they say that marcus claudius, who was five times consul of the romans,was the son of marcus； and that he was the first of his family calledmarcellus； that is, martial, as posidonius affirms. he was, indeed,by long experience, skilful in the art of war, of a strong body, valiantof hand, and by natural inclinations addicted to war. this high temperand heat he showed conspicuously in battle； in other respects he wasmodest and obliging, and so far studious of greek learning and discipline,as to honour and admire those that excelled in it, though he did nothimself attain a proficiency in them equal to his desire, by reasonof his employments. for if ever there were any men whom, as homersays, heaven
"from their first youth unto their utmost age appointed the laborious wars to wage," certainly they were the chiefromans of that time； who in their youth had war with the carthaginiansin sicily, in their middle age with the gauls in the defence of italyitself； and at last, when now grown old, struggled again with hannibaland the carthaginians, and wanted in their latest years what is grantedto most men, exemption from military toils； their rank and their greatqualities still making them be called upon to undertake the command.
marcellus, ignorant or unskillful of no kind of fighting, in singlecombat surpassed himself； he never declined a challenge, and neveraccepted without killing his challenger. in sicily, he protected andsaved his brother otacilius when surrounded in battle, and slew theenemies that pressed upon him； for which act he was by the generals,while he was yet but young, presented with crowns and other honourablerewards； and, his good qualities more and more displaying themselves,he was created curule aedile by the people and by the high priestsaugur； which is that priesthood to which chiefly the law assigns theobservation of auguries. in his aedileship, a certain mischance broughthim to the necessity of bringing an impeachment into the senate. hehad a son named marcus, of great beauty, in the flower of his age,and no less admired for the goodness of his character. this youth,capitolinus, a bold and ill-mannered man, marcellus's colleague, soughtto abuse. the boy at first himself repelled him； but when the otheragain persecuted him, told his father. marcellus, highly indignant,accused the man in the senate： where he, having appealed to the tribunesof the people, endeavoured by various shifts and exceptions to eludethe impeachment； and, when the tribunes refused their protection,by flat denial rejected the charge. as there was no witness of thefact, the senate thought fit to call the youth himself before them：on witnessing whose blushes and tears, and shame mixed with the highestindignation, seeking no further evidence of the crime, they condemnedcapitolinus, and set a fine upon him； of the money of which marcelluscaused silver vessels for libation to be made, which he dedicatedto the gods.
after the end of the first punic war, which lasted one-and-twentyyears, the seed of gallic tumults sprang up, and began again to troublerome. the insubrians, a people inhabiting the subalpine region ofitaly, strong in their own forces, raised from among the other gaulsaids of mercenary soldiers, called gaesatae. and it was a sort ofmiracle, and special good fortune for rome, that the gallic war wasnot coincident with the punic, but that the gauls had with fidelitystood quiet as spectators, while the punic war continued, as thoughthey had been under engagement to await and attack the victors, andnow only were at liberty to come forward. still the position itself,and the ancient renown of the gauls, struck no little fear into theminds of the romans, who were about to undertake a war so near homeand upon their own borders； and regarded the gauls, because they hadonce taken their city, with more apprehension than any people, asis apparent from the enactment which from that time forth provided,that the high priests should enjoy an exemption from all militaryduty, except only in gallic insurrections.
the great preparations, also, made by the romans for war （for it isnot reported that the people of rome ever had at one time so manylegions in arms, either before or since）, and their extraordinarysacrifices, were plain arguments of their fear. for though they weremost averse to barbarous and cruel rites, and entertained more thanany nation the same pious and reverent sentiments of the gods withthe greeks； yet, when this war was coming upon them, they then, fromsome prophecies in the sibyls' books, put alive underground a pairof greeks, one male, the other female； and likewise two gauls, oneof each sex, in the market called the beast market： continuing evento this day to offer to these greeks and gauls certain ceremonialobservances in the month of november.
