fabius-第3章

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for　some　of　the　beasts　fell　into　his　hands；　but　for　fear　of　an
ambush　in　the　dark；　he　kept　his　men　all　night　to　their　arms　in　the
camp。　As　soon　as　it　was　day；　he　attacked　the　enemy　in　the　rear；　where；
after　a　good　deal　of　skirmishing　in　the　uneven　ground；　the　disorder
might　have　become　general；　but　that　Hannibal　detached　from　his　van　a
body　of　Spaniards；　who；　of　themselves　active　and　nimble；　were
accustomed　to　the　climbing　of　mountains。　These　briskly　attacked　the
Roman　troops；　who　were　in　heavy　armour；　killed　a　good　many；　and　left
Fabius　no　longer　in　condition　to　follow　the　enemy。　This　action　brought
the　extreme　of　obloquy　and　contempt　upon　the　dictator；　they　said　it
was　now　manifest　that　he　was　not　only　inferior　to　his　adversary；　as
they　had　always　thought；　in　courage；　but　even　in　that　conduct；
foresight；　and　generalship；　by　which　he　had　proposed　to　bring　the
war　to　an　end。
　　And　Hannibal；　to　enhance　their　anger　against　him；　marched　with　his
army　close　to　the　lands　and　possessions　of　Fabius；　and；　giving
orders　to　his　soldiers　to　burn　and　destroy　all　the　country　about；
forbade　them　to　do　the　least　damage　in　the　estates　of　the　Roman
general；　and　placed　guards　for　their　security。　This；　when　reported
at　Rome；　had　the　effect　with　the　people　which　Hannibal　desired。
Their　tribunes　raised　a　thousand　stories　against　him；　chiefly　at　the
instigation　of　Metilius；　who；　not　so　much　out　of　hatred　to　him　as
out　of　friendship　to　Minucius；　whose　kinsman　he　was；　thought　by
depressing　Fabius　to　raise　his　friend。　The　senate　on　their　part　were
also　offended　with　him　for　the　bargain　he　had　made　with　Hannibal　about
the　exchange　of　prisoners；　the　conditions　of　which　were　that；　after
exchange　made　of　man　for　man；　if　any　on　either　side　remained；　they
should　be　redeemed　at　the　price　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　drachmas　a
head。　Upon　the　whole　account；　there　remained　two　hundred　and　forty
Romans　unexchanged；　and　the　senate　now　not　only　refused　to　allow　money
for　the　ransoms；　but　also　reproached　Fabius　for　making　a　contract；
contrary　to　the　honour　and　interest　of　the　commonwealth；　for　redeeming
men　whose　cowardice　had　put　them　in　the　hands　of　the　enemy。　Fabius
heard　and　endured　all　this　with　invincible　patience；　and；　having　no
money　by　him；　and　on　the　other　side　being　resolved　to　keep　his　word
with　Hannibal　and　not　to　abandon　the　captives；　he　despatched　his　son
to　Rome　to　sell　land；　and　to　bring　with　him　the　price；　sufficient　to
discharge　the　ransoms；　which　was　punctually　performed　by　his　son　and
delivery　accordingly　made　to　him　of　the　prisoners；　amongst　whom
many；　when　they　were　released；　made　proposals　to　repay　the　money；
which　Fabius　in　all　cases　declined。
　　About　this　time；　he　was　called　to　Rome　by　the　priests；　to　assist；
according　to　the　duty　of　his　office；　at　certain　sacrifices；　and　was
thus　forced　to　leave　the　command　of　the　army　with　Minucius；　but　before
he　parted；　not　only　charged　him　as　his　commander…in…chief；　but
besought　and　entreated　him　not　to　come；　in　his　absence；　to　a　battle
with　Hannibal。　His　commands；　entreaties；　and　advice　were　lost　upon
Minucius；　for　his　back　was　no　sooner　turned　but　the　new　general
immediately　sought　occasions　to　attack　the　enemy。　And　notice　being
brought　him　that　Hannibal　had　sent　out　a　great　part　of　his　army　to
forage；　he　fell　upon　a　detachment　of　the　remainder；　doing　great
execution；　and　driving　them　to　their　very　camp；　with　no　little
terror　to　the　rest；　who　apprehended　their　breaking　in　upon　them；　and
when　Hannibal　had　recalled　his　scattered　forces　to　the　camp；　he；
nevertheless；　without　any　loss；　made　his　retreat；　a　success　which
aggravated　his　boldness　and　presumption；　and　filled　the　soldiers
with　rash　confidence。　The　news　spread　to　Rome；　where　Fabius；　on
being　told　it；　said　that　what　he　most　feared　was　Minucius's　success；
but　the　people；　highly　elated；　hurried　to　the　forum　to　listen　to　an
address　from　Metilius　the　tribune；　in　which　he　infinitely　extolled　the
valour　of　Minucius；　and　fell　bitterly　upon　Fabius；　accusing　him　for
