marcellus-第8章

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himself　for　a　year。　And　having　arranged　with　Fabius　Maximus　that；
while　he　besieged　Tarentum；　he　would；　by　following　Hannibal　and
drawing　him　up　and　down；　detain　him　from　coming　to　the　relief　of　the
Tarentines；　he　overtook　him　at　Canusium：　and　as　Hannibal　often　shifted
his　camp；　and　still　declined　the　combat；　he　everywhere　sought　to
engage　him。　At　last；　pressing　upon　him　while　encamping；　by　light
skirmishes　he　provoked　him　to　a　battle；　but　night　again　divided　them
in　the　very　heat　of　the　conflict。　The　next　day　Marcellus　again
showed　himself　in　arms；　and　brought　up　his　forces　in　array。
Hannibal；　in　extreme　grief；　called　his　Carthaginians　together　to　an
harangue：　and　vehemently　prayed　them　to　fight　to…day　worthily　of　all
their　former　success；　〃For　you　see；〃　said　he；　〃how；　after　such　great
victories；　we　have　not　liberty　to　respire；　nor　to　repose　ourselves；
though　victors；　unless　we　drive　this　man　back。〃　Then　the　two　armies；
joining　battle；　fought　fiercely；　when　the　event　of　an　untimely
movement　showed　Marcellus　to　have　been　guilty　of　an　error。　The　right
wing　being　hard　pressed　upon；　he　commanded　one　of　the　legions　to　be
brought　up　to　the　front。　This　change　disturbing　the　array　and
posture　of　the　legions　gave　the　victory　to　the　enemies；　and　there　fell
two　thousand　seven　hundred　Romans。　Marcellus；　after　he　had　retreated
into　his　camp；　called　his　soldiers　together。　〃I　see；〃　said　he；　〃many
Roman　arms　and　bodies；　but　I　see　not　so　much　as　one　Roman。〃　To　their
entreaties　for　his　pardon；　he　returned　a　refusal　while　they　remained
beaten；　but　promised　to　give　it　so　soon　as　they　should　overcome；　and
he　resolved　to　bring　them　into　the　field　again　the　next　day；　that
the　fame　of　their　victory　might　arrive　at　Rome　before　that　of　their
flight。　Dismissing　the　assembly；　he　commanded　barley　instead　of
wheat　to　be　given　to　those　companies　that　had　turned　their　backs。
These　rebukes　were　so　bitter　to　the　soldiers；　that　though　a　great
number　of　them　were　grievously　wounded；　yet　they　relate　there　was
not　one　to　whom　the　general's　oration　was　not　more　painful　and
smarting　than　his　wounds。
　　The　day　breaking；　a　scarlet　toga；　the　sign　of　instant　battle；　was
displayed。　The　companies　marked　with　ignominy　begged　they　might　be
posted　in　the　foremost　place；　and　obtained　their　request。　Then　the
tribunes　bring　forth　the　rest　of　the　forces；　and　draw　them　up。　On　news
of　which；　〃O　strange！〃　said　Hannibal；　〃what　will　you　do　with　this　man；
who　can　bear　neither　good　nor　bad　fortune？　He　is　the　only　man　who
neither　suffers　us　to　rest　when　he　is　victor；　nor　rests　himself　when
he　is　overcome。　We　shall　have；　it　seems；　perpetually　to　fight　with
him；　as　in　good　success　his　confidence；　and　in　ill　success　his
shame；　still　urges　him　to　some　further　enterprise。〃　Then　the　armies
engaged。　When　the　fight　was　doubtful；　Hannibal　commanded　the　elephants
to　be　brought　into　the　first　battalion；　and　to　be　driven　upon　the
van　of　the　Romans。　When　the　beasts；　trampling　upon　many；　soon　caused
disorder；　Flavius；　a　tribune　of　soldiers；　snatching　an　ensign；　meets
them；　and　wounding　the　first　elephant　with　the　spike　at　the　bottom
of　the　ensign　staff；　puts　him　to　flight。　The　beast　turned　around
upon　the　next；　and　drove　back　both　him　and　the　rest　that　followed。
Marcellus；　seeing　this；　pours　in　his　horse　with　great　force　upon　the
elephants；　and　upon　the　enemy　disordered　by　their　flight。　The　horse；
making　a　fierce　impression；　pursued　the　Carthaginians　home　to　their
camp；　while　the　elephants；　wounded　and　running　upon　their　own　party；
caused　a　considerable　slaughter。　It　is　said　more　than　eight　thousand
were　slain；　of　the　Roman　army　three　thousand；　and　almost　all
wounded。　This　gave　Hannibal　opportunity　to　retire　in　the　silence　of
the　night；　and　to　remove　to　greater　distance　from　Marcellus；　who　was
kept　from　pursuing　by　the　number　of　his　wounded　men；　and　removed；　by
gentle　marches；　into　Campania；　and　spent　the　summer　at　Sinuessa；
engaged　in　restoring　them。
　　But　as　Hannibal；　having　disentangled　himself　from　Marcellus；
ranged　with　his　army　round　about　the　country；　and　wasted　Italy　free
