ANALYSIS OF BOOK XXII.

B.C. 217. Consuls-Cn. Servilius, stationed at Ariminum; C. Flaminius at Arretium. HANNIBAL crosses the Apennines, and marshes in North Etruria; passes by Flaminius southwards, ravaging as he goes; occupies the hills at the north-east extremity of the Trasymene Lake. BATTLE. Annihilates the army of Flaminius; crosses the Tiber into Umbria; cuts off a detachment of 4,000 men sent by Servilius to support his colleague; sustains a repulse at Spoletium; crosses into Picenum; thence makes his way southwards until he arrives at Arpi in Apulia, (ch. i-ix.)

At ROME, consternation at the tidings of the defeat and death of Flaminius. Election of Q. Fabius Maximus as prodictator. He takes command of the army of Servilius at Tibur, passes down into the Via Latina, thence on until he comes within sight of Hannibal at Arpi, (ix-xiii.)

Just as Servilius had resigned the command of his army to Fabius, news was brought of the seizure of some corn-ships by a Carthaginian fleet at Cosa. Servilius therefore at once took command of the fleet at Ostia, and set out in quest of the enemy, (ch, xi.)

HANNIBAL tries to bring Fabius to battle; ravages the land of Beneventum and other cities friendly to Rome; passes into Campania, thence on into the Falernian plain; is hemmed in by Fabius; his stratagem and escape; makes his way back to Geronium. Fabius follows and encamps at Larinum; then leaving M. Minucius in command, returns to Rome sacrorum causâ, (xiii—xviii.) Unpopularity of Fabius at Rome; causes tending to inflame it. M. Minucius, contrary to the orders of Fabius, ventures on a partial engagement, and in his despatch magnifies the fight into a victory. Increased discontent against Fabius. Bill De æquando magistri equitum et dictatoris jure proposed and passed by M. Metellus with the help of T. Varro. [M. Atilius Regulus suffectus in locum C. Flaminii.] Fabius returns to the army, the command of which is divided between him and Minucius; rashness and peril of Minucius; he is rescued by Fabius; admits his inability, and is reinstated in his old post of magister equitum, (xxiii-xxx.)

Expiration of Fabius's semenstre imperium; he resigns

his army to the consuls Servilius and Regulus, who

b Servilius between the resignation of his army to Fabius (ch. xi.), and his resumption of it in ch. xxxii., had not effected much. It does not appear whether he came up with the enemy's ships, in pursuit of which he had been sent. After having cruised with his fleet of 120 ships off Sardinia and Corsica, and taken hostages from those islands, he had stood across to Africa, devastated the island of Meninx, and exacted ten talents from the inhabitants of Cercina

for the remainder of the year adopting the cautious policy of Fabius, prevent Hannibal from effecting anything of importance, (xxxii.)

No further active operations were undertaken this year. Friendly embassies were received at Rome from Naples, (xxxii.), and later, from Hiero with troops and supplies, (xxxvii.) Embassies were also sent to Philip of Macedon, and to Pineus the Illyrian king, (xxxiii.)

In Spain, early in the summer of B.c. 217, Cn. Scipio had succeeded in surprising the Carthaginian fleet at the mouth of the Ebro, and had captured twenty-five ships, besides destroying others. He had then sailed for Carthago Nova, and ravaged the country up to its walls, burning a great quantity of naval stores collected by Hasdrubal. From the mainland he crossed to Ebusus, which he ravaged, though he could not take the chief town; thence having received the submission of the Balearic islands, he returned to Spain and received hostages from a great many of the tribes which had previously submitted to the Carthaginians, Hasdrubal retiring before him into Lusitania. Notwithstanding these successes, the activity of the chiefs Mandonius and Indibilis and the restlessness of the

as the price of their exemption from a like fate. He had then landed on the continent, and having fallen into an ambuscade was driven back to his ships with the loss of upwards of 1,000 men. After this he returned to Sicily, where he found despatches awaiting him from Fabius, ordering him to return and resume command of the army, (ch. xxxi.)

tribes, kept Cn. Scipio rather on the defensive, until the arrival towards the end of the summer of P. Scipio with reinforcements. The two brothers then crossing the Ebro, proceed to Saguntum, where they gain an important advantage by the recovery, through the help of Abelux, of the Spanish hostages lodged there by Hannibal, (xix–xxii.)

B.C. 216. Interregnum at Rome.

Election of consuls

C. Terentius Varro and L. Æmilius Paulus.

Prætors-M. Pomponius Matho, peregrinus; P. Furius Philus, urbanus; M. Claud. Marcellus, for Sicily; L. Posthumius Albinus, for Gaul.

Varro's arrogance. Advice of Fabius to Æmilius Paulus. The consuls arrive at their camp. Hannibal marches to Canna. Disposition of the armies. BATTLE OF CANNE. Destruction of Roman army. Death of Æmilius Paulus. The remnants of the Roman forces besieged in their camps. Bravery of Semp. Tuditanus, who cuts his way with six hundred men to the majora castra, and thence to Canušitim. Surrender of the Roman camp, (xxxiv-lii.) The survivors at Canusium well treated by Bitsa. P. Cornelius Scipio chosen to command them. Plan deserendæ Italiæ crushed by him. Varto with about 4,500 fugitives at Venusia. Joins those at Canusium, (liii., liv.)

Great alarm at Rome. Measures to reproduce confidence. Q. Fabius Pietor sent to Delphi. Marcellus, summoned from Ostla to secure the city, delivers the fleet to his colleague, P. Furius Philus. M. Junius

Pera dictator, with Tib. Sempronius as mag. equitum, (lv-lvii.)

Hannibal sends to Rome to treat about the ransom of his captives. His envoy not admitted. Meeting of the senate. Appeal of M. Junius. Reply of T. Manlius Torquatus. Resolution not to ransom the prisoners, (lviii-lxi.) Revolt of cities in Southern Italy.