in the beginning of this war, in which the romans sometimes obtainedremarkable victories, sometimes were shamefully beaten, nothing wasdone toward the determination of the contest until flaminius and furius,being consuls, led large forces against the insubrians. at the timeof their departure, the river that runs through the country of picenumwas seen flowing with blood； there was a report that three moons hadonce been seen at ariminum； and, in the consular assembly, the augursdeclared that the consuls had been unduly and inauspiciously created.the senate, therefore, immediately sent letters to the camp, recallingthe consuls to rome with all possible speed, and commanding them toforbear from acting against the enemies, and to abdicate the consulshipon the first opportunity. these letters being brought to flaminius,he deferred to open them till, having defeated and put to flight theenemy's forces, he wasted and ravaged their borders. the people, therefore,did not go forth to meet him when he returned with huge spoils； nay,because he had not instantly obeyed the command in the letters, bywhich he was recalled, but slighted and contemned them, they werevery near denying him the honour of a triumph. nor was the triumphsooner passed than they deposed him, with his colleague, from themagistracy, and reduced them to the state of private citizens. somuch were all things at rome made to depend upon religion； they wouldnot allow any contempt of the omens and the ancient rites, even thoughattended with the highest success： thinking it to be of more importanceto the public safety that the magistrates should reverence the gods,than that they should overcome their enemies. thus tiberius sempronius,whom for his probity and virtue the citizens highly esteemed, createdscipio nasica and caius marcius consuls to succeed him； and when theywere gone into their provinces, lit upon books concerning the religiousobservances, where he found something he had not known before； whichwas this. when the consul took his auspices, he sat without the cityin a house, or tent, hired for that occasion； but, if it happenedthat he, for any urgent cause, returned into the city, without havingyet seen any certain signs, he was obliged to leave that first building,or tent, and to seek another to repeat the survey from. tiberius,it appears, in ignorance of this, had twice used the same buildingbefore announcing the new consuls. now, understanding his error, hereferred the matter to the senate： nor did the senate neglect thisminute fault, but soon wrote expressly of it to scipio nasica andcaius marcius； who, leaving their provinces and without delay returningto rome, laid down their magistracy. this happened at a later period.about the same time, too, the priesthood was taken away from two menof very great honour, cornelius cethegus and quintus sulpicius： fromthe former, because he had not rightly held out the entrails of abeast slain for sacrifice； from the latter, because, while he wasimmolating, the tufted cap which the flamens wear had fallen fromhis head. minucius, the dictator, who had already named caius flaminiusmaster of the horse, they deposed from his command, because the squeakof a mouse was heard, and put others into their places. and yet, notwithstanding,by observing so anxiously these little niceties they did not run intoany superstition, because they never varied from nor exceeded theobservances of their ancestors.
so soon as flaminius with his colleague had resigned the consulate,marcellus was declared consul by the presiding officers called interrexes；and, entering into the magistracy, chose cnaeus cornelius his colleague.there was a report that, the gauls proposing a pacification, and thesenate also inclining to peace, marcellus inflamed the people to war；but a peace appears to have been agreed upon, which the gaesatae broke；who, passing the alps, stirred up the insubrians （they being thirtythousand in number, and the insubrians more numerous by far）； andproud of their strength, marched directly to acerrae, a city seatedon the north of the river po. from thence britomartus, king of thegaesatae, taking with him ten thousand soldiers, harassed the countryround about. news of which being brought to marcellus, leaving hiscolleague at acerrae with the foot and all the heavy arms and a thirdpart of the horse, and carrying with him the rest of the horse andsix hundred light-armed foot, marching night and day without remission,he stayed not till he came up to these ten thousand near a gaulishvillage called clastidium, which not long before had been reducedunder the roman jurisdiction. nor had he time to refresh his soldiersor to give them rest. for the barbarians, that were then present,immediately observed his approach, and contemned him, because he hadvery few foot with him. the gauls were singularly skilful in horsemanship,and thought to excel in it； and as at present they also exceeded marcellusin number, they made no account of him. they, therefore, with theirking at their head, instantly charged upon him, as if they would tramplehim under their horses' feet, threatening all kinds of cruelties.marcellus, because his men were few, that they might not be encompassedand charged on all sides by the enemy, extended his wings of horse,and, riding about, drew out his wings of foot in length, till he camenear to the enemy. just as he was in the act of turning round to facethe enemy, it so happened that his horse, startled with their fiercelook and their cries, gave back, and carried him forcibly aside. fearinglest this accident, if converted into an omen, might discourage hissoldiers, he quickly brought his horse round to confront the enemy,and made a gesture of adoration to the sun, as if he had wheeled aboutnot by chance, but for a purpose of devotion. for it was customaryto the romans, when they offered worship to the gods, to turn round；and in this moment of meeting the enemy, he is said to have vowedthe best of the arms to jupiter feretrius.
