20. +genti ... victae+, e.g. at the Pa.s.sage of the Rhone.
21. +campum+, i.e. the Campus Martius, N.W. of Rome, where the Tiber makes a wide curve. For the thought cf. p. 116, ll. 7, 8.]
[[Selection C9, lines 155, 156]]
+The Speeches of Livy.+ "He does not intend in them to reproduce the substance of words actually spoken, or even to imitate the tone of the time in which the speech is laid. He uses them as a vivid and dramatic method of portraying character and motive." --Mackail.
C15
SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C.
_From the Rhone to Italy. The Descent of the Alps._
Natura locus iam ante praeceps recenti lapsu terrae in pedum mille admodum alt.i.tudinem abruptus erat. . . . Tandem nequiquam iumentis atque hominibus fatigatis castra in iugo posita, aegerrime ad id ipsum loco purgato: tantum nivis fodiendum atque {5} egerendum fuit. Inde ad rupem muniendam, per quam unam via esse poterat, milites ducti, c.u.m caedendum esset saxum, arboribus circa immanibus deiectis detruncatisque struem ingentem lignorum faciunt, eamque, c.u.m et vis venti apta faciendo igni {10} coorta esset, succendunt ardentiaque saxa infuso aceto putrefaciunt. Ita torridam incendio rupem ferro pandunt, molliuntque anfractibus modicis clivos, ut non iumenta solum sed elephanti etiam deduci possent. Quadriduum circa rupem consumptum {15} iumentis prope fame absumptis; nuda enim fere cac.u.mina sunt, et, si quid est pabuli, obruunt nives. Inferiora valles apricosque quosdam colles habent rivosque prope silvas et iam humano cultu digniora loca. Ibi iumenta in pabulum missa, et quies {20} muniendo fessis hominibus data. Triduo inde ad planum descensum iam et locis mollioribus et accolarum ingeniis.
LIVY, xxi. 36, 37.
+Context.+ At a short distance from the summit of the Pa.s.s (prob. the Little St. Bernard) Hannibal finds his pa.s.sage barred by a break in the road, caused by a landslip or avalanche.
[Linenotes: 2-3. +in pedum ... abruptus erat.+ Polybius says that the precipice at the side of the road (leaving only a narrow ledge) extended for about 1000 ft. _in length_. Livy in mistake converts this into 1000 ft. _in depth_.
3-4. +Tandem ... fatigatis+, i.e. after H."s attempt to pa.s.s by a side-way over a glacier failed.
4. +in iugo+, i.e. on the higher level where the road was broken away.
6. +ad rupem muniendam+ = _to cut a way through the rock_. _Munire_ (cf. _moenia_) = lit. "to wall," "to build." So _munire viam_ = _to make a road_. Hannibal widened the narrow ledge of road by making a sort of terrace.
9. +detruncatis+ = _trimmed_, (lit. "lopped off"), i.e. cleared of branches.
11-12. +infuso aceto.+ Limestone rock might be softened by vinegar, which the _posca_, the soldiers" regular drink of vinegar and water, would supply. Polybius does not mention this.
13-14. +molliuntque ... clivos+ = _relieve the steepness of the descent by gently-sloping zigzag paths_. _Anfractus_, from _ambi + frango_.]
+References.+ Polybius, iii. 54-56; Ihne, i. 171-179.
C16
SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C.
A. _The Battle at the R. Trebia, 218 B.C._
Hannibal, c.u.m ad Trebiam in conspectu haberet Semp.r.o.ni Longi consulis castra, medio amne interfluente, saevissima hieme Magonem et electos in insidiis posuit. Deinde Numidas equites ad eliciendam Semp.r.o.ni credulitatem adequitare vallo eius {5} iussit, quibus praeceperat, ut ad primum nostrorum incursum per nota refugerent vada. Hos consul et adortus temere et secutus ieiunum exercitum in maximo frigore transitu fluminis rigefecit: mox torpore et inedia adfectis Hannibal suum militem {10} opposuit, quem ad id ignibus oleoque et cibo foverat; nec defuit partibus Mago, quin terga hostium in hoc ordinatus caederet.
FRONTINUS, _Strategemata_, ii. 5. 23.
[Linenotes: 1. +ad Trebiam+, a small tributary S. of the Padus, which it joins 2 miles W. of Placentia (Piacenza).
2. +castra.+ Ti. Semp.r.o.nius Longus, with his army from Sicily, effected a junction with his colleague, Scipio, in his fortified camp on the W. or left bank of the Trebia.
8-9. +ieiunum ... rigefecit+, i.e. Semp.r.o.nius _made stiff_ (+rigefecit+) with wading breast-high across the icy river his men _faint with hunger_ (+ieiunum+).
11. +oleoque+, i.e. _ut mollirent artus_ = _to make their limbs supple_.
12-13. +nec defuit ... caederet.+ The Romans kept their ground with the utmost courage till Mago burst out from his ambush and attacked them in rear.]
B. _The River bars the Retreat._
Et iam, dispersis Romana per agmina signis, 570 Palantes agit, ad ripas, miserabile! Poenus Impellens trepidos, fluvioque immergere certat.
Tum Trebia infausto nova proelia gurgite fessis Incohat, ac precibus Iunonis suscitat undas.
