Fabius's true generalship and thorough comprehension of
the war, and saw that either he must by some means bo
brought to fight a battle, or clso the Carthaginians woro
lost, if they could not make use of their superiority in
arms, but were to be worn away and reduced in number
and resources, in which they were already deficient. He
put in force every conceivable military stratagem and
device, like a skilful wrestler when he tries to lay hold of
his antagonist, and kept attacking Fabius, skirmishing
round him, and drawing him from place to placo, in his
endeavours to make him quit his policy of caution. But
Fabius was convinced that he was right, and steadily
declined battle. His master of the horse, Minucius, who
longed for action, gave him much trouble. This man
made unseemly boasts, and harangued the army, filling it
with wild excitement and self-confidence. The soldiers
in derision used to call Fabius Hannibal's lacquey, because
he followed him wherever he went, and thought Minucius
a really great general, and worthy of the name of Roman.
Minucius, encouraged in his arrogant vauntings, began to
ridicule the habit of encamping on the mountain-tops,
saying that the dictator always took care to provide them
with good seats from which to behold the spectacle of the
burning and plundering of Italy, and used to ask the
friends of Fabius whether he took his army up so near
the sky because he had ceased to take any interest in
what went on on the earth below, or whether it was in
order to conceal it from the enemy among the clouds and
mists. When Fabins was informed of these insults by his
friends, who begged him to wipe away this disgrace by
risking a battle, he answered, "If I did so, I should be
more cowardly than I am now thought to be, in abandoning
the policy which I have determined on because of men's
slanders and sneers. It is no shame to fear for one's
country, but to regard the opinions and spiteful criticisms
of the people would be unworthy of the high office which
I hold, and would show me the slave of those whom I
ought to govern and restrain when they would fain do
wrong."

VI. After this, Hannibal made a blunder. Wishing to move his army further from that of Fabius, and to gain

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an open part of the country where he could obtain forage, he ordered his guides one night after supper to lead the way at once to Casinatum. They, misunderstanding him because of his foreign pronunciation, led his forces to the borders of Campania, near the city of Casilinum, through the midst of which flows the river Lothronus, which the Romans call Vulturnus. This country is full of mountains, except ono valley that runs towards the sea-coast, where the river at the end of its courso overflows into extensive marshes, with deep beds of sand. The beach itself is rough and impracticable for shipping.

When Hannibal was marching down this valley, Fabius, by his superior knowledge of the country, came up with him, placed four thousand men to guard the narrow outlet, established the main body in a safe position in the mountains, and with the light-armed troops fell upon and Imrassed the rear of Hannibal's army, throwing it all into disorder, and killing about eight hundred men. Upon this, IIannibal determined to retraco his steps. Perceiving the mistake which he had made, and the danger he was in, he crucified his guides, but still could not tell how to force his way out through the Roman army which was in possession of the mountain passes. While all were terrified and disheartened, believing themselves to be beset on all sides by dangers from which there was no escape, Hannibal decided on extricating himself by stratagem. Taking about two thousand captured oxon, he ordered his soldiers to bind a torch or faggot of dry wood to their horns, and at night at a given signal to set them on fire, and drive the animals towards the narrow outlet near the enemy's camp. While this was being done, he got the remainder of the troops under arms and led them slowly forward. The cattle, while tho flamo was moderato, and burned only the wood, walked steadily forward towards the mountain sido, astonishing the shepherds on tho mountain, who thought that it must be an army, marching in one great column, carrying torches. But when their horns were burned to the quick, causing them considerable pain, the beasts, now scorched by the fire from one another as they shook their heads, sot off in

wild career over the mountains, with their foreheads and tails blazing, setting fire to a great part of the wood through which they passed. The Romans watching the pass were terribly scared at the sight; for the flames fooked like torches carried by men running, and they fell into great confusion and alarm, thinking that they were surrounded, and about to be attacked on all sides by the enemy. They dared not remain at their post, but abandoned the pass, and made for the main body. At that moment Hannibal's light troops took possession of the heights commanding the outlet, and the mai army marched safely through, loaded with plunder.