the king of the gauls beholding marcellus, and from the badges ofhis authority conjecturing him to be the general, advanced some waybefore his embattled army, and with a loud voice challenged him, and,brandishing his lance, fiercely ran in full career at him； exceedingthe rest of the gauls in stature, and with his armour, that was adornedwith gold and silver and various colours, shining like lightning.these arms seeming to marcellus, while he viewed the enemy's armydrawn up in battalia, to be the best and fairest, and thinking themto be those he had vowed to jupiter, he instantly ran upon the king,and pierced through his breastplate with his lance； then pressingupon him with the weight of his horse, threw him to the ground, andwith two or three strokes more slew him. immediately he leapt fromhis horse, laid his hand upon the dead king's arm and, looking uptowards heaven, thus spoke： "o jupiter feretrius, arbiter of the exploitsof captains, and of the acts of commanders in war and battles, bethou witness that i, a general, have slain a general： i, a consul,have slain a king with my own hand, third of all the romans； and thatto thee i consecrate these first and most excellent of the spoils.grant to us to despatch the relics of the war with the same courseof fortune." then the roman horse joining battle not only with theenemy's horse, but also with the foot who attacked them, obtaineda singular and unheard-of victory. for never before or since haveso few horse defeated such numerous forces of horse and foot together.the enemies being to a great number slain, and the spoils collected,he returned to his colleague, who was conducting the war, with ill-success,against the enemies near the greatest and most populous of the galliccities, milan. this was their capital, and, therefore, fighting valiantlyin defence of it, they were not so much besieged by cornelius, asthey besieged him. but marcellus having returned, and the gaesataeretiring as soon as they were certified of the death of the king andthe defeat of his army, milan was taken. the rest of their towns,and all they had, the gauls delivered up of their own accord to theromans, and had peace upon equitable conditions granted to them.
marcellus alone, by a decree of the senate, triumphed. the triumphwas in magnificence, opulence, spoils, and the gigantic bodies ofthe captives most remarkable. but the most grateful and most rarespectacle of all was the general himself, carrying the arms of thebarbarian king to the god to whom he had vowed them. he had takena tall and straight stock of an oak, and had lopped and formed itto a trophy. upon this he fastened and hung about the arms of theking, arranging all the pieces in their suitable places. the processionadvancing solemnly, he, carrying this trophy, ascended the chariot；and thus, himself the fairest and most glorious triumphant image,was conveyed into the city. the army adorned with shining armour followedin order, and with verses composed for the occasion, and with songsof victory celebrated the praises of jupiter and of their general.then entering the temple of jupiter feretrius, he dedicated his gift；the third, and to our memory the last, that ever did so. the firstwas romulus, after having slain acron, king of the caeninenses： thesecond, cornelius cossus, who slew tolumnius the etruscan： after themmarcellus, having killed britomartus, king of the gauls； after marcellus,no man. the god to whom these spoils were consecrated is called jupiterferetrius, from the trophy carried on the feretrum, one of the greekwords which at that time still existed in great numbers in latin：or, as others say, it is the surname of the thundering jupiter derivedfrom ferire, to strike. others there are who would have the name tobe deduced from the strokes that are given in fight； since even nowin battles, when they press upon their enemies, they constantly callout to each other, strike, in latin feri. spoils in general they callspolia, and these in particular opima； though, indeed, they say thatnuma pompilius, in his commentaries, makes mention of first, second,and third spolia opima； and that he prescribes that the first takenbe consecrated to jupiter feretrius, the second to mars, the thirdto quirinus； as also that the reward of the first be three hundredasses； of the second, two hundred； of the third, one hundred. thegeneral account, however, prevails, that those spoils only are opimawhich the general first takes in set battle, and takes from the enemy'schief captain whom he has slain with his own hand. but of this enough.the victory and the ending of the war was so welcome to the peopleof rome, that they sent to apollo of delphi, in testimony of theirgratitude, a present of a golden cup of an hundred pound weight, andgave a great part of the spoil to their associate cities, and tookcare that many presents should be sent also to hiero, king of thesyracusans, their friend and ally.
