this place whoÌ„ I desire to send the better more prosperus coming hither thaÌ„ they gaue to Syphax a departing hens that thou wilt graunt me to be thy prisoner and what so euer thy plesure be to do with me I shal not refuse it so that thou suffre me not to come into the cruell and proude dominion of any Romayne I had leauer auenture to yelde me into the power of a Numidian and of one that is borne in myne owne countrey of Affrica than to the handes of a stranger For it is not vnknowen to you howe moche the daughter of Asdruball and a Carthaginense borne hath cause to feare the hande of a Romayne And in case thou canste none otherwise helpe my desire I mooste hartily require the to steame and thus by deathe delyuer me from the daunger of the Romaynes ¶ This quene being of excellent beautie and in her lusty flourishyng age what with her humble behauiour what with her fayre speche so persuaded the king Massanissa that he not only toke her to mercy but also hauyng the victory of her the hole citie he becam so captiue to her by loue that he takig her by the right hand promised her her request and thervpon he mounted into the kinges palaice Than he began to dyuise in his imagination by what meanes he myght performe his promise vnto the queene And whan he coulde fynde noo way to bringe his purpose to passe as one that was ouercome with blynd loue he inuented a folishe and a shamefull diuise whiche was to be maried incontinent vnto her the same day thynking by the mariage of her vnto him he had taken away all occasion both from Lelius and also from Scipio of doing her any hurt or displeasure Whan the mariage
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
fyrst he beganne to shew hym the daunger that the countrey was in consyderyng the stronge armye of the Romans whiche was than at hande He shewed hym also that the Spaniardes had so longe continued in the frendeshyp of the Carthaginenses for feare more than for loue And all by cause the Romane army was so farre from theym but nowe syns they were come ouer Iberus it was to be feared leste they wolde all yelde them selues vnto Scipio Wherfore he desyred hym to worke wysely therin ¶ Whan Bostar demaunded of him what he wold haue him to do for remedy therof he answered I wold aduyse you to sende the children of the noble meÌ„ whom ye haue as pledges in this towne to their parentes frendes and cities so shal ye get all theyr hartes and loues by this kyndnes shewyng whiche ye can neuer get with feare For whan they fynde that ye put trust in them ye shall the more bynde them to be faithful And I my selfe wyll gladly take the peyne to delyuer agayne the pledges to theyr frendes and so worke that I wyll get theyr hartes to you moche more than ye nowe haue Bostar meanynge all truthe and playnnes was anone perswaded to the same purpose and graunted hym the conduite of the sureties Than went Acedux priuyly to Scipio his tentes and there declared vnto hym the good wyll that he bare towarde hym and the Romanes And appoynted with hym the tyme and place of delyuere of the pledges Than went Acedux agayn to Bostar of whom he receyued speciall coÌ„mandementes and tokens to the kepers of the pledges to go with him takyng with them the pledges whan he wold requyre theym Than shewed he the kepers of the chyldren that he wolde depart from the citie in the nyght to thintente the better to escape the danger of the watches of the Roman hoste Wherfore he wylled theym to be redy to ryde with hym whan he called on theym at an howre certayne in the night folowinge They as innocentes in the matter made all thynges redye to departe at the howre appoynted at whyche howre he fayled not to come Thus departed he from the cytie both with the chyldren and also their kepers and â—re they were ware he ledde theym amonge a numbre of Romaynes that by his crafty appoyntement were layde in imbusâ—hementes for the same purpose where they were all taken and brought to Scipio who delyuered the pledges to theyr cities and frendes wherby he gate the loue of the more parte of the cities in Spayne so that they were redy to take armour to the ayde of the Romans whan so euer Scipio commaunded them These thynges were doone in Spayne the seconde yere of the battayl betwene the Carthaginenses and the Romaynes ¶ Fabius being at Rome in displesure Minutius maister of the horsmen fighteth with Annibal putteth him to the worse therfore is made halfe rular of the hooste with Fabius he fyghteth with him again is put to flight rescued by Fabiê° Ca. xx NOwe let vs returne to Fabius who by his wyse absteining from battayl had saued many of the Romans from death Neuer the lesse it was thought at Rome by many that his hart failed him and that he trifled forth the tyme onely to thintent his empire and rule myghte the longer contynue and that he cared not what coste the citie were at infyndyng so great an army so that he myght be at rest with honour Thus had he gotten many enemies at Rome And to encrease their malice towarde him Anniball wrought a meruaylous subtyltie he sente a numbre of his men to spoyle the cuntrey and commaunded them in any wyse to do no hurt to the landes of Fabius of whiche he gate the knowledge by certayne that were fledde to hym from the Roman army This did he to the intent it shuld be thought that som secret bargayn or conspiracy was made betweene hym and Fabius Whyche crafty act of Anniball caused Fabius to be the more suspect tothe senate of Rome But to take awaye that suspection from hym Fabius sent his sonne and solde the grounde or feldes whiche were not violated by Anniballes subtiltie Nowe fortuned it also to encrease Fabius euyll wyll at Rome that after his departing from the hoste Minutius the mayster of the horsemen beinge lefte to guyde the armye caused the campe and tentes whiche were by Fabius sette safe in the hyghe hylles to be broughte downe and pytched in the lowe valeys And there they were disposed after the discretion of the capteyn thynkyng eyther to make a skyrmishe with them that went abrode to robbe or els to inuade theÌ„ that were left behind in the teÌ„tis ¶ Anniball knowing that he shuld kepe warre with a captein moche vnlyke the other and that his ennemies wolde order their busynes more quyckly than wysely and perceyuyng his enemies to draw more nere vnto him he sent the thyrd part of his souldiors to robbe and wast the cuntreys the other .ii. partes he kept within theyr tentes Than remoued he his campe more nere to the RomaÌ„s abode vpoÌ„ a certain hyll where as the Roman host might pceiue that they were redy to succour their robbers if any assaut were made on theÌ„ This did he of purpose to entise the Romans to batail Than could Minutius no loÌ„ger forbere but sent a good nuÌ„ber of horsmen to assaile the robbers who distroid many of them that were sparkled abrode seking theyr pray Than cam Annibal to the rescue of his men But fortune so serued the Romanes that as they werâ— most busy in fighting One Numerius Decimus a capytain of the Samnites cam to the succour of the Romans with viii M. fotemen .ii. C. horsmen by whose help they bet Anniball to his caÌ„pe slew .vi. M. of his men which glad tydinges Minutiê° although he had lost in the same batell v. M. of his owne men sent in his bosting letters to Rome wherwith the citie was moch coÌ„forted Not withstanding Fabius whan all the citie was mery wold nother beleue the newes nor the letters At the last he said if al were trewe he rather feared their prosperous aduenture than reioysed therin Whyche saying caused him greatly to be hated of the citezens Marcus Metellus openly rebuked Fabius therfore sayinge that he kept his men in theyr campes more lyke captiues and prisoners than men of warre Specially it was not to be suffred that he being present wold not only suffer nothing to be done valyantly agaynst his enemies but now also being absent held against the thing that was well done by his master of horsmeÌ„ Fabius answered but fewe wordes for he thought they shuld be euyll harde but he sayd that where .ii. yeres past the citie had susteined great harmes and losse through the folishe hardynesse of the gouernours he douted not but yf he myght beare rule and haue his mynde he wolde make it euident to all men that fortune coulde lyttell do or worke against a good
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
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
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
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