VII. It happened that while it was yet night Fabius perceived the trick; for some of the oxen in their flight had fallen into the hands of the Romans; but, fearing to fall into an ambuscade in the darkness, he kept his men quiet under arms. When day broke he pursued and attacked the rearguard, which led to many confused skirmishes in the rough ground, and produced great confusion, till Hannibal sent back his practised Spanish mountaineers from the head of his coluinn. Theso men, being light and active, attacked the heavily-armed Roman infantry and beat off Fabius' attack with very considerable loss. Now Fabius's unpopularity reached its highest pitch, and he was regarded with scorn and contempt. He had, they said, determined to refrain from a pitched battlo, moaning to overcome Hannibal by superior generalship, and he had been defeated in that too. And Hannibal himself, wishing to increase the dislike which the Romans felt for him, though he burned and ravaged every other part of Italy, forbade his men to touch Fabius's own estates, and even placed a guard to see that no damage was done to them. This was reported at Rome, greatly to his discredit; and the tribunes of the people brought all kinds of falso accusations against him in public harangues, instigated chiefly by Metilius, who was not Fabius's personal enemy, but being a relative of Minucius, the Mastor of the Horse, thought that ho was pressing the interests of the latter by giving currency to all theso scandalous reports about Fabius. He was also disliked by the Senate because of the terms which he had arranged with Han

nibal about the exchange of prisoners. The two com manders agreed that the prisoners should be exchanged man for man, and that if either party had more than the other, he should redeem for two hundred and fifty drachmas per man. When, then, this exchange took place, two hundred and forty Romans were found remaining in IIannibal's hands. The Senate determined not to send these men's ransom, and blamed Fabius for having acted improperly and against the interests of the State in taking back men whose cowardico had made them fall into the hands of the enemy. Fabius, on hearing this, was not moved at the discontent of the citizens, but having no money, as ho could not bear to deceive Hannibal and give up his countrymen, sent his son to Rome with orders to sell part of his estate, and bring him the money at once to tho camp. The young man soon sold the land, and quickly returned. Fabius now sent the ransom to Hannibal and recovered the prisoners, many of whom afterwards offered to repay him; but he would take nothing, and forgavo their debt to them all.

VIII. After this the priests recalled him to Rome to perform certain sacrifices, He now transferred the commmand to Minucius, and not merely ordered him as dictator not to fight or entangle himself with the enemy, but even gave him much advice and besought him not to do so, all of which Minucius set at nought, and at once attacked the enemy. Once he observed that Hannibal had sent the greater part of his army out to forage for provisions, and, attacking the remaining troops, he drove them into their intrenched camp, slew many, and terrified the rest, who feared that he might carry the camp by assault. When Hannibal's forces collected again, Minucius effected his retreat with safety, having excited both himself and the army with his success, and filled them with a spirit of reckless daring. Soon an inflated report of the action reached Rome. Fabius, when he heard of it, said that with Minucius he feared success more than failuro; but the populace were delighted, and joyfully collected in the Forum, where Metilius the tribune ascended the rostra, and made a speech glorifying Minucius, and accusing Fabius not merely of remissness or cowardice, but of

actual treachery, accusing also the other leading men of the city of having brought on the war from the very beginning in order to destroy the constitution; and he also charged them with having placed the city in the hands of one man as dictator, who by his dilatory proceedings would give Hannibal time to establish himself firmly and to obtain reinforcements from Africa to enable him to conquer Italy.

IX. When Fabius addressed the people, he did not deign to make any defence against the accusations of the tribune, but said that he should accomplish his sacrifices and sacred duties as quickly as possible, in order to return to the army and punish Minucius for having fought a battle against his orders. At this a great clamour was raised by the people, who feared for their favourite Minucius, for a dictator has power to imprison any man, and even to put him to death; and they thought that Fabius, a mild-tempered man now at last stirred up to wrath, would be harsh and inexorable. All refrained from speaking, but Metilius, having nothing to fear because of tho privileges of his office of tribune (for that is the only office which does not lose its prerogatives on the election of a dictator, but remains untouched though all the rest are annulled), made a violent appeal to the people, begging them not to give up Minucius, nor allow him to be treated as Manlius Torquatus treated his son, who had him beheaded, although he had fought most bravely and gained a crown of laurel for his victory. He asked them to remove Fabius from his dictatorship, and to bestow it upon one who was able and willing to save the country. Excited as they were by these words, they yet did not venture upon removing Fabius from his post, in spite of their feeling against him, but they decreed that Minucius should conduct the war, having equal powers with the dictator, a thing never before done in Rome, but which occurred shortly afterwards, after the disaster at Cannæ, when Marcus Junius was dictator in the camp, and, as many members of the Senate had perished in the battle, they chose another dictator, Fabius Buteo. However, he, after enrolling the new sonators, on the same day dismissed his lictors, got rid of the crowd which escorted