Page images
PDF
EPUB

But to come up the more speedily with the enemy, he was under a necessity of passing through a morass, where his army sustained incredible fatigues, and he lost an eye. Flaminius, one of the late nominated consuls, had left Rome without observing the usual omens. [i]He was a vain, rash, enterprising man, full of himself, and whose natural haughtiness was increased by the good success of his first consulship, and the declared favour of the people. It was plain enough, that as he neither consulted the gods nor men, he would naturally abandon himself to the warmth and impetuosity of his genius; and Hannibal, to prompt that disposition, did not fail to irritate and provoke him, by ravaging and laying waste all the neighbouring country within his view. And this sufficed to make the consul resolve upon giving battle, notwithstanding the dissuasion of all the officers, who besought him to wait for the coming up of his collegue. The success was such as they had foreseen, fifteen thousand Romans were left dead upon the spot, with Flaminius at their head, which rendered the lake of Thrasimene ever after famous by their bloody defeat.

FABIUS, DICTATOR.

[k] When this sorrowful news was brought to Rome, the whole city was in great consternation. They expected every moment to see Hannibal at

[g] Liv. lib. xxi. n. 57,-59, 63. [b] Lib. xxii. n. 1,-6.

[i] Consul ferox ab consulatu priore, & non modò legum ac pacrum majestatis, sed ne deorum quidem satis metuens erat. Hanc insitam ingenio ejus temeritatem foruna prospero civilibus bellicisque

rebus successu aluerat. Itaque sa-
tis apparebat, nec deus nec homines
consulentem, ferociter omnia ac
præproperè acturum: quoque pro-
nior esset in vitia sua, agitare eum
atque irritare Poenus parat. Ib..
[k] Ib. n. 7,-30.

their

their gates. Fabius Maximus was chosen [7] dictator, who after he had discharged the duties of religion, and given such orders as were necessary for the security of the city, went directly to the army, with a resolution not to hazard a battle, unless was forced to it, or perfectly sure of success. He kept his troops upon the tops of the mountains, without losing sight of Hannibal, never coming so near him as to be under a necessity of fighting, nor removing to such a distance, as to let him be out of his reach. He confined the soldiers strictly to the camp, never suffering them to quit it except for forage, and then only under a strong convoy. [m] He never engaged but in slight skirmishes, and then too with so much caution, that his troops had always the advantage. this means he insensibly restored to them that resolution and confidence, of which the loss of three battles had deprived them, and encouraged them to rely as formerly upon their own courage and good fortune. The eneiny soon perceived, that the Romans had been taught, by their former defeats, to make choice of a general that was capable of making head against Hannibal; and Hannibal found, that he had more cause to be apprehensive of the prudent and regular conduct of the dictator, than of his making any bold or hazardous attacks.

By

Minucius, the general of the Roman horse, suffered the wise conduct of Fabius with more impatience than even Hannibal himself. [n] As warm and passionate in his discourse as designs, he was continually railing at the dictator; his prudence and circumspection, he térmed irresolution and fearfulness, and called his virtues by the names of such vices as approached the

[7] Prodictator.

[m] Neque universo periculo summa rerum committebatur, et parva momenta levium certaminum rex tuto cœptorum, finitimo receptu, assuefaciebant territum pristinis cladibus militem, minùs jam tandem aut virtutis aut fortunæ pœnitere suæ. Liv. lib. xxii. n. 12.

In Sed non Annibalem magis

infestum tam sanis consiliis habebat, quàm magistrum equitum... Ferox rapidusque in consiliis, ac linguis immodicus, pro cunctatore segnem, & cauto timidum, affingens vicina virtutibus vitia, compellabat: premendorumque superiorum arte (qua pessima ars nimis prosperis multorum successibus crevit) sese extolle

bat Th

[ocr errors]

κινιαιοι π

which till then had been unprecedented. But [d] Fabius, fully assured that the people, by making them equal in the command, did not put them upon an equality in the art of commanding, bore this injury with such moderation, as shewed that he could no more be conquered by his own countrymen than his enemies.

Minucius, in consequence of the equality of power betwixt him and Fabius, proposed to him that each should command their day, or even a longer space of time. But Fabius refused to comply with this condition, as it exposed the whole army to danger whilst it should be under the direction of Minucius, and chose rather to divide the troops, that he might be at least in a condition of preserving that part of them which fell to his share.

[ocr errors]

What Fabius had foreseen soon came to pass. His colleague, eager and impatient for the battle, fell directly into the snare which Hannibal had laid for him, and his army was upon the point of being cut to pieces. [p] The dictator, without losing time in useless reproaches, Come, says he to his soldiers, let us march to the assistance of Minucius, wrest "the victory out of the hands of our enemies, and "oblige our citizens to an acknowledgment of their "mistake." He arrived very opportunely, and forced Hannibal to sound a retreat, [q] who cried out as he was retiring, "That the cloud which "had hung so long upon the tops of the mountains,

[] Satis fidens haudquaquam cum imperii jure artem imperandi equatam, cum invicto à civibus ostibusque animo ad exercitum reliit.