the lucke therof very well in the nexte hauen therto set vs on lande When the armye was landed they get them to the nexte hylles whervpon they pitched theyr tentes and encamped them selues Then were the inhabitantes of the sea costes and all the coūtrey there about in great feare and trouble perceyuynge the arriuaile of so great a nauy euery man fled from those parties takynge with them theyr wynes theyr chyldren and substance driuinge before them their cattell to the nexte strong townes to the great feare of all the countrey where the newes therof was brought Specially in Carthage such feare sorowe and trouble inuaded the people as though theyr citie had ben all redy taken by theyr ennemies They were then vnprouyded bothe of men of warre and also of a good capitayne to be their gouernour The best capitayne that they then had was Asdrubal the sonne of Bysgon whom Scipio at diuers battelles in Spayne had before put to flyghte and at the last droue him cleane oute of Spayne with all his helpers soo that they estemed the capitaynes to be as farre vnlyke as the armye of Carthage was vnlyke to the Romayne hoste In this greate feare the gates of the citie were shutte the walles kepte with watche and warde as thoughe theyr ennemies had ben already come before the walles of the towne Fyue hundred horsemen were also sente forthe to espye the conduite of the Romaynes who by chaunce mette with manye Romayne horsemen that were sent out to robbe and spoyle the fieldes adioynynge and were by them put to flyghte to the greate losse of many of the Carthaginenses ¶ Sone after the arriuaile of the Romaynes came Massanissa to Scipio bryngynge with hym .ii. C. good men well horsed His power was then not greate for he had ben driuen and chased out of his owne realme and was banished by strengthe out of his owne countrey Whose comynge was verye ioyfull and comfortable to the Romaynes The Carthaginenses after the losse of theyr horsemen assembled againe a newe winge of horsmen wherof they made gouernor Hanno the son of Amilcar Then sent they letters and legates to Asdruball to come to the succour of the citie that was at pointe to be besyeged They sent also to kyng Syphax desyring him to come to the socour defence both of Carthage also of all Affrica Then lay the Romaines nere vnto the citie of Vtica Hanno hauyng with him .iiii. M. horsemen came to the towne of Salera xv miles from the Romain campe When Scipio had knowlege therof he sent Massanissa before with certayn horsemen with hym to shirmishe with them at the gates Commaunding him that so sone as the multitude of his ennemies were ones come forth and that he coulde no longer endure theyr strength that then he shuld softly withdrawe him selfe towardes the hylles where he shuld fynde hym with his host redy to succour him With this instructiō Massanissa departed rode to the gates of the citie skirmishing with such as were at the said gates ma ny came forth to the battayl without good order then Massanissa faining him selfe to be afraide somewhat reculed sometime he turned again and fought with them that folowed him Thus he played at base with them tyll the whole multitude of horsemenne were come furthe of the yates Than sobrely he withdrewe him selfe tyll he came to the hylles to which hilles the Romayne horsemen were than couertely come Than Massanissa fiersely retourned and assayled his ennemies and the Romaines beinge fresshe them selues and hauyng fresshe horses compassed and assailed them that were before almoste weery with chasing Massanissa so that at the fyrst brunt Hanno him selfe and ◠M. horsemen with hym were slayne The rest fledde wherof the Romaynes in the chase slewe and toke other .ii. M. amonge whom wer many noble men of the citie of Carthage The pray after the victory was greatte The towne was taken and the capytains with other men of armes were welle rewarded by Scipio But aboue other he gaue Massanissa great gyftes and leauynge a sufficient garrison in the towne he with his hoste remoued thense sendynge moche of the pray whiche he had taken bothe men beastes and other rychesse by certayne of his shippes into Sicilia intendyng hym selfe to assayle the citie of Vtica with all his power whiche yf he myght ones wynne he reckened to be a restyng place for him and his tyl the rest of his voiage were acheued ¶ Thus was the town of Vtica besieged round about their hope was to haue succours of Asdruball who had assembled togyther .xxx. M. fotemen and .iii. M. horsmen Neuer the lesse for all that numbre Asdruball durste not sette furthe of Carthage tyll kyng Syphax was also come to hym with fyfty thousande footemen and .x. M. horsemen Then set he forewardes and came nere vnto Vtica pytchinge his tentes and campe not farre from the Romayn army There came aboute this tyme from Sicilia and Sardinia great plenty of wheate to vitaile the Romaines so that they had therof great plenty There was also brought thither .xii. C. gownes and .xii. M. cotes for the souldiours and prouision was made for all thynges that they lacked These were the actes of Scipio in Affrica this sommer ¶ Duryng whych sommer P. Sempronius the consull in Italy fought with Anniball where the Romayns had the worst and loste .xii. C. of theyr men But soone after Sempronius sent for P. Licinius the proconsull to come to hym with his armye After whose cōmyng theyr powers beinge ioyned together they went towardes Anniball and he beynge ioyefull of his laste victory foughte with theim agayne to his greate losse For there were aboue .iiii. M. of his men slayne and iii. C. taken Then Anniball beynge greately dyscomforted with this losse retourned from thence to Croton Sone after the tyme of the chosyng of consulles was come at whiche Cn. Seruilius Cepio and Cn. Seruilius Geminus were create consulles other officers were chosen according to the olde custome diuers cities also of the Brutiens as Consentia Pandosia and other submytted theym selues and retourned agayne to the Romaynes ¶ Scipio wisely espieng the maner of his ennemies campes in the nyght burneth them bothe putteth Syphax and Asdruball to flyght with great losse of theyr men They make agayn a newe fylde and are eftsones discomfyted and put to flyghte Cap. lxiii THe winter drewe nere and both the gret hostes lay encamped not farre from Vtica Yet Scipio neuer ceassed from the besiegynge of the towne and his campe was in syghte of his ennemyes His mynd was styll vpon his busynes touching the warre Amonge other his cares he deuised greatly by what meanes he myght wynne king Syphax from the Carthaginenses iudgyng that the heate of loue which he had to his yonge wyfe was by that tyme somewhat asswaged and that he was then werye of the pleasure in loue beinge as he thoughte satisfyed therin to his contentation When he had by legates assaied the mynde
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
and caused them to stay for a season Afterwarde whan they sawe so great feare amonge the hoste in the streites and that they were almoste confounded with theyr owne noyse and trouble the horses trembling for brede they thought to put them to further trouble and to worke them more displeasure Wherfore they came down by the hylles syde along the rockes being vsed therto where none other coulde escape And nowe here nowe there inuaded the army so that what for the dangerousnes of the passage and also by their ennemies they were meruaylously encumbred But aboue al other troubles the greatest was that whan thay sawe them selues thus in danger by reason of their ennemies and of the passage than stroue the one with the other who shuld fyrst escape the daunger therof by passynge fyrst the sayd straites fyghtyng more with theyr owne company than with theyr ennemies Theyr cattell being also striken and hurt by the derth of the mountayns roryng and yellyng hurt and ouerthrewe many of the hooste some armed some vnarmed downe the hygh mountaynes with stuffe and baggage that pitie it was to beholde Whan Anniball was in formed therof he descended with a greate number with hym and at his fyrst commyng he disparkled and put his enemies to flight so that afterward he had not only leisâ—re to conuey his army but also sylence and quietnes Thâ—n he toke the castell the chiefe place of all that region and other theyr villages And with the captiues cattell he founde his army thre dayes Departyng from thense he came to an other sorte of mountayne people whyche not by battayle but being taught by the destruction of theyr neyghbours with crafte subtilty and wyly deceytes wrought hym moche displeasure Certain of the eldest and chiefest of the castelles came to Anniball shewynge hym that they beyng admonyshed with the harme of theyr neyghbours wolde rather haue his frendshyp and amitie than prouoke the wrathe of the Carthaginenses offeryng to obey his commaundementes and to ayde him with vytailes and to conducte hym and his people on theyr way and for the assuraunce thereof they offered to delyuer hym pledges Anniball as wyse and taught in suche rusynes neyther gaue to theyr wordes