Hannibal Enters Campania
He, then, during the following months, kept his army
continually hovering in the neighbourhood of the enemy, his
superior knowledge of the country enabling him to occupy
beforehand all the posts of vantage; and having supplies in
abundance on his rear, he never allowed his soldiers to go on
foraging expeditions, or get separated, on any pretence, from the
camp; but keeping them continually massed together and in
close union, he watched for favourable opportunities of time
and place; and by this method of proceeding captured and
killed a large number of the enemy, who in their contempt of
him straggled from their camp in search of plunder. His
object in these manœuvres was twofold,—to gradually diminish
the limited numbers of the enemy: and to strengthen and renew by such successes in detail the spirits of his own men,
which had been depressed, to begin with, by the general defeat
of their armies. But nothing would induce him to agree to
give his enemy a set battle.
This policy however was by no means approved of by his master
of the horse, Marcus. He joined in the general
verdict, and decried Fabius in every one's hearing, as conducting his command in a cowardly and unenterprising spirit; and
was himself eager to venture upon a decisive engagement.
Meanwhile the Carthaginians, after wasting these districts,
Hannibal in Samnium and Apulia. |
crossed the
Apennines; and descending upon
Samnium, which was rich and had been free
from war for many years past, found themselves in possession of such an abundance of provisions, that
they could get rid of them neither by use nor waste. They
overran also the territory of
Beneventum, which was a Roman
colony; and took the town of
Venusia, which was unwalled
and richly furnished with every kind of property. All
this time the Romans were following on his rear, keeping
one or two days' march behind him, but never venturing to
approach or engage the enemy. Accordingly, when Hannibal
saw that Fabius plainly meant to decline a battle, but yet would
not abandon the country altogether, he formed the bold resolution of penetrating to the plains round
Capua; and actually
did so as far as Falernum, convinced that thereby he should
do one of two things,—force the enemy to give him battle, or
make it evident to all that the victory was his, and that the
Romans had abandoned the country to him. This he hoped
would strike terror into the various cities, and cause them to
be eager to revolt from
Rome. For up to that time, though
the Romans had been beaten in two battles, not a single city
in
Italy had revolted to the Carthaginians; but all maintained
their fidelity, although some of them were suffering severely;
—a fact which may show us the awe and respect which the
Republic had inspired in its allies.
