fabius-第5章

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the　safety　of　Rome。　They　addressed　themselves；　therefore；　to　the　other
consul；　Aemilius　Paulus；　a　man　of　great　experience　in　war；　but
unpopular；　and　fearful　also　of　the　people；　who　once　before　upon　some
impeachment　had　condemned　him；　so　that　he　needed　encouragement　to
withstand　his　colleague's　temerity。　Fabius　told　him；　if　he　would
profitably　serve　his　country；　he　must　no　less　oppose　Varro's
ignorant　eagerness　than　Hannibal's　conscious　readiness；　since　both
alike　conspired　to　decide　the　fate　of　Rome　by　a　battle。　〃It　is　more
reasonable；〃　he　said　to　him；　〃that　you　should　believe　me　than　Varro；
in　matters　relating　to　Hannibal；　when　I　tell　you　that　if　for　this　year
you　abstain　from　fighting　with　him；　either　his　army　will　perish　of
itself；　or　else　he　will　be　glad　to　depart　of　his　own　will。　This
evidently　appears；　inasmuch　as；　notwithstanding　his　victories；　none　of
the　countries　or　towns　of　Italy　come　in　to　him；　and　his　army　is　not
now　the　third　part　of　what　it　was　at　first。〃　To　this　Paulus　is　said　to
have　replied；　〃Did　I　only　consider　myself；　I　should　rather　choose　to
be　exposed　to　the　weapons　of　Hannibal　than　once　more　to　the
suffrages　of　my　fellow…citizens；　who　are　urgent　for　what　you
disapprove；　yet　since　the　cause　of　Rome　is　at　stake；　I　will　rather
seek　in　my　conduct　to　please　and　obey　Fabius　than　all　the　world
besides。〃
　　These　good　measures　were　defeated　by　the　importunity　of　Varro；　whom；
when　they　were　both　come　to　the　army；　nothing　would　content　but　a
separate　command；　that　each　consul　should　have　his　day；　and　when　his
turn　came；　he　posted　his　army　close　to　Hannibal；　at　a　village　called
Cannae；　by　the　river　Aufidus。　It　was　no　sooner　day；　but　he　set　up
the　scarlet　coat　flying　over　his　tent；　which　was　the　signal　of　battle。
This　boldness　of　the　consul；　and　the　numerousness　of　his　army；
double　theirs；　startled　the　Carthaginians；　but　Hannibal　commanded　them
to　their　arms；　and　with　a　small　train　rode　out　to　take　a　full　prospect
of　the　enemy　as　they　were　now　forming　in　their　ranks；　from　a　rising
ground　not　far　distant。　One　of　his　followers；　called　Gisco；　a
Carthaginian　of　equal　rank　with　himself；　told　him　that　the　numbers
of　the　enemy　were　astonishing；　to　which　Hannibal　replied　with　a
serious　countenance；　〃There　is　one　thing；　Gisco；　yet　more　astonishing；
which　you　take　no　notice　of；〃　and　when　Gisco　inquired　what；
answered；　that　〃in　all　those　great　numbers　before　us；　there　is　not　one
man　called　Gisco。〃　This　unexpected　jest　of　their　general　made　all
the　company　laugh；　and　as　they　came　down　from　the　hill　they　told　it　to
those　whom　they　met；　which　caused　a　general　laughter　amongst　them　all；
from　which　they　were　hardly　able　to　recover　themselves。　The　army；
seeing　Hannibal's　attendants　come　back　from　viewing　the　enemy　in
such　a　laughing　condition；　concluded　that　it　must　be　profound　contempt
of　the　enemy；　that　made　their　general　at　this　moment　indulge　in　such
hilarity。
　　According　to　his　usual　manner；　Hannibal　employed　stratagems　to
advantage　himself。　In　the　first　place；　he　so　drew　up　his　men　that
the　wind　was　at　their　backs；　which　at　that　time　blew　with　a　perfect
storm　of　violence；　and；　sweeping　over　the　great　plains　of　sand；
carried　before　it　a　cloud　of　dust　over　the　Carthaginian　army　into
the　faces　of　the　Romans；　which　much　disturbed　them　in　the　fight。　In
the　next　place；　all　his　best　men　he　put　into　his　wings；　and　in　the
body　which　was　somewhat　more　advanced　than　the　wings；　placed　the　worst
and　the　weakest　of　his　army。　He　commanded　those　in　the　wings；　that；
when　the　enemy　had　made　a　thorough　charge　upon　that　middle　advance
body；　which　he　knew　would　recoil；　as　not　being　able　to　withstand　their
shock；　and　when　the　Romans　in　their　pursuit　should　be　far　enough
engaged　within　the　two　wings；　they　should；　both　on　the　right　and　the
left；　charge　them　in　the　flank；　and　endeavour　to　encompass　them。
This　appears　to　have　been　the　chief　cause　of　the　Roman　loss。
Pressing　upon　Hannibal's　front；　which　gave　ground；　they　reduced　the
form　of　his　army　into　a　perfect　half…moon；　and　gave　ample