ouer hasty credence nor despysed theyr gentyll offer lest therby he shulde haue made them his manyfest enemyes but sobrely receyued theyr hostages and vsed theyr ayde vpon the way whose guides he folowed not neglygently but in good order and araye The elephantes and horsemen were set before and Anniball hym selfe came after with the strengthe of his footemen in good aray wysely ouerlokyng all thynge Whâ—n they came to a more narow waye hauyng an hygh hylle on the one syde the sayd barbaryke people sodaynly set vpon them bothe behynde and afore rollyng downe great stones among the host The rerewarde was by them soore troubled so that yf it had not ben surely defended many of them had bene destroyed In this trouble and peryll remayned they all the day tyll the nyght caused the ennemyes to withdrawe On the morowe they were nothyng so vexed as the day before For theyr assaultes were but skyrmyshes sometyme before somtime behynde Wherfore they passed the streytes and came to the toppe of the mountaynes within the space of .ix. days not without great ieopardy and slaughter but more of the beastes than of the men There Anniball caused the army beinge weryed with labour trauayle and fyghtynge to reste theym the space of two dayes Duryng whiche tyme there fell suche abundance of snowe that it reuewed theyr sorowes for the snowe fyllyng euery place as the armye shulde passe in the mornynge made them almoste desperate Anniball perceyuynge theyr great discourage gotte before the sâ—anders and went vp on a hylle from whence he myghte see farre and wyde where causyng his army to stay a lyttell he shewed to them Italy and the fayre fieldes that lay aboute the ryuer of Padus adioynynge to the mountaynes and he sayde vnto theym that after they had passed these mountaynes they had alredy scaled the walles not onely of Italy but also of the verye citie of Rome shewing them that all other passages were plaine easy and nothynge daungerous and that within two or thre battayles at the moste they shoulde attayne Rome whyche was the head of Italy With that the hoste beganne to sette forewarde without any interruption except it were by small inuasions as it were of robbers and such small skyrmyshing But the way to descende was than more daungerous than it was at the ascendyng vp of the same for it was so narowe stipe and slyppy that they coulde not saue them selues from fallyng And whan one slode he ouerthrewe hym that went before hym so that men and cattell were in ieopardy of theyr lyues After that came they to a moche more strayte rocke the clysses therof were so hygh and stype that with greatte peyne the ligier souldyours by takynge holde of the shrubbes and trees that grewe on the rocke syde coulde descende downe The place whyche was before of his owne nature pytchelonge by sodayne breakynge downe of the earthe was made a thousande foote stype ryght downe to the bottome The horsemen stayed there as thought they hadde bene at theyr iourneyes ende Whan Anniball inquired what caused theym to tarye it was shewed hym that noo manne coulde passe the daunger of the rocke Than wente he to see the place hym selfe and it seemed to hym that by the pathes and wayes whyche appeered to haue bene vnvsed by leysure and longe compasse he myght well ynoughe conuey his armye aboute the rocke but all was in vayne for vppon the olde yse and frosen snowe there was the nyghte before newe snowe fallen of a small thyckenesse whyche after a lyttell goynge vppon thawed and gaue some what agayne and became soo slyppy that skarsely vppon theyr handes and knees could they sustayne theym selues Theyr horse◠〈…〉 in the 〈◊〉 and were sore cut on theyr legges with the 〈…〉 so that it was great pitie to here the 〈◊〉 that the people made in euery parte To appease all this noyse and to comforte his people Hanniball caused theâ— by palycâ— to make a place to pytche theyâ— tentes on Fyrst he caused the snowe and vse to be digged vp and striken away whiche was not done without great labour and trauâ—â—le Than had he inuented a propre diuise to breake the rockes and through them to make a reasonable passage he caused his company to cut downe a great numbre of trees that grewe on the hall ouer them which he caused to be tumbled downe the hylle vnto the sayde troublesome rockes and therof to make great pyles of wodde vppon the sayd greate rockes and whan the wynde was bygge he caused theym to be sette on fyre Than caused he greate plentye of vineger to be powred on the stones that were before burned and wasted with the great heate of fyre wherby they were made moche more gentyll to be broken and hewed and than with
he can not tell of whyche hoste he is gouernour but only by the banners and badges Surely worthy warriors I esteme not this a lyttell that there is none of you before whome I haue not done some worthy feate of warre At that tyme ye dyd extolle and laude me and thought me worthy of gyftes and preferrement And nowe I shall more lyke a father than a capytayne before you all enter into battayle agaynste these people that nother knoweth vs nor any of theym knoweth other Where so euer I caste myne eyes I see nothynge amonge you but hardynesse and strength the moste aunciente and famous footemen the mooste noble armed and vnarmed horsemen and you moste faithfull and hardy Carthaginenses and felowes shall both fyght for your countrey and in a iuste and ryghtuous quarell We brynge warre and banners dysplayed into Italy noysome to the Romaynes And so moche more boldly we may fyght in how moche the hope and courage of vs that inuade is stronger than theyrs that onely defende Besydes all this theyr wronge and vnworthy dealyng towarde vs bothe kendle and encourage our myndes For fyrst I beinge capitayne was requyred and than all you that were at the destruction of Sagunt were in lykewyse requyred to be delyuered to the Romayns to be put to deathe This moste cruell and proude nation dothe all thynges after theyr owne brayne and iudgement they wyll determyn with whome we shall haue warre or peace All thing that they do they thynke it ryghtefull They wylle appoynte hylles and fluddes to be boundes and meres whyche we may not passe yet wyll not they obserue the places and termes whych they haue sette and prescribed them selues Thou shalt not saye they passe Iberus lest thou make the a do with the Saguntines Sagunt is at Iberus Therefore you shall not moue thyther from your appoynted place They esteme it but a litell to haue taken from vs our most auncient prouinces Sardinia and Sicilia but they woll haue Spayn also And if they wynne that than they wyll haue Affrica I may well say Affrica also For they haue sent two consuls this yere one into Affrica and an other into Spayne There is nothynge lefte to vs but that that we muste be fayne to wynne agayne with the sworde If feare compelle theym lyke cowardes to flee here from vs they haue places ynoughe to receyue theym they knowe the countreys and wayes wherby to escape It behoueth you to play the valyant men and settyng all at six and seuen eyther to vanquyshe or elles yf fortune frowne rather manfully to dye in battayle than to be slayne in fleyng away If this that I haue sayd be fast fixed in your myndes I say to you for certayne you haue all ready the vyctorye ¶ Howe Scipio and 〈…〉 and fought togither 〈◊〉 howe the 〈◊〉 was hurt 〈…〉 Cap xii _â—Vhan by these exhortations the men of warre on bothe partes were kendled and stered to battayle the Romaines pitched their tentes â—t Ticinus where they beganne to make a bridge and fyrst they made a towre vpon the same for the safegarde of the bridge whiles it was workyng But while they were occupied about theyr worke Hanniball sent Maharball with a wynge of the Numidies of .v. C. horsemen to destroye the fieldes of suche as were frendes to the Romayns chargyng theym to spare the Frenchemen and to stere the princis to forsake the Romans amitie Whan the bridge was made Scipio conâ—eied his army ouer and pytched within .v. myles of Anniballes campe And whan the Romaines hoste approched Maharball was called backe Whâ—n Anniball who coulde neuer inough stire his souldiours to battayle had promised them gyftes rewardes ye and fredome with landes also other in Affrica Spayn or Italy at theyr owne pleasures in case they myght obteyne the vpper hande he dydde sacrifice vnto the goddis holding a lambe in the lefte hande and a â—â—ynt stone in the ryght hand desyrynge Iupyter and the goddis all so to slea him as he did the lambe yf he wolde weake promyse with them And than euery of them receiuynge a sure hope desyred the battayle The Romans made no suche haste bycause they were feared with strange tokens and fyghtes a lyttell before For a wolfe was seâ—e to come into theyr campe which rent and tore those that he mette