Liv. lib. xxii. n. 26. [p] Aliud jurgandi succensenlique tempus erit; nunc signa extra

extorqueamus, confessionem erroris civibus. Liv. lib. xxiii. n. 29.

[q] Annibalem ex acie redeuntem dixisse ferunt, tandem eam nubem, quæ sedere in jugis montium solita sit, cum procellâ imbrem dedisse. Ib. n. 30.

"had burst at last with a mighty noise, and occa❝sioned a terrible storm.

[ocr errors]

So important a service, and in such a conjuncture, opened the eyes of Minucius, and brought him to a confession of his fault. To make instant reparation, he went immediately with his army to Fabius's, tent, and, calling him his father and deliverer, told him he was come to put himself under his command again, [r] and to make void a decree, which was more burdensome than honourable to him. The soldiers did the same, and nothing was to be seen on both sides but mutual embraces, and the most lively expressions of thankfulness and gratitude; and [s] the rest of the day, which was very near proving so fatal to the republic, was spent in diversions and rejoicings,

THE BATTLE OF CANNE.

The most famous action of Hannibal, and which in all probability must have ruined for ever the power of Rome, was the battle of Cannæ. [t] L. Emilius Paulus and C. Terentius Varro, were appointed consuls at Rome. This last, [u] though of a base and mean extraction, had found means to obtain the consulship, through the great wealth his father had left him, and his artifice in gaining the fayour of the people by declaring openly against the great men, without any other merit than that of an unlimited ambition, and an equal opinion of his own ability. He loudly exclaimed, "That the only way to perpetuate the war, was to place such as "Fabius at the head of the army; that for his part, "he could put an end to it the very first day he saw "the enemy. His colleague, who was very sensible that [] rashness, besides the unreasonableness

[ocr errors]

[r] Plebiscitum, quo oneratus magis quàm honoratus sum, primus antiquo abrogoque. Liv. lib. xxiii.

D. 30.

[s] Lætusque dies, ex admodum tristi paulò antè ac propè execrabili, factus est. Ib.

[1] Liv. lib. xxii. n. 34-53. [u] His father is said to have been a butcher.

[x] Temeritatem, præterquam quòd stulta sit, infelicem etiam ad id locorum fuisse. Liv. lib. xxii. n. 38.

of

1

[merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

OF PROFANE HISTORY.

of it, had hitherto been always very unsuccessful,"
was in a quite different way of thinking. Fabius,
upon his departure for the campaign, confirmed him
still farther in these sentiments, and often repeated
to him, that the only way to conquer Hannibal was
to watch occasions, and spin out the war to the ut-
most. "But, [y] said he, your countrymen will take
pains to make this method impracticable to you,
even more than your enemies. Your soldiers will
"in this conspire with the Carthaginians; Varro and
"Hannibal will think alike upon this subject. Your

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

only way will be to stand unmoved against the shock of popular rumours and reports, and not be "diverted from your resolution by the false glory of your colleague, or the false infamy which they will "industriously throw upon you. Instead of a cau"tious, vigilant, and able general, let them represent you as cowardly, indolent, and ignorant. I would "rather have you dreaded by a wise enemy, than "applauded by foolish citizens."

[ocr errors]

[*] It was customary among the Romans, in time of war, to raise every year four legions, each of which consisted of four thousand foot, and three thousand horse. The allies, that is to say the people bordering upon the territories of Rome, supplied a like number of foot, with double, and sometimes triple the number of horse. And these troops were usually divided between the two consuls, who made war separately, and in different countries. But as this was an affair of the last importance, the two consuls marched together, the number both of the Roman and Latin forces

[] Hæc una salutis via, L. Paule, quam difficilem infestamque cives sibi magis quàm hostes facient. Idem enim tui, quod hostium milites, volent; idem Varro consul Romanus, quod Annibal Pœnus imperator, cupiet. Duobus ducibus unus resistas oportet. Resistes autem, adversùs famam rumoresque

*I think it should be read tibi.

hominum, si satis firmus steteris : si
te neque collega vana gloria, neque
tua falsa infamia moverit. . . . Sine
timidum pro cauto, tardum pro con
siderato, imbellem, pro perito
belli vocent. Malo te sapiens hos
tis metuat, quàm stulti civis lau-
dent. Liv. lib. xxii. n. 39.

[x] Polyb. lib. iii. p. 257.

93

« PreviousContinue »