opportunity　to　the　captains　of　the　chosen　troops　to　charge　them
right　and　left　on　their　flanks；　and　to　cut　off　and　destroy　all　who　did
not　fall　back　before　the　Carthaginian　wings　united　in　their　rear。　To
this　general　calamity；　it　is　also　said；　that　a　strange　mistake　among
the　cavalry　much　contributed。　For　the　horse　of　Aemilius　receiving　a
hurt　and　throwing　his　master；　those　about　him　immediately　alighted
to　aid　the　consul；　and　the　Roman　troops；　seeing　their　commanders
thus　quitting　their　horses；　took　it　for　a　sign　that　they　should　all
dismount　and　charge　the　enemy　on　foot。　At　the　sight　of　this；
Hannibal　was　heard　to　say；　〃This　pleases　me　better　than　if　they　had
been　delivered　to　me　bound　hand　and　foot。〃　For　the　particulars　of　this
engagement；　we　refer　our　reader　to　those　authors　who　have　written　at
large　upon　the　subject。
　　The　consul　Varro；　with　a　thin　company；　fled　to　Venusia；　Aemilius
Paulus；　unable　any　longer　to　oppose　the　flight　of　his　men；　or　the
flight　of　his　men；　or　the　pursuit　of　the　enemy；　his　body　all　covered
with　wounds；　and　his　soul　no　less　wounded　with　grief；　sat　himself　down
upon　a　stone；　expecting　the　kindness　of　a　despatching　blow。　His　face
was　so　disfigured；　and　all　his　person　so　stained　with　blood；　that
his　very　friends　and　domestics　passing　by　knew　him　not。　At　last
Cornelius　Lentulus；　a　young　man　of　patrician　race；　perceiving　who　he
was；　alighted　from　his　horse；　and；　tendering　it　to　him；　desired　him　to
get　up　and　save　a　life　so　necessary　to　the　safety　of　the　commonwealth；
which；　at　this　time；　would　dearly　want　so　great　a　captain。　But　nothing
could　prevail　upon　him　to　accept　of　the　offer；　he　obliged　young
Lentulus；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　to　remount　his　horse；　then
standing　up；　he　gave　him　his　hand；　and　commanded　him　to　tell　Fabius
Maximus　that　Aemilius　Paulus　had　followed　his　directions　to　his　very
last；　and　had　not　in　the　least　deviated　from　those　measures　which　were
agreed　between　them；　but　that　it　was　his　hard　fate　to　be　overpowered
by　Varro　in　the　first　place；　and　secondly　by　Hannibal。　Having
despatched　Lentulus　with　this　commission；　he　marked　where　the
slaughter　was　greatest；　and　there　threw　himself　upon　the　swords　of　the
enemy。　In　this　battle　it　is　reported　that　fifty　thousand　Romans　were
slain；　four　thousand　prisoners　taken　in　the　field；　and　ten　thousand　in
the　camp　of　both　consuls。
　　The　friends　of　Hannibal　earnestly　persuaded　him　to　follow　up　his
victory；　and　pursue　the　flying　Romans　into　the　very　gates　of　Rome；
assuring　him　that　in　five　days'　time　he　might　sup　in　the　Capitol；
nor　is　it　easy　to　imagine　what　consideration　hindered　him　from　it。
It　would　seem　rather　than　some　supernatural　or　divine　intervention
caused　the　hesitation　and　timidity　which　he　now　displayed；　and　which
made　Barcas；　a　Carthaginian；　tell　him　with　indignation；　〃You　know；
Hannibal；　how　to　gain　a　victory；　but　not　how　to　use　it。〃　Yet　it
produced　a　marvellous　revolution　in　his　affairs；　he；　who　hitherto
had　not　one　town；　market；　or　seaport　in　his　possession；　who　had
nothing　for　the　subsistence　of　his　men　but　what　he　pillaged　from　day
to　day；　who　had　no　place　of　retreat　or　basis　of　operation；　but　was
roving；　as　it　were；　with　a　huge　troop　of　banditti；　now　became　master
of　the　best　provinces　and　towns　of　Italy；　and　of　Capua　itself；　next　to
Rome　the　most　flourishing　and　opulent　city；　all　which　came　over　to
him；　and　submitted　to　his　authority。
　　It　is　the　saying　of　Euripides；　that　〃a　man　is　in　ill…case　when　he
must　try　a　friend；〃　and　so　neither；　it　would　seem；　is　a　state　in　a
good　one；　when　it　needs　an　able　general。　And　so　it　was　with　the
Romans；　the　counsels　and　actions　of　Fabius；　which；　before　the
battle；　they　had　branded　as　cowardice　and　fear；　now；　in　the　other
extreme；　they　accounted　to　have　been　more　than　human　wisdom；　as　though
nothing　but　a　divine　power　of　intellect　could　have　seen　so　far；　and
foretold　contrary　to　the　judgment　of　all　others；　a　result　which；
even　now　it　had　arrived；　was　hardly　credible。　In　him；　therefore；
they　placed　their　whole　remaining　hopes；　his　wisdom　was　the　sacred
altar　and　temple　to　which　they　fled　for　refuge；　and　his　counsels；　more