and hym selfe escaped without hurte Dyuers other suche tokens very straunge were shewed amonge the Romaynes Whan Scipio had soughte deligently what they myght sygnifye he went with certayne horsemen with hym to a lytteâ—l hyll â—ere adioynyng to viewe the number and demeanour of Annibals hoste where by chance he mette Anniball and certayne horsemen with hym that was also ridden forthe to viewe the countreys aboute Whan they were almost mette with great care and diligence they set them selfes in aray to fyghte The battayle was stronge for a season and doubtfull But in a whyle the Romain fotemen fledde backe to their battayle where beinge myngled with the horsemen they caused great confusion but whan the Numidian horsemen whiche were on the wynges came on theym also than fledde they on all partes to their campe In this conflict was the consul Scipio soore wounded whom with great peyn his horsemen caried out of the fielde to theyr great discomforte Wherfore the nyght folowyng the Romanes makyng as litell noyse as myght be that theyr ennemies shulde haue noo knowledge remeued from Ticinus to Padus and came to Placentia before that Anniball wyst that they were departed from Ticinus Mago with the Spanyshe fotemen swam ouer the water quyckly and Anniball by the hygher parte of the ryuer passed ouer his hoste with as great spede as might be And within a fewe days he came and pitched before Placentia and on the morowe after in the syght of his enemies he ranged his hoste and sette them in aray redy to gyue battayle The nyght folowyng by reason of a sedition that arose in the Romane army there were many Frenchemen slayne of those that came to they raide whervpon two thousand fotemen and two hundred horsemen of the Frenchemen sleinge the watchemen at the gates fledde vnto Anniball whome he gentilly entertained and keÌ„dled with hope of exceding great rewardes and sent euery man home to his owne citie therby the more to allure and tourne the myndes of the commons of theyr countrey vnto hym Scipio demyng this slaughter to be a token that all the Frenchemen wolde forsake hym and that they beinge touched with this yuell dede as a madnesse were fallen vppon theym wolde runne to harneys not withstandynge his wounde greued hym soore yet as pryuily as he myght in the nyghte tyme he remoued his hooste to the ryuer Trebia and pytched in hygher places and on lyttell hylles ylle for horsemen Anniball hauynge knowlege therof sente fyrste certayne Numidians after and thanne all the horsemen whyche shulde haue putte the rerewarde to great trouble hadde not the Numidians for couetousnes of pray tourned to the voyde tentes of
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
sette the faggottes on fyre that were on the hornes of the beastes and than to dryue theym to the hylles and straytes specially aboue the way which the Romans kept Than in the begynnyng of the nyght secretely he caused his men to remoue their campe driuing the oxen a lytel before the standerdes but whan they came to the fote of the hyll and to the narowe way he commanded the fagotes on the beastes hornes to be set on fyre Whiche done the feare of the flamyng fyre aboute theyr heades and the heate commyng to the quicke and lower parte of the hornes of the beastes caused them to runne as though they had bene mad With whyche sodeyne running the yong roddes toke a burnyng euen as though the woddes and hylles had ben on fire and the mouing of their heades causing the flame to sprede abrode shewed like as it had ben men ruÌ„ning abrode with fyre Whan those that were set at the entryng of the passage sawe the fyre on the hygh hylles aboue them supposyng that they had ben betrayde lefte the place assigned theym to kepe and fiedde to theyr succours sekyng theyr best way by the toppe of the hylles by whiche the great flame and blase dyd shyne where they chaunced vpon certayne oxen strayed from theyr flocke And whan at the fyrst they sawe as it were liuing thinges breathynge fyre and flames they stode as astonyed with the syght But after perceyuynge the crafte to be made and conueyd by men than supposing that there was treason with great noyse and rumour they toke them to flyght Fabius also seinge this mockery fearynge deceyte kepte his people within his campe tyll it was day Thus in the nyghte whyle they were astonyed with this strange â—yght Anniball passed the straite passage with his hoste without danger and pitched his campe in the fielde of Alifanus ¶ Cneius Scipio fyghteth with Hasdruball and Himilco on the sea vppon the costes of Spayne dryueth theym to lande taketh and distroyeth fyue and twenty shyppes with a greatte noumber of the Carthaginenses Capitu. xviii AFter this hard escape out of daunger Anniball ledde his army as though he wolde haue gone towarde Rome by the fieldes of the Samnites robbing and burning vnto the Pelignes and from thens returned towarde Apulia And Fabius set his tentys betwene the citie of Rome and his ennemies nother goyng from theym nor gyuinge them battayle tyll in short space after he was called to Rome for bycause of the sacrifice that shulde be doone to the goddis Before his departyng he not only exhorted Minutius mayster of the horsemen whom he lefte with his army but also streyghtly commaunded hym that he shuld in no wise haue to do with his ennemies for any occasion that shulde be gyuen him and that he shuld better trust to counsayle than to fortune and that he shuld rather folowe his aduise being his capytain than vse the trade of SeÌ„pronius and Flaminius shewyng the dangers of it by examples Also he declared to him â—e disceite of theyr ennemies And whan he had gyuen hym these exhortations in vayne he departed to Rome ¶ In the begynnyng of sommer whyles those thinges were done in Italye great warre begunne in Spayne Hasdruball deliuered vnto Himilco .xl. sayle wel furnished for the warre and hym selfe with a great numbre of shyppes also departed from Carthage and sayled into Spayne where after he was arryued and landed his hoste he set his shyppes at the shore nere to the lande and pitched his campe on the lande beinge redy to fyght with his ennemies where soo euer he founde them on lande or water Scipio after he came from the wintrynge thought to haue gone on his enemies vpon the lande but whan he hearde of theyr succours that were comme to them he durste not mete them on lande but chose a noumbre of good sowldiours and made redy .xxxv. sayle for to meete them on the water thynkyng to assayle them sodeinly er they shulde be able to ordeyne all thyng for their defence Whan Hasdruball had knowlege of theyr commynge by reason of hygh towers made in dyuers places of Spayne from whens they may see farre of on the sea there arose a great noise and feare amonge his hoste in theyr tentes for suche as were on the land and thought lytel to haue had battaile that day He commaunded to make haste to theyr shippes whiche they did obey and hym selfe came hastyly after And whan they came to the water the sowldiours so troubled the shipmen and the shypmen the souldiours that none of them coulde aray them selues and sette in order thynges necessaryly for theyr busynes Whyles this rumour lasted the Romans not only were at hande but also redy to fyghte The Carthaginenses noo more troubled with theyr enemies than with theyr owne rumour were shortly ouercome and fledde and at the first conflyct the Romans toke two shyppes and drowned .iiii. And although the Romans sawe all the shoore occupied with men of armes yet were they not aferde but folowed their ennemies shyppes fleynge in soo moche that of .xxx. sayle they toke and distroyde .xxv. And with this great pray went again to the sea and landed at Tarracon where Scipio taryed not longe but that his brother P. Scipio arriued there also sent by the senate with a great nauy to the numbre of .xxxv. shyppes and .viii. M. souldiours with great store of stuffe and ordynance ¶ Whan the two bretherne were assocyate togyther there was nothynge that dydde withholde the wylles and hartes of the people of Spayne from the frendshyppe of the Romans sauing they feared the trespas shuld be reuenged on theyr chyldernes bloudde whyche were lefte as pledges by Anniball at Sagunt ¶ Howe Acedux a Spanyarde by treason conueyde the pledgâ—â— of Spayne fro the Carthaginenses and delyâ—â—â—ed them to the Romans Ca. xix THan was there in Sagunt a noble spanyard called Acedux who before that tyme had ben very faythfull to the Carthaginenses but than as it is the facion of many of the common sort of men whan fortune fayled his faith lykewyse chaunged He imagined with hym selfe what way he myght best attayne the frendshyp of the Romans After many sundry imaginations he thought soonest to brynge it about if he might finde the meanes to delyuer them those noble mens children whiche were left at Sagunt as pledges and suerties For by that meanes he thought the Romans myght beste wynne the hartis of the pricis of Spain But this enterprise he thought he coulde not compasse onlesse he myght obteyne the fauour of one Bostar who lay encamped without the citie vpon the shoore of the ryuer with a good numbre of Spaniardes for the sure kepyng of the citie and to stoppe the Romanes the entre that way from the hauen without whose coÌ„mandement he knewe well the kepers of the pledges wolde nothyng do Than Acedux thought with crafte to assay Bostar and went to the campe where he lay desyryng secretely to speake with hym 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