want　not　merely　of　courage；　but　even　of　loyalty；　and　not　only　him；　but
also　many　other　eminent　and　considerable　persons；　saying　that　it　was
they　that　had　brought　the　Carthaginians　into　Italy；　with　the　design　to
destroy　the　liberty　of　the　people；　for　which　end　they　had　at　once
put　the　supreme　authority　into　the　hands　of　a　single　person；　who　by
his　slowness　and　delays　might　give　Hannibal　leisure　to　establish
himself　in　Italy；　and　the　people　of　Carthage　time　and　opportunity　to
supply　him　with　fresh　succours　to　complete　his　conquest。
　　Fabius　came　forward　with　no　intention　to　answer　the　tribune；　but
only　said；　that　they　should　expedite　the　sacrifices；　that　so　he
might　speedily　return　to　the　army　to　punish　Minucius；　who　had　presumed
to　fight　contrary　to　his　orders；　words　which　immediately　possessed　the
people　with　the　belief　that　Minucius　stood　in　danger　of　his　life。
For　it　was　in　the　power　of　the　dictator　to　imprison　and　to　put　to
death；　and　they　feared　that　Fabius；　of　a　mild　temper　in　general；　would
be　as　hard　to　be　appeased　when　once　irritated；　as　he　was　slow　to　be
provoked。　Nobody　dared　to　raise　his　voice　in　opposition；　Metilius
alone；　whose　office　of　tribune　gave　him　security　to　say　what　he
pleased　（for　in　the　time　of　a　dictatorship　that　magistrateal　one
preserves　his　authority）；　boldly　applied　himself　to　the　people　in
the　behalf　of　Minucius；　that　they　should　not　suffer　him　to　be　made　a
sacrifice　to　the　enmity　of　Fabius；　nor　permit　him　to　be　destroyed；
like　the　son　of　Manlius　Torquatus；　who　was　beheaded　by　his　father
for　a　victory　fought　and　triumphantly　won　against　order；　he　exhorted
them　to　take　away　from　Fabius　that　absolute　power　of　a　dictator；　and
to　put　it　into　more　worthy　hands；　better　able　and　more　inclined　to　use
it　for　the　public　good。　These　impressions　very　much　prevailed　upon　the
people；　though　not　so　far　as　wholly　to　dispossess　Fabius　of　the
dictatorship。　But　they　decreed　that　Minucius　should　have　an　equal
authority　with　the　dictator　in　the　conduct　of　the　war；　which　was　a
thing　then　without　precedent；　though　a　little　later　it　was　again
practised　after　the　disaster　at　Cannae；　when　the　dictator；　Marcus
Junius；　being　with　the　army；　they　chose　at　Rome　Fabius　Buteo　dictator；
that　he　might　create　new　senators；　to　supply　the　numerous　places　of
those　who　were　killed。　But　as　soon　as；　once　acting　in　public；　he　had
filled　those　vacant　places　with　a　sufficient　number；　he　immediately
dismissed　his　lictors；　and　withdrew　from　all　his　attendance；　and
mingling　like　a　common　person　with　the　rest　of　the　people；　quietly
went　about　his　own　affairs　in　the　forum。
　　The　enemies　of　Fabius　thought　they　had　sufficiently　humiliated　and
subdued　him　by　raising　Minucius　to　be　his　equal　in　authority；　but　they
mistook　the　temper　of　the　man；　who　looked　upon　their　folly　as　not
his　loss；　but　like　Diogenes；　who；　being　told　that　some　persons　derided
him；　made　answer；　〃But　I　am　not　derided；〃　meaning　that　only　those　were
really　insulted　on　whom　such　insults　made　an　impression；　so　Fabius；
with　great　tranquillity　and　unconcern；　submitted　to　what　happened；　and
contributed　a　proof　to　the　argument　of　the　philosophers　that　a　just
and　good　man　is　not　capable　of　being　dishonoured。　His　only　vexation
arose　from　his　fear　lest　this　ill　counsel；　by　supplying
opportunities　to　the　diseased　military　ambition　of　his　subordinate；
should　damage　the　public　cause。　Lest　the　rashness　of　Minucius　should
now　at　once　run　headlong　into　some　disaster；　he　returned　back　with　all
privacy　and　speed　to　the　army；　where　he　found　Minucius　so　elevated
with　his　new　dignity；　that；　a　joint…authority　not　contenting　him；　he
required　by　turns　to　have　the　command　of　the　army　every　other　day。
This　Fabius　rejected；　but　was　contented　that　the　army　should　be
divided；　thinking　each　general　singly　would　better　command　his　part；
than　partially　command　the　whole。　The　first　and　fourth　legion　he
took　for　his　own　division；　the　second　and　third　he　delivered　to
Minucius；　so　also　of　the　auxiliary　forces　each　had　an　equal　share。
　　Minucius；　thus　exalted；　could　not　contain　himself　from　boasting　of
his　success　in　humiliating　the　high　and　powerful　office　of　the
dictator