when hannibal invaded italy, marcellus was despatched with a fleetto sicily. and when the army had been defeated at cannae, and manythousands of them perished, and a few had saved themselves by flyingto canusium, and all feared lest hannibal, who had destroyed the strengthof the roman army, should advance at once with his victorious troopsto rome, marcellus first sent for the protection of the city fifteenhundred soldiers from the fleet. then, by decree of the senate, goingto canusium, having heard that many of the soldiers had come togetherin that place, he led them out of the fortifications to prevent theenemy from ravaging the country. the chief roman commanders had mostof them fallen in battles； and the citizens complained that the extremecaution of fabius maximus, whose integrity and wisdom gave him thehighest authority, verged upon timidity and inaction. they confidedin him to keep them out of danger, but could not expect that he wouldenable them to retaliate. fixing, therefore, their thoughts upon marcellus,and hoping to combine his boldness, confidence, and promptitude withfabius's caution and prudence, and to temper the one by the other,they sent, sometimes both with consular command, sometimes one asconsul, the other as proconsul, against the enemy. posidonius writes,that fabius was called the buckler, marcellus the sword of rome. certainly,hannibal himself confessed that he feared fabius as a schoolmaster,marcellus as an adversary： the former, lest he should be hinderedfrom doing mischief； the latter, lest he should receive harm himself.
and first, when among hannibal's soldiers, proud of their victory,carelessness and boldness had grown to a great height, marcellus,attacking all their stragglers and plundering parties, cut them off,and by little and little diminished their forces. then carrying aidto the neopolitans and nolans, he confirmed the minds of the former,who, indeed, were of their own accord faithful enough to the romans；but in nola he found a state of discord, the senate not being ableto rule and keep in the common people, who were generally favourersof hannibal. there was in the town one bantius, a man renowned forhis high birth and courage. this man, after he had fought most fiercelyat cannae, and had killed many of the enemies, at last was found lyingin a heap of dead bodies, covered with darts, and was brought to hannibal,who so honoured him, that he not only dismissed him without ransom,but also contracted friendship with him, and made him his guest. ingratitude for this great favour, he became one of the strongest partisansof hannibal, and urged the people to revolt. marcellus could not beinduced to put to death a man of such eminence, and who had enduredsuch dangers in fighting on the roman side； but, knowing himself able,by the general kindliness of his disposition, and in particular bythe attractiveness of his address, to gain over a character whosepassion was for honour, one day when bantius saluted him, he askedhim who he was； not that he knew him not before, but seeking an occasionof further conference. when bantius had told who he was, marcellus,seeming surprised with joy and wonder, replied： "are you that bantiuswhom the romans commend above the rest that fought at cannae, andpraise as the one man that not only did not forsake the consul paulusaemilius, but received in his own body many darts thrown at him？"bantius owning himself to be that very man, and showing his scars："why, then," said marcellus, "did not you, having such proofs to showof your affection to us, come to me at my first arrival here？ do youthink that we are unwilling to requite with favour those who havewell deserved, and who are honoured even by our enemies？" he followedup his courtesies by a present of a war-horse and five hundred drachmasin money. from that time bantius became the most faithful assistantand ally of marcellus, and a most keen discoverer of those that attemptedinnovation and sedition.