souldiours to the tentes to fetche ordynaunce and all thynges necessary to assault the walles thynkyng that if he went on them whiles they abode in this stay that the common people of the citie wolde make some rumour on the walles Incontynent whyles euery man as the coÌ„mandement was ranne to his busines touchinge the assault and the host wente to the walles the gates were sodeinly opened Marcellus coÌ„manded to spreade the baners and the trumpettes to blowe and the footemen fyrst and after the horsemen to runne on theyr ennemies Some authors saye that there were slayne at that skirmysshe .ii. M. iii. C. Carthaginenses but one man of the Romans whetherthe victory were so great or whether it were lesse the acte was great and the conduicte noble Anniball hauynge no hope of opteynyng the towne went than to Acerras and Marcellus streyght caused the gates of Nola to be shutte lest any manne shulde passe furthe and made anon strayght and dilygent examination who they were that wolde haue betrayed the towne He beheaded .lxxx. of them and caused their goodes to be dystributed amonge the commons And after he had committed the charge of kepyng of the towne to the senate he remoued with his hole host beyonde Suessala ¶ Anniball after he hadde wonne Acerras came to Cassilinum where they so valyantlye defended theym selfes that Anniball beinge halfe ashamed left the siege and wente to wynter at Capua And there he kepte his hooste in houses for the most part of the wynter who of long tyme before had endured agaynst all kyndes of peynes and trauayle hauynge smalle knowlege of pleasure or ease And they that could not before be ouercome with any kynde of misery or peyne were than loste with vnmeasurable pleasures wherein they were wholly drowned so gredy they were therof after theyr accustomed peynes Thus toke they al theyr delite in slepe and wyne in bankettes hauntynge of harlottes and bathes with dayly reste and ydelnes whiche delycate fashion withdrewe bothe theyr courage and also theyr strength from theyr bodies and myndes so that afterwarde theyr ioye comfort and strength was more by remembrance of the victories whiche they had opteyned before than in theyr present strength In so moche that to lette his souldiours thus folow theyr lustes was thought amonge expert warriours a greater hynderance vnto hym than that he did not lead his host to Rome streight after the battayle of Cannas For that tarienge and doubting was thought but only a prolongyng of the victorye but this faute made theym vnable afterwarde to ouercome Soo that whan he remoued from Capua after the winter it semed that he ledde furthe a straunge army other than he brought thyther they obserued none of theyr accustomed sort of warre somme retourned to theyr harlottes many other as soone as they beganne to feele peyne trauayle and hardenesse of warre and that they were fayne to be couered with skynnes they were so werye and the warre semed to them so tediouse that they wanted bothe theyr strength of bodye and hardynesse of mynde whyche they hadde before A greatte parte of the hoste without theyr wages stole from theyr capytaynes nother hadde they any other denne or receptable but Capua ¶ Of the longe siege and wynnynge of Cassilinum with the deathe and distruction of the consull Posthumius and his host in the woode of Lytana by the craft of the Frenchemen Cap. xxix VVhan it drewe towarde the sommer Anniball remoued agayne to Cassilinum where without assaute gyuynge but only by contynuall siege kepynge he broughte the inhabitaâ—tes therof almoste to extreme ponertie and famyne The dictatour in this season was gone to Rome to serche by diuinations the fortune that shulde happen Titus Sempronius was left as ruler of the army Marcellus being at Nola wolde haue succoured them of Cassilinum saue that the citezens of Nola wolde in no case suffer hym to go from theym fearynge leste after his departure the inhabitantes of Capua wolde haue inuaded theym The ryuer alsoo of Vulturnus was rysen so hygh that he coulde not well passe ouer but in great ieopardy Gracchus was lefte with a certayne men of warre to lye about Cassilinum who moued not nor brought them any succour bycause he hadde in commandement of the dictatour that he shulde moue no battayle in his absence yet hearde he suche newes from Cassilinum whyche wolde haue moued a man to haue broken his commandement For it was shewed hym that some being not able to susteyne the greatte hungre and famine without aduysement distroid them selfes And some desyryng the death wold stand on the walles without armour to the intent they myght be slayn with the shotte of theyr ennemies Gracchus seyng that he durste not helpe theym by battayle bycause of the contrary coÌ„maundement of his dictatour And there was no remedy to brynge them sustynance for that in no case coulde be done without battayle Than he gathered in the fieldes as many kyndes of corne as he could and therwith fylled a great numbre of vessels or barelles and sent a messanger to the rulars of the citie certifying them that he wolde the next nyght sende the vessels with grayne downe the water warning them to be redy to receiue theym at the coÌ„myng of the tyde The nyght folowyng euery man went to the ryuer to tary the coÌ„myng of the grayn accordyng to the promyse of Gracchus at the laste they myght see the tounnes come swymmynge downe the myddell of the streame whiche they receyued gladly and diuyded it equally among them Thus they continued by the space of .iii. or .iiii. nyghtes so longe they disceyued the watchemen of theyr ennemies but at the laste the water arose moche hygher than it was wont by the reason of a continuall rayne that fell so that the streame was more swyft than it was wont to be whereby the vessels were dryuen to lande on that part where the host of Anniball lay and many were founde styckyng amonge the wyllowes that grew on the bankes of the ryuer which was shewed vnto Anniball who afterwarde with greatter dilygence watched the ryuer of Vulturnus lest he shuld by such meanes be eftsones deceyued Yet was there suche lyke deuyse made by sendyng of nuttes downe the streame in barels tyll it was also espyed At length they were brought to suche pouertie that they were constrayned to take skynnes strynges and the couerynges of shieldes whiche they made softe in warme water and so eate them nother refrayned they to eate myse and suche kynde of vermyn and all kynde of herbes and rootes whiche grewe without in the fielde adioyning to the walles Thus also perceyued Anniball wherfore he caused the grounde to be plowed vp where all suche herbes and rootes dyd growe to his ennemies succour without the wall In whiche newe plowed groundes the men of the towne sowed pasnepsede wherat Anniball cried Shall I tary at Cassilinum whyle these sedes be growen vp able for theyr foode and sustynance Whervpon where before he
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
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
