He saw that the Romans were reduced by disease
Hanno tempts the Roman cavalry out and defeats them. |
and want, owing to an epidemic that had broken out among
them, and he believed that his own forces were strong enough
to give them battle: he accordingly collected his elephants,
of which he had about fifty, and the whole of
the rest of his army, and advanced at a rapid
pace from Heracleia; having previously issued
orders to the Numidian cavalry to precede him,
and to endeavour, when they came near the enemies' stockade,
to provoke them and draw their cavalry out; and, having
done so, to wheel round and retire until they met him. The
Numidians did as they were ordered, and advanced up to one
of the camps. Immediately the Roman cavalry poured out
and boldly charged the Numidians: the Libyans retired, according to their orders, until they reached Hanno's division:
then they wheeled round; surrounded, and repeatedly charged
the enemy; killed a great number of them, and chased the
rest up to their stockade. After this affair Hanno's force
encamped over against the Romans, having seized the hill
called Torus, at a distance of about a mile and a quarter from
their opponents.
After two months, Hanno is forced to try to relieve Agrigentum, but is defeated in a pitched battle, and his army cut to pieces. |
For two months they remained in position without any decisive action,
though skirmishes took place daily. But as
Hannibal all this time kept signalling and
sending messages from the town to Hanno,—
telling him that his men were impatient of the famine, and
that many were even deserting to the enemy owing to the
distress for food,—the Carthaginian general determined to
risk a battle, the Romans being equally ready,
for the reasons I have mentioned. So both
parties advanced into the space between the
camps and engaged. The battle lasted a
long time, but at last the Romans turned the advanced
guard of Carthaginian mercenaries. The latter fell back
upon the-elephants and the other divisions posted in their
rear; and thus the whole Punic army was thrown into confusion. The retreat became general: the larger number of
the men were killed, while some effected their escape into
Heracleia; and the Romans became masters of most of the
elephants and all the baggage. Now night came on, and the
victors, partly from joy at their success, partly from fatigue,
kept their watches somewhat more carelessly than usual; accordingly Hannibal, having given up hope of
holding out, made up his mind that this state
of things afforded him a good opportunity of
escape.
Hannibal escapes by night; and the Romans enter and plunder Agrigentum. |
He started about midnight from the
town with his mercenary troops, and having
choked up the trenches with baskets stuffed full of chaff, led
off his force in safety, without being detected by the enemy.
When day dawned the Romans discovered what had happened,
and indeed for a short time were engaged with Hannibal's rear;
but eventually they all made for the town gates. There they
found no one to oppose them: they therefore threw themselves
into the town, plundered it, and secured a large number of
captives, besides a great booty of every sort and description.