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第8章

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

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