woode had Martius sent an embushement of Romaine horsemen to receyue suche as fledde frome the fyrste campe and wolde escape to the other And whan he demed the said embushement to be come thither he with the rest of his company went to the next campe where fynding no watche nor resistence they entred the tentes as easily as they might haue done into theyr owne Than sodainly they blew vp their trum pettes and made great clamour and noyse some slewe their ennemies slepyng some set the tentes on fyre many kept the entre or gates of the campe that none shulde issue out Thus with sodayne noyse fyre and slaughter the other were so amased that they wyst not what to do They that fledde to the gates were there receiued of armed men and slaine whan they perceiued the gates so hepte many to saue their liues lep touer the dyches or closures of the campe thynking to flee to the next campe of the Carthaginenses and they were also receiued of the Romayn embushement and slayne so that none escaped And if any had escaped they could not haue brought word of the newes to the other campe before the Romaines came theym selues suche spede they made to go to the secoÌ„d campe after they had so slaine and oppressed them of the first fielde Thus in the breake of the day they came to the second campe where they found all thinges more vnready then in the fyrste some were gone forthe for woode some on for ragynge some for vytailes many walked vp and downe before the gate of the campe vnarmed many were layed downe to take theyr reste the Romaynes beynge yet fyers of theyr late victory slewe fyrste suche as made resystence at the entre of the campe and after they entred and made great slaughter With this great noyse many arose and armed them and came to the defence of their fyelde and thereby the battayle for a season was cruel and stronge but as sone as they perceyued the freshe blodde on the Romayns shyeldes whyche was a sygne of the deathe of their companye they were stryken with suche feare that they fledde as many as myght sundry wayes so that nyght and morninge Martius vanquyshed ii of the hostes of the Carthaginenses and flewe .xxxvii. M. men and .i. M. and .viii. C. were taken He wanne also their tentes wherein was a ryche praye Amonge other thynges there he founde a helmette of syluer waying C. xxxviii vnces and therevppon was grauen the Image of Hasdruball the sonne of Amylcar whiche helmet was sent to the senate of Rome and kepte long after in the Capitolie for an honorable monumeÌ„t or remembrance of the victory of Martius And after his tyme it was called Martius helmet vnto the tyme of the burning of the Capitolye After these great harmes and losses bothe gyuen and taken on bothe partes they ceassed warryng for a whyle in Spayne neyther party beyng hastye to put al in ieopardye tylle they were sure of more socours ¶ How Hasdrubal being enclosed in the â—â—raightes besyde Mentissa escaped the daunger thereof by mockyng his ennemies and of the chosyng of yong P. Corn. Scipio to be capitain in Spayne Ca. 43. AFter the subduing of Capua Appius Claudius Nero the consul with an army of .xii. M. fotemen and .xi. C. horsemen was sent into Spayn where receyuing also the host that was before with Martius Fonteius he toke the way toward Hasdrubal the son of Amilcar that lay with his army at a place called the Blacke stone betweâ—e the town of Illiturgus and Mentissa whiche was a place so enclosed that there was no waye to issewe out but at certayne streytes whiche streites Claudius Nero at his fyrste comynge caused to be wel and strongly kepte that the other shoulde by no waye escape but at his pleasure Hasdruball perceiuing him selfe to be enclosed on all partes fearyng his escape from thens sent incontinente an harrold to the consull with faithfull promesse that in case he wolde suffre him and his company to departe out of that streytes without further battell or trouble he wolde be contented forthwith to departe oute of Spayne with al the army of Carthage and leaue the countrey holly to the Romayns This his large offer Nero gladly receyued and the next daie folowynge was appoynted for a communication to be had betwene them of the condicions of delyuerynge of the castels and fortresses whiche they had in possession and what day should be appoynted for the Carthaginenses garrysons to departe with their baggage withoute gile or fraude from the said castels and townes and the other to be receyued in their places When they were agreed on this communication al the same night Hasdruball caused many of his host with all his grosse and heauy cariage to be sent forth by the sayde streyghtes beyng then not so streitly kept and watched Euer forseyng that there shoulde not ouer many departe at ones that nyght to the intent the smallenes of the noumbre by makynge smalle noyse myght with their sylence deceiue his ennemies and also the better to escape the narrowe and vncasy wayes of the streighte passages The day folowing the consul and he had long communication and bokes were wrytten of thynges of smalle importaunce tyll it drewe towarde nyght and then they agreed to mete the nexte mornyng to fynishe theyr deuyses This nyght also Hasdruball bestowed in sending furth many mo of his host more of his cariage then he dyd the nyght before The next metyng also was in lyke maner in vayne the tyme wasted and spente in deuises of couenauntes and euer in the nyght he sent of his footemen and stuffe out of daunger ¶ Thus in reasonyng and debatyng dyuerse dayes were employed tyll all his footemen and cariage were escaped And when a great parte of his host was by this illusion escaped then began Hasdruball more to staye and be styffe in the agreing of couenauntes in so muche that he began to dissent from dyuers artycles whervnto he had before assented For as his feare was lessed his faythe also decressed The next morning there appered a great and darke myste vpon the ground as wel on the hilles as on the valeys whiche serued wel Hasdruball for his purpose For he thinking then his good houre to be come sent to Nero the consull aduertysing hym that the same day was and euer had ben kepte bye holy and sacred amonge the Carthaginenses so that in the same it was not lawfull for hym to trauayle about any busynesse Wherfore he desyred the communication to be deferred tyll the daie folowyng The consull yet thynkyng no fraude or deceite to be in the message agreed thervnto And then Hasdruball with spede issued out of the strayte with the reste of his hoste horsemen Eliphantes with as small noise as he could make and was passed all daunger before the daye waxed clere But wheÌ„ the son began to appere theÌ„ Nero perceiuing the campe of the Carthaginenses to be voyde and
many of them slayne this yere And in the chiefe of sommer he hath kepte the resydue of his men at Venusia within the sure walles of the same ¶ To this accusation Marcellus so wysely and sobrely aunswered shewynge his policies and his actes doone agaynste Anniball that his excuse was not onely welle taken but also for his well dooinge the daye folowynge he was by the hole consent of the people chosen consull And Titus Quintus Crispinus was chosen to be his felowe They both were appoynted to kepe Italy agaynste Anniball Marcellus wente to his olde army to Venusia takyng with hym dyuers other to supplye the places of those that were before slayne Crispinus seinge the honour that was growen to Fabius by wynnyng of Tarent thoughte to besyege the citie of Locrus Wherfore he sent for all maner of ordynances to Sicilia with shyppes also to assault the same by sea as well as by land But hearinge of the cominge of Anniball to Lacinium he lefte his pourpose for a season and ioyned his hoste with his fellowe Marcellus who as than was come from Venusia into the countrey of Apulia where they bothe incamped their armies .iii. myles the one frome the other Thyther came also Anniball soone after that he parceyued the consull Crispinus hadde lefte of his besiegynge of the Locrenses and in the same cuntrey pytched his campe and tentes He had the yere before assayed the power and herte of Marcellus sometyme with wynnyng sometyme with losse of men Wherefore fearynge with the power of bothe the consulles to be ouermatched he than diuysed howe with policies and craft to deceiue them The consulles made dyuers skyrmyshes with his men thinkyng with suche tryflynge frayes to passe furthe the sommer and to kepe hym occupied yet neuerthelesse they trusted to be stronge ynough also for the besiegynge of Locrus Wherfore they sent to Sicilia causyng L. Cincius with his nauy and army to come to the besiegynge of Locrus by the sea Furthermore to assayle it also by lande they commaunded part of the army whiche laye for the defence of Tarent to be brought thyther This appoyntement was not so pryuyly done but that Anniball hadde knowledge therof by certayne of the Thurines Whervppon agaynste the tyme appoynted of theyr comynge he sent an embusshement of two thousande horsemen and thre thousande footemen to lye secretely vnder the hylle of Petillia vppon the way wherby the Romayne Tarentines shoulde passe The Romaynes vnaduysedly passyng by the waye were amonge them to their great hurtes for two thousande of theim were there slayne and one M. and two hundred taken prysoners the rest that escaped fledde by dyuers waies backe agayne to Tarent The consulles laye in theyr seuerall campes not farre frome the campe of Anniball Nowe was there in the myddell waye betwene the Romaynes campe and hym a greatte hylle full of woodde not taken nor viewed by any of them both The Romayns feared for to viewe it for that they doubted what maner of grounde the vttermooste parte thereof was towarde theyr enemies Neither was it viewed of Anniball for that he estemed the same to be a place more mete for to deceiue his ennemies