these were many, and had entered into a conspiracy to plunder thebaggage of the romans, when they should make an irruption againstthe enemy. marcellus, therefore, having marshalled his army withinthe city, placed the baggage near to the gates, and, by an edict,forbade the nolans to go to the walls. thus, outside the city, noarms could be seen； by which prudent device he allured hannibal tomove with his army in some disorder to the city, thinking that thingswere in a tumult there. then marcellus, the nearest gate being, ashe had commanded, thrown open, issuing forth with the flower of hishorse in front, charged the enemy. by and by the foot, sallying outof another gate, with a loud shout joined in the battle. and whilehannibal opposes part of his forces to these, the third gate alsois opened, out of which the rest break forth, and on all quartersfall upon the enemies, who were dismayed at this unexpected encounter,and did but feebly resist those with whom they had been first engaged,because of their attack by these others who sallied out later. herehannibal's soldiers, with much bloodshed and many wounds, were beatenback to their camp, and for the first time turned their backs to theromans. there fell in this action, as it is related, more than fivethousand of them； of the romans, not above five hundred. livy doesnot affirm that either the victory or the slaughter of the enemy wasso great； but certain it is that the adventure brought great gloryto marcellus, and to the romans, after their calamities, a great revivalof confidence, as they began now to entertain a hope that the enemywith whom they contended was not invincible, but liable like themselvesto defeats.
therefore, the other consul being deceased, the people recalled marcellus,that they might put him into his place； and, in spite of the magistrates,succeeded in postponing the election till his arrival, when he wasby all the suffrages created consul. but because it happened to thunder,the augurs accounting that he was not legitimately created, and yetnot daring, for fear of the people, to declare their sentence openly,marcellus voluntarily resigned the consulate, retaining however hiscommand. being created proconsul, and returning to the camp at nola,he proceeded to harass those that followed the party of the carthaginians；on whose coming with speed to succour them, marcellus declined a challengeto a set battle, but when hannibal had sent out a party to plunder,and now expected no fight, he broke out upon him with his army. hehad distributed to the foot long lances, such as are commonly usedin naval fights； and instructed them to throw them with great forceat convenient distances against the enemies, who were inexperiencedin that way of darting, and used to fight with short darts hand tohand. this seems to have been the cause of the total rout and openflight of all the carthaginians who were then engaged； there fellof them five thousand； four elephants were killed, and two taken；but what was of the greatest moment, on the third day after, morethan three hundred horse, spaniards and numidians mixed, desertedto him, a disaster that had never to that day happened to hannibal,who had kept together in harmony an army of barbarians, collectedout of many various and discordant nations. marcellus and his successorsin all this war made good use of the faithful service of these horsemen.
he now was a third time created consul, and sailed over into sicily.for the success of hannibal had excited the carthaginians to lay claimto that whole island； chiefly because, after the murder of the tyranthieronymus, all things had been in tumult and confusion at syracuse.for which reason the romans also had sent before to that city a forceunder the conduct of appius, as praetor. while marcellus was receivingthat army, a number of roman soldiers cast themselves at his feet,upon occasion of the following calamity. of those that survived thebattle at cannae, some had escaped by flight, and some were takenalive by the enemy； so great a multitude, that it was thought therewere not remaining romans enough to defend the wall of the city. andyet the magnanimity and constancy of the city was such, that it wouldnot redeem the captives from hannibal, though it might have done sofor a small ransom； a decree of the senate forbade it, and chose ratherto leave them to be killed by the enemy, or sold out of italy； andcommanded that all who had saved themselves by flight should be transportedinto sicily, and not permitted to return into italy, until the warwith hannibal should be ended. these, therefore, when marcellus wasarrived in sicily, addressed themselves to him in great numbers； andcasting themselves at his feet, with much lamentation and tears humblybesought him to admit them to honourable service； and promised tomake it appear by their future fidelity and exertions that that defeathad been received rather by misfortune than by cowardice. marcellus,pitying them, petitioned the senate by letters, that he might haveleave at all times to recruit his legions out of them. after muchdebate about the thing, the senate decreed they were of opinion thatthe commonwealth did not require the service of cowardly soldiers；if marcellus perhaps thought otherwise, he might make use of them,provided no one of them be honoured on any occasion with a crown ormilitary gift, as a reward of his virtue or courage. this decree stungmarcellus； and on his return to rome, after the sicilian war was ended,he upbraided the senate that they had denied to him, who had so highlydeserved of the republic, liberty to relieve so great a number ofcitizens in great calamity.