from　all　fear；　at　Rome　Marcellus　was　evil　spoken　of。　His　detractors
induced　Publicius　Bibulus；　tribune　of　the　people；　an　eloquent　and
violent　man；　to　undertake　his　accusation。　He；　by　assiduous
harangues；　prevailed　upon　the　people　to　withdraw　from　Marcellus　the
command　of　the　army；　〃Seeing　that　Marcellus；〃　said　he；　〃after　brief
exercise　in　the　war；　has　withdrawn　as　it　might　be　from　the　wrestling
ground　to　the　warm　baths　to　refresh　himself。〃　Marcellus；　on　hearing
this；　appointed　lieutenants　over　his　camp　and　hasted　to　Rome　to　refute
the　charges　against　him：　and　there　found　ready　drawn　up　an　impeachment
consisting　of　these　calumnies。　At　the　day　prefixed；　in　the　Flaminian
circus；　into　which　place　the　people　had　assembled　themselves；
Bibulus　rose　and　accused　him。　Marcellus　himself　answered；　briefly
and　simply；　but　the　first　and　most　approved　men　of　the　city　spoke
largely　and　in　high　terms；　very　freely　advising　the　people　not　to　show
themselves　worse　judges　than　the　enemy；　condemning　Marcellus　of
timidity；　from　whom　alone　of　all　their　captains　the　enemy　fled；　and　as
perpetually　endeavoured　to　avoid　fighting　with　him　as　to　fight　with
others。　When　they　made　an　end　of　speaking；　the　accuser's　hope　to
obtain　judgment　so　far　deceived　him；　that　Marcellus　was　not　only
absolved；　but　the　fifth　time　created　consul。
　　No　sooner　had　he　entered　upon　this　consulate；　but　he　suppressed　a
great　commotion　in　Etruria；　that　had　proceeded　near　to　revolt；　and
visited　and　quieted　the　cities。　Then；　when　the　dedication　of　the
temple；　which　he　had　vowed　out　of　his　Sicilian　spoils　to　Honour　and
Virtue；　was　objected　to　by　the　priests；　because　they　denied　that　one
temple　could　be　lawfully　dedicated　to　two　gods；　he　began　to　adjoin
another　to　it；　resenting　the　priests'　opposition；　and　almost
converting　the　thing　into　an　omen。　And；　truly；　many　other　prodigies
also　affrighted　him；　some　temples　had　been　struck　with　lightning；
and　in　Jupiter's　temple　mice　had　gnawed　the　gold：　it　was　reported；
also；　that　an　ox　had　spoken；　and　that　a　boy　had　been　born　with　a
head　like　an　elephant's。　All　which　prodigies　had　indeed　been
attended　to；　but　due　reconciliation　had　not　been　obtained　from　the
gods。　The　aruspices　therefore　detained　him　at　Rome；　glowing　and
burning　with　desire　to　return　to　the　war。　For　no　man　was　ever　inflamed
with　so　great　desire　of　anything　as　was　he　to　fight　a　battle　with
Hannibal。　It　was　the　subject　of　his　dreams　in　the　night；　the　topic
of　all　his　consultations　with　his　friends　and　familiars；　nor　did　he
present　to　the　gods　any　other　wish；　but　that　he　might　meet　Hannibal　in
the　field。　And　I　think　that　he　would　most　gladly　have　set　upon　him；
with　both　armies　environed　within　a　single　camp。　Had　he　not　been
even　loaded　with　honours；　and　had　he　not　given　proofs　in　many　ways
of　his　maturity　of　judgment　and　of　prudence　equal　to　that　of　any
commander；　you　might　have　said　that　he　was　agitated　by　a　youthful
ambition；　above　what　became　a　man　of　that　age；　for　he　had　passed　the
sixtieth　year　of　his　life　when　he　began　his　fifth　consulship。
　　The　sacrifices　having　been　offered；　and　all　that　belonged　to　the
propitiation　of　the　gods　performed；　according　to　the　prescription　of
the　diviners；　he　at　last　with　his　colleague　went　forth　to　carry　on　the
war。　He　tried　all　possible　means　to　provoke　Hannibal；　who　at　that　time
had　a　standing　camp　betwixt　Bantia　and　Venusia。　Hannibal　declined　an
engagement；　but　having　obtained　intelligence　that　some　troops　were
on　their　way　to　the　town　of　Locri　Epizephyrii；　placing　an　ambush　under
the　little　hill　of　Petelia；　he　slew　two　thousand　five　hundred
soldiers。　This　incensed　Marcellus　to　revenge；　and　he　therefore　moved
nearer　Hannibal。　Betwixt　the　two　camps　was　a　little　hill；　a
tolerably　secure　post；　covered　with　wood；　it　had　steep　descents　on
either　side；　and　there　were　springs　of　water　seen　trickling　down。　This
place　was　so　fit　and　advantageous　that　the　Romans　wondered　that
Hannibal；　who　had　come　thither　before　them；　had　not　seized　upon　it；
but　had　left　it　to　the　enemies。　But　to　him　the　place　had　seemed
commodious　indeed　for　a　camp