than for to pytche theron his campe Wherefore he in the nyght sent thither a company of Numidian horsemen to lye pryuily in the myddell of the wood without mouynge or makynge any noyse in the daie tyme for feare to be espied The Romaynes euer cryed to theyr capytaynes that they shoulde take the sayde hylle and pytche there one of theyr campes for feare leste Anniball shoulde take it before theim Than said Marcellus to his felowe Crispinus lette vs then with a certaine horsemen with vs go viewe the same hyll by the â—yghte whereof we maye dispose all thynges accordyngly Beynge thus agreed they takyng with them .ii. hundred and .xx. horsemen wente bothe to suruey the sayde hylle and wood Whom yonge Marcellus the consuls sonne and Aulus Manlius beinge bothe tribunes folowed So couetous was the mynde of Marcellus to ioyne battaile with Anniball that he thoughte he coulde neuer ioyne his campe nyghe ynough to the campe of his ennemye Wherefore at his departynge he caused his people to be in a redynesse that in case the place lyked theim that they myghte gather vp the vesselles and all theyr stuffe and folowe theim frome theyr campes ¶ The capytaynes passed thorough a lyttell playne fielde and frome thense they entred into a fayre brode waye or rydynge whyche wente vp into the woodes At the toppe of this rydynge the Numidians hadde sette an espy to watche not thynkynge of any soo greate a praye as happed theim to come but onely to watche for forrageours or wood caryars that shoulde happe to roue abrode for vytayles wood or suche necessaries This espye warned theym of the Romaynes commynge and of the numbre and gaue theim a sygne whan euery man of theim shoulde leape oute of his secrete denne whyche he craftyly executed For he gaue theym not the sygne to issue oute tyll the Romaynes were soo farre passed in theyr waâ—e that the hyndermoste parte of the embusshement myght inclose theim and stoppe theyr waye behynde theim by that tyme the formoste of the embushement assayled theim before Than on all partes they issued out and layde on the Romaynes The consulles seynge theim selues stopped bothe before and behynde foughte manfullye theym selues and comforted theyr fellowes thynkynge to prolonge the battayle tylle succours myghte come to them But the other were soo fierse that parte of the Romaynes fledde Neuer the lesse the reste foughte for a season tylle they sawe Crispinus soore wounded and his felowe Marcellus thruste thorough with a speare falle deade to the grounde Thanne the reste that were left on lyue fledde with Crispinus the Consull who was soore hurte with two dartes and yonge Marcellus beynge also soore wounded Aulus Manlius was there slayne with Marcus Aulius and foure and forty other horsemen Arenius with fyue sergeantes of the consulles and eyghtene other horsemen were taken prisoners ¶ Anniball craftily sendeth lettters to Salapia sealed with Marcellus sygnet Asdruball passeth the mountayns with his army to mete his brother Anniball Cap. lii ANNIBALL knowynge that greatte feare woulde be in the Romayne hooste by the deathe of the one Consulle and also by the woundynge of the other to putte theym to further feare he incontynent remoued his hooste into the same hylle where the battayle hadde beene before where he pytched his Campe. There founde he the bodye of Marcellus whiche he caused to be buryed Crispinus beinge sore feared with the deathe of his fellowe and also with his owne woundes in the nyght folowynge remoued secretelye his armye into the highest and nexte hyll that he for his suertie coulde fynde there pitchinge his campe and tentes Both the capitaines endeuoured them selues to the vttermost the one to deceyue and the other to eschewe deceite ¶ Anniball with the bodye of Marcellus founde alsoo his ringe with his sygnet wherby he
folowed the Carthaginenses by the fame that they hearde of their waie by whiche they were gone Anniball no more willynge to fyght toke his waie euer in the nyght and ouer the mountaynes tyl he came to Metapontus where he toke of Hanno the soudiours whyche were there lefte and ioyned theim to his armye sendynge hym with a smalle numbre with hym into the countrey of the Brutians there to assemble moo men of warre to his succour ¶ Of the great battayle betwene Asdruball and the consulles in whyche Asdruball was slayne with syx and fyfty thousand men besyde many that were taken with a great spoyle Cap. liiii ASdruball leauing his further assiegyng of Placentia sent foure frenchemen and two Numidians to his brother Anniball with letters who passyng all Italy heryng that Anniball shoulde then be at Metapontus folowed him thither But er they were ware they lost their way and came to the fieldes of Tarent where they were taken and sent to Claudius Nero with their letters Who whan he had redde them and knewe by the contentes therof that Asdruball intended to mete his brother in Vmbria thynkyng then to be no tyme mete for the common welth to tary the determination of the senate he imagyned that he would enterpryse some strange thing wherby he shulde put both the citezens of Rome and also his ennemies in great feare But at lengthe whan it was achieued it shulde tourne the wholle citie from greate feare into meruailous gladnesse Wherfore he sent the sayde letters to Rome with other his owne letters of his intended enterpryse And incontinent sente messangers before hym to all the townes countreys by whych he with his army shoulde passe commaundyng theim to brynge furthe into the fieldes agaynst his commynge vitayles horses and other necessaries for his souldyours Than of his wholle armye he chose out .vi. thousande footemen and one M. horsmen sayinge and publyshyng that with them he intended to assault the next towne of the Lucans to take the Carthaginenses whiche were there left for the keping therof With this company in the nyght he departed makyng as great haste as he myghte in his iourney to come to the healpe of his felowe Liuius before he shulde haue to do with Asdruball leauynge Quintus Tatius in his campe to rule and gouerne the rest of his hoste At Rome the consulles letters made all men no lesse aferde than they were two yeres past whan the Carthaginenses hadde pytched theyr tentes before the walles of Rome They doubted whether they myght allowe or disallowe that bolde enterpryse of the consull whyche dyd appere to hange all vpon chaunce They knewe the campe was left very nere to Anniball with an army dispurueyed of a capitayne ye and the flowre and strengthe of the same armye was taken awaye with the Capytayne leauynge his campe sure in nothynge but onely by the ignoraunce of his ennemies who were not priuy as then of the consulles absence But what yf it happed to be knowen and that it chaunced Anniball with his wholle army to folowe Nero hauyng with him but .vi. thousand fotemen armed and one M. horsemen or that he wold assaile the reste which were left in the campe without strength or good gouernance The euil chances which they had before susteined in the warres with the late dethe of .ii. consuls in one yere increased their feare whyche all had happed to theim whan there was but one capytayne and one army of their ennemies in Italy Nowe they knewe .ii. myghty armies .ii. valyant capitaines ye almost .ii. Anniballes to be in the countrey For Asdruball the sonne also of Amilcar hadde many yeres in Spayne made warre agaynste the Romayns where he had hadde two noble victories sleynge two greate armies and also .ii. Scipions the noble capitayns of the same Furthermore that he myghte glory aboue Anniball bothe of his spedy passage ouer the mountaynes and also of drawyng with hym the frenchemen to battayle For euen where the one had almoste loste the greatter parte of his menne by hungre and colde whiche two be the greattest myseries of warre euen there had the other gathered together a gret puissance They rekened also that Claudius Nero shuld haue to do with a witty capitayn whom he knewe before had mocked illuded hym in Spayne lyke a child with deceiteful intretyng of conditions of peace wherby he escaped out of the straytes wherein he was indaungered Thus throughe feare whiche is thinterpretour of all thynges to the worste they estemed the power of theyr ennemyes to be great and their owne to be small ¶ In the meane tyme Nero the consull after he had so farre traueyled frome the daunger of his ennemies that he iudged he myght safely discouer his secrete enterprise he then called together his souldiours and spake vnto them sayinge There was neuer any enterpryse taken in hande by any capitayne whiche was in apparence more bolde and in effect more sure then this was For I wyll nowe brynge you sayde he to a certayne and sure victorye For we goo to a battayle for the whiche my felowe Liuius had