at this time marcellus, first incensed by injuries done him by hippocrates,commander of the syracusans （who, to give proof of his good affectionto the carthaginians, and to acquire the tyranny to himself, had killeda number of romans at leontini）, besieged and took by force the cityof leontini； yet violated none of the townsmen； only deserters, asmany as he took, he subjected to the punishment of the rods and axe.but hippocrates, sending a report to syracuse, that marcellus hadput all the adult population to the sword, and then coming upon thesyracusans, who had risen in tumult upon that false report, made himselfmaster of the city. upon this marcellus moved with his whole armyto syracuse, and encamping near the wall, sent ambassadors into thecity to relate to the syracusans the truth of what had been done inleontini. when these could not prevail by treaty, the whole powerbeing now in the hands of hippocrates, he proceeded to attack thecity both by land and by sea. the land forces were conducted by appius：marcellus, with sixty galleys, each with five rows of oars, furnishedwith all sorts of arms and missiles, and a huge bridge of planks laidupon eight ships chained together, upon which was carried the engineto cast stones and darts, assaulted the walls, relying on the abundanceand magnificence of his preparations, and on his own previous glory；all which, however, were, it would seem, but trifles for archimedesand his machines.
these machines he had designed and contrived, not as matters of anyimportance, but as mere amusements in geometry； in compliance withking hiero's desire and request, some little time before, that heshould reduce to practice some part of his admirable speculation inscience, and by accommodating the theoretic truth to sensation andordinary use, bring it more within the appreciation of the peoplein general. eudoxus and archytas had been the first originators ofthis far-famed and highly-prized art of mechanics, which they employedas an elegant illustration of geometrical truths, and as means ofsustaining experimentally, to the satisfaction of the senses, conclusionstoo intricate for proof by words and diagrams. as, for example, tosolve the problem, so often required in constructing geometrical figures,given the two extremes, to find the two mean lines of a proportion,both these mathematicians had recourse to the aid of instruments,adapting to their purpose certain curves and sections of lines. butwhat with plato's indignation at it, and his invectives against itas the mere corruption and annihilation of the one good of geometry,which was thus shamefully turning its back upon the unembodied objectsof pure intelligence to recur to sensation, and to ask help （not tobe obtained without base supervisions and depravation） from matter；so it was that mechanics came to be separated from geometry, and,repudiated and neglected by philosophers, took its place as a militaryart. archimedes, however, in writing to king hiero, whose friend andnear relation he was, had stated that given the force, any given weightmight be moved, and even boasted, we are told, relying on the strengthof demonstration, that if there were another earth, by going intoit he could remove this. hiero being struck with amazement at this,and entreating him to make good this problem by actual experiment,and show some great weight moved by a small engine, he fixed accordinglyupon a ship of burden out of the king's arsenal, which could not bedrawn out of the dock without great labour and many men； and, loadingher with many passengers and a full freight, sitting himself the whilefar off, with no great endeavour, but only holding the head of thepulley in his hand and drawing the cords by degrees, he drew the shipin a straight line, as smoothly and evenly as if she had been in thesea. the king, astonished at this, and convinced of the power of theart, prevailed upon archimedes to make him engines accommodated toall the purposes, offensive and defensive, of a siege. these the kinghimself never made use of, because he spent almost all his life ina profound quiet and the highest affluence. but the apparatus was,in most opportune time, ready at hand for the syracusans, and withit also the engineer himself.