Haurit subsidens fugientum corpora tellus, 575 Infidaque soli frustrata voragine sorbet.
Nec niti lentoque datur convellere limo Mersa pedum penitus vestigia: labe tenaci Haerent devincti gressus, resolutaque ripa Implicat aut caeca prosternit fraude paludis. 580
SILIUS ITALICUS, iv. 570-580.
[Linenotes: 574. +precibus ... undas.+ The poet, in his imitation of Vergil, makes Juno the devoted ally of Hannibal.
576. +soli frustrata+ = _prevented from reaching firm ground_.
577. +lento+ = _sticky_.
579. +resoluta+ = _crumbling_.]
+References+. Livy, xxi. 52-56; Ihne, ii. 187-191.
C17
SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C.
_The Battle of Lake Trasimene, 217 B.C._ (1)
Flaminius c.u.m pridie solis occasu ad lac.u.m pervenisset, inexplorato postero die vixdum satis certa luce angustiis superatis, postquam in patentiorem campum pandi agmen coepit, id tantum hostium, quod ex adverso erat, conspexit; ab tergo ac super {5} caput _haud[29] detectae_ insidiae. Poenus ubi, id quod petierat, clausum lacu ac montibus et circ.u.mfusum suis copiis habuit hostem, signum omnibus dat simul invadendi. Qui ubi, qua cuique proximum fuit, decucurrerunt, eo magis Romanis subita atque improvisa {10} res fuit, quod orta ex lacu nebula campo quam montibus densior sederat, agminaque hostium ex pluribus collibus ipsa inter se satis conspecta eoque magis pariter decucurrerant. Roma.n.u.s clamore prius undique orto, quam satis cerneret, se circ.u.mventum {15} esse sensit, et ante in frontem lateraque pugnari coeptum est, quam satis instrueretur acies aut expediri arma stringique gladii possent. Consul perculsis omnibus ipse satis, ut[30] in re trepida, impavidus turbatos ordines, vertente se quoque ad dissonos {20} clamores, instruit, ut tempus locusque pat.i.tur, et, quacunque adire audirique potest, adhortatur ac stare ac pugnare iubet. {25}
LIVY, xxii. 4, 5.
[Footnote 29: Var. lect. _decepere_.]
[Footnote 30: For this qualifying use of _ut_ cf. p. 42, iii. (b) and p. 83 line 1.] [[Demonstration IV.iii and Selection D24]]
[Linenotes: 1. +Flaminius+ (Gaius), the chief of the popular party at Rome.
Consul 223 B.C., conquered the Insubrian Gauls, Censor 220 B.C.
Connected Picenum with Rome by the Via Flaminia. Consul (a second time) 217 B.C., defeated and killed at Trasimene.
2. +inexplorato+ = _without reconnoitring_. "This word expresses the whole blame attaching to Flaminius, and it is great." --Dimsdale.
4. +pandi+ (= _se pandere_) = _to deploy_.
13. +ipsa ... conspecta+ = _were sufficiently visible to each other_.
15. +prius quam satis cerneret+ = _before he could clearly distinguish anything_. --D.
19. +ut in re trepida+ = _considering the confusion of the moment_.
--D.]
+The Scene of the Battle.+ At the N.W. end of the Lake the mountains of Cortona come right down to the lake, but a little further E. the pa.s.s expands and forms between the mountains and the lake a narrow plain from to 1 miles in width and about 4 miles in length. At the E. end of the plain the mountains again close down upon the lake. Here Hannibal encamped with his Africans and Spaniards; posted his light-armed troops behind the crests of the hills which bounded the plain on the N., and his cavalry at the entrance to the pa.s.s on the W. to cut off the Roman retreat.
C18
SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C.
_The Battle of Lake Trasimene, 217 B.C._ (2)
Ceterum prae strepitu ac tumultu nec consilium nec imperium accipi poterat, tantumque aberat, ut sua signa atque ordines et loc.u.m noscerent, ut vix ad arma capienda aptandaque pugnae competeret animus, opprimerenturque quidam onerati magis iis {5} quam tecti. Et erat in tanta caligine maior usus aurium quam oculorum. Ad gemitus vulneratorum ictusque corporum aut armorum et mixtos _strepentium_[31] paventiumque clamores circ.u.mferebant ora oculosque. Alii fugientes pugnantium globo illati {10} haerebant; alios redeuntes in pugnam avertebat fugientium agmen. Deinde, ubi in omnes partes nequiquam impetus capti, et ab lateribus montes ac lacus, a fronte et ab tergo hostium acies claudebant, apparuitque nullam nisi in dextera ferroque salutis {15} spem esse, tum sibi quisque dux adhortatorque factus ad rem gerendam et nova de integro exorta pugna est, non illa ordinata per principes hastatosque ac triarios, nec ut pro signis antesignani, post signa alia pugnaret acies; fors conglobabat et animus suus {20} cuique ante aut post pugnandi ordinem dabat; tantusque fuit ardor animorum, adeo intentus pugnae animus, ut eum motum terrae, qui multarum urbium Italiae magnas partes prostravit, nemo pugnantium senserit. {25}
LIVY, xxii. 5.