before as many fotemenne and horsemen appoynted hym of the senate as he wolde desyre Ye suche a numbre as he wolde not haue desyred a greatter if he shulde haue ben appoynted to fyght with Anniball hym selfe and nowe by the fame of the comynge of the other consull with his armye beinge ioyned to the other we shall not fayle to haue an vndoubted victory For fame is the thynge that gyueth victory in battayle Yea small thinges oft tymes driue the hertes and myndes of men eyther in to feare or in to a good hope And the hole glorye and honour of all the good spede shall be gyuen to vs. For euer that whiche cometh last draweth all the honour to it ¶ With this comforte he led them forward on theyr way passynge by a great multitude of men and women of the countrey that came forth to mete them with great fauour and prayse giuynge namynge them the patrons and defendours of the cōmon welthe and of the hole empyre of Rome in whose handes then laye the helthe welth and lybertie bothe of them and of theyr children Wherfore they prayed vnto the goddes for theyr prosperous returne with victory and tryumphe And in declarynge theyr loue towardes theyr souldiours they offered them cattell vitayles and other necessarye thynges whiche they hertely desyred them to take at theyr pleasure And they on the other syde thankefully receiuing that they neded went on theyr waye eatynge whan they were hungry and but seldome toke any reste tyl they came nere to the campe of the other consull M. Liuius Then sent Claudius messangers to his felowe aduertysynge hym of his comynge to knowe his mynd whether it were best for hym and his company to come to hym pryuely or openly in the nyght tyme or in the day and whether he shoulde entre in to his campe or make an other campe for hym selfe and
that was therin bothe man beaste and stuffe And suche as wold haue fledde from the daunger of the fyre were slayne with the swerde of the Romaynes ¶ Thus in one tyme were bothe the campes wonne Neuerthelesse bothe the capitaines escaped with .xx. M. fotemen and v. C. horsemen wherof manye were wounded and hurte with that fyre There were slayn and burned that night .xl. M. besydes them that there were taken aboue .vi. thousand with many noble men of Carthage whereof .xl. were senatours with a greate and ryche praye of horses armure and other thynges moche of valure whiche were distributed amonges the souldiours The kynge with certayne with hym fledde to his owne countrey ¶ Asdruball with as great speede as he mightcame to Carthage where he founde the citie soore troubled and in greate feare For they iudged that Scipio leauynge the further assault of Vtica wolde incontinent after his victory come to assault and ouercome Carthage Than they determined in hast to assemble a newe host of the citie and countrey about theim They also sent messangers to kynge Syphax to require hym that he would gather his power and healpe to defende bothe his countrey and theyrs Whervnto his yonge wyfe muche moued hym who pyteously wepyng desyred hym not to suffre his fathers and her countrey to be distroyed and the citie of Carthage to be bourned by the Romaynes as they of late bourned the kynges tentes and her fathers The legates of Carthage also shewed hym that good fortune was comminge towardes them For that there were arryued of late .iiii. M. men of warre of Celtiberia a countrey of Spayne whyche were hyred to comme to their succours And that Asdruball woulde not fayle to ioyne with hym with a full noble armye To whome the kyng gaue gentyll aunswere sayinge that he woulde assemble and put in armour all the lusty yonge men of his realme For he sayde he knewe well that he was before ouercome by fyre and not by battayle Wherefore he woulde neuer accompte hym selfe vanquyshed oneles he were ouercome and subdued in the fielde by strength and power With this answere the messangers departed ¶ And shortly after accordyng to theyr appoyntement Asdruball and the kynge mette togyther with their armies and had betweene them bothe .xxx. M. men Scipio herynge of theyr newe comming agayne on hym with that power lefte at the sayde Vtica a smalle numbre of his people bothe by sea and by lande and hym selfe with his greatte power went to mete his ennemies He pitched his campe in the playn fielde not farre from the kynges campe where lyghte skyrmysshes were made betweene the horsemen of bothe partes by the space of .iii. dayes On the fourthe day the capitaynes prepared theyr hostes to battayle ¶ Scipio set his spearemen in the front of his battayle behynde whome were his best assured souldiours footemen set to theyr ayde and succours On the ryghte wynge were his horsemen of Italy In the lefte wynge was Massanissa with his Numidian horsemen ¶ On the other side Asdruball against the wynge of Italyan horsmen set his Numidians and against Massanissa he set his Carthaginenses In the middes were the newe souldiours of Celtiberia Thus beinge ordered the battailles ioyned And at the fyrst encountre both the winges of the Carthaginenses and of the Numidians were driuen backe For the Numidians being now rude and vntaught men of armes were noothinge able to resyste the Romain horsmen neither the Carthaginenses being also vnexpert in feates of warre were able to withstande Massanissa that was fierse and terrible through the ioy of his late victory Wherfore the wynges beinge thus put to flight the poore army of the Celtiberians remained alone naked destitute of helpe or refuge Flie they durste not for that beinge in an vnknowen cuntrey they knewe no place whither to flie to be saued Again if they were taken they looked for no grace at Scipios hand seinge they came from their owne cuntrey into Affrica to fight against hym that had before ofte tymes been their good frende Wherfore being compassed about with their ennemies they were slayne one vppon an other without pitie But whiles al men were busy about theim Syphax and Asdrubal had tyme to escape to whom the night beinge so nere was moche their safegarde ¶ What feare the Carthaginenses were in after this great ouerthrowe of their friendes and seing Scipio with his army ouer ryding the countrey rounde aboute theim and winning the cities and townes which were vnder their subiection no penne can write nor tunge expresse They loked euery houre whan theyr citie shoulde be enuyronned with their ennemies they fortifyed their walles they broughte in vytayles to endure a lenger space and prepared all thynges necessarye They consulted what were best for theym to do It was agreed that messangers shoulde be sent with letters to Anniball commaundyng him to come to Carthage with his power to their socours ¶ Certayn of the senatours gaue counsel that a good nombre of shippes furnyshed with men and ordenance shuld sodeinly inuade the Romayne hoste and nauy that lay in rest at Vtica not mystrustynge but they shulde fynde the shyppes neglygently kept wherby with small peyne they myghte oppresse theim On these two pointes the senators agreed The shippes were sette furthe and letters were also sent to Anniball Scipio retournynge from the battayle leadynge and cariyng with hym the spoile or pray of many townes which he wanne sent his sayde praye with the prisoners to his campe at Vtica He hym selfe came to Tunnes whyche he found void of men of warre They were fled after the battayle and left the town without any garrison Of the takyng of this towne Scipio was very gladde as well for that it was naturally stronge by reason of the syte therof besyde that it was surely fortifyed by the industry of man as also for that the place was so commodyouse for his pourpose It was dystaunt from Carthage twelue myles Yet frome thense he myghte welle see the citie of Carthage and also the sea that bette on the walles of the towne ¶ Whyles the Romaynes were castynge a trenche and fortifiynge this towne of Tunnes they perceyued the nauy of the Carthaginenses saylynge towardes Vtica Than Scipio leauyng his woorkes made haste with his men towardes Vtica to come to the healpe of his shippes that lay at the siege therof and came before the arryuing of the Carthaginenses who trifled the tyme on the sea beinge in feare to set on that enterpryse so that Scipio had prouyded well for the defence of his shyppes before their coming Neuer the lesse after moche trouble and fyght on the sea they toke with them .vi. Romayn shyppes and returned to Carthage where no small ioy was made of that very small gayne ¶ Syphax maketh a new fialde with Lelius and Massanissa where he is taken prisoner and his men put to flighte Massanissa then taketh the citie of Cirtha and there in hast marieth Sophonisba wyfe to kinge Spphax Cap. lxiiii
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
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