when, therefore, the romans assaulted the walls in two places at once,fear and consternation stupefied the syracusans, believing that nothingwas able to resist that violence and those forces. but when archimedesbegan to ply his engines, he at once shot against the land forcesall sorts of missile weapons, and immense masses of stone that camedown with incredible noise and violence； against which no man couldstand； for they knocked down those upon whom they fell in heaps, breakingall their ranks and files. in the meantime huge poles thrust out fromthe walls over the ships sunk some by the great weights which theylet down from on high upon them； others they lifted up into the airby an iron hand or beak like a crane's beak and, when they had drawnthem up by the prow, and set them on end upon the poop, they plungedthem to the bottom of the sea； or else the ships, drawn by engineswithin, and whirled about, were dashed against steep rocks that stoodjutting out under the walls, with great destruction of the soldiersthat were aboard them. a ship was frequently lifted up to a greatheight in the air （a dreadful thing to behold）, and was rolled toand fro, and kept swinging, until the mariners were all thrown out,when at length it was dashed against the rocks, or let fall. at theengine that marcellus brought upon the bridge of ships, which wascalled sambuca, from some resemblance it had to an instrument of music,while it was as yet approaching the wall, there was discharged a pieceof rock of ten talents weight, then a second and a third, which, strikingupon it with immense force and a noise like thunder, broke all itsfoundation to pieces, shook out all its fastenings, and completelydislodged it from the bridge. so marcellus, doubtful what counselto pursue, drew off his ships to a safer distance, and sounded a retreatto his forces on land. they then took a resolution of coming up underthe walls, if it were possible, in the night； thinking that as archimedesused ropes stretched at length in playing his engines, the soldierswould now be under the shot, and the darts would, for want of sufficientdistance to throw them, fly over their heads without effect. but he,it appeared, had long before framed for such occasions engines accommodatedto any distance, and shorter weapons； and had made numerous smallopenings in the walls, through which, with engines of a shorter range,unexpected blows were inflicted on the assailants. thus, when theywho thought to deceive the defenders came close up to the walls, instantlya shower of darts and other missile weapons was again cast upon them.and when stones came tumbling down perpendicularly upon their heads,and, as it were, the whole wall shot out arrows at them, they retired.and now, again, as they were going off, arrows and darts of a longerrange inflicted a great slaughter among them, and their ships weredriven one against another； while they themselves were not able toretaliate in any way. for archimedes had provided and fixed most ofhis engines immediately under the wall； whence the romans, seeingthat indefinite mischief overwhelmed them from no visible means, beganto think they were fighting with the gods.
yet marcellus escaped unhurt, and deriding his own artificers andengineers, "what," said he, "must we give up fighting with this geometricalbriareus, who plays pitch-and-toss with our ships, and, with the multitudeof darts which he showers at a single moment upon us, really outdoesthe hundred-handed giants of mythology？" and, doubtless, the restof the syracusans were but the body of archimedes's designs, one soulmoving and governing all； for, laying aside all other arms, with thisalone they infested the romans and protected themselves. in fine,when such terror had seized upon the romans, that, if they did butsee a little rope or a piece of wood from the wall, instantly cryingout, that there it was again, archimedes was about to let fly someengine at them, they turned their backs and fled, marcellus desistedfrom conflicts and assaults, putting all his hope in a long siege.yet archimedes possessed so high a spirit, so profound a soul, andsuch treasures of scientific knowledge, that though these inventionshad now obtained him the renown of more than human sagacity, he yetwould not deign to leave behind him any commentary or writing on suchsubjects； but, repudiating as sordid and ignoble the whole trade ofengineering, and every sort of art that lends itself to mere use andprofit, he placed his whole affection and ambition in those purerspeculations where there can be no reference to the vulgar needs oflife； studies, the superiority of which to all others is unquestioned,and in which the only doubt can be whether the beauty and grandeurof the subjects examined, of the precision and cogency of the methodsand means of proof, most deserve our admiration. it is not possibleto find in all geometry more difficult and intricate questions, ormore simple and lucid explanations. some ascribe this to his naturalgenius； while others think that incredible effort and toil producedthese, to all appearances, easy and unlaboured results. no amountof investigation of yours would succeed in attaining the proof, andyet, once seen, you immediately believe you would have discoveredit； by so smooth and so rapid a path he leads you to the conclusionrequired. and thus it ceases to be incredible that （as is commonlytold of him） the charm of his familiar and domestic siren made himforget his food and neglect his person, to that degree that when hewas occasionally carried by absolute violence to bathe or have hisbody anointed, he used to trace geometrical figures in the ashes ofthe fire, and diagrams in the oil on his body, being in a state ofentire preoccupation, and, in the truest sense, divine possessionwith his love and delight in science. his discoveries were numerousand admirable； but he is said to have requested his friends and relationsthat, when he was dead, they would place over his tomb a sphere containinga cylinder, inscribing it with the ratio which the containing solidbears to the contained.
such was archimedes, who now showed himself, and so far as lay inhim the city also, invincible. while the siege continued, marcellustook megara, one of the earliest founded of the greek cities in sicily,and capturing also the camp of hippocrates at acilae, killed aboveeight thousand men, having attacked them whilst they were engagedin forming their fortifications. he overran a great part of sicily；gained over many towns from the carthaginians, and overcame all thatdared to encounter him. as the siege went on, one damippus, a lacedaemonian,putting to sea in a ship from syracuse, was taken. when the syracusansmuch desired to redeem this man, and there were many meetings andtreaties about the matter betwixt them and marcellus, he had opportunityto notice a tower into which a body of men might be secretly introduced,as the wall near to it was not difficult to surmount, and it was itselfcarelessly guarded. coming often thither, and entertaining conferencesabout the release of damippus, he had pretty well calculated the heightof the tower, and got ladders prepared. the syracusans celebrateda feast to diana； this juncture of time, when they were given up entirelyto wine and sport, marcellus laid hold of, and before the citizensperceived it, not only possessed himself of the tower, but, beforethe break of day, filled the wall around with soldiers, and made hisway into the hexapylum. the syracusans now beginning to stir, andto be alarmed at the tumult, he ordered the trumpets everywhere tosound, and thus frightened them all into flight, as if all parts ofthe city were already won, though the most fortified, and the fairest,and most ample quarter was still ungained. it is called acradina,and was divided by a wall from the outer city, one part of which theycall neapolis, the other tycha. possessing himself of these, marcellus,about break of day, entered through the hexapylum, all his officerscongratulating him. but looking down from the higher places upon thebeautiful and spacious city below, he is said to have wept much, commiseratingthe calamity that hung over it, when his thoughts represented to himhow dismal and foul the face of the city would be in a few hours,when plundered and sacked by the soldiers. for among the officersof his army there was not one man that durst deny the plunder of thecity to the soldiers' demands； nay, many were instant that it shouldbe set on fire and laid level to the ground： but this marcellus wouldnot listen to. yet he granted, but with great unwillingness and reluctance,that the money and slaves should be made prey； giving orders, at thesame time, that none should violate any free person, nor kill, misuse,or make a slave of any of the syracusans. though he had used thismoderation, he still esteemed the condition of that city to be pitiable,and, even amidst the congratulations and joy, showed his strong feelingsof sympathy and commiseration at seeing all the riches accumulatedduring a long felicity now dissipated in an hour. for it is relatedthat no less prey and plunder was taken here than afterward in carthage.for not long after they obtained also the plunder of the other partsof the city, which were taken by treachery； leaving nothing untouchedbut the king's money, which was brought into the public treasury.but nothing afflicted marcellus so much as the death of archimedes,who was then, as fate would have it, intent upon working out someproblem by a diagram, and having fixed his mind alike and his eyesupon the subject of his speculation, he never noticed the incursionof the romans, nor that the city was taken. in this transport of studyand contemplation, a soldier, unexpectedly coming up to him, commandedhim to follow to marcellus； which he declining to do before he hadworked out his problem to a demonstration, the soldier, enraged, drewhis sword and ran him through. others write that a roman soldier,running upon him with a drawn sword, offered to kill him； and thatarchimedes, looking back, earnestly besought him to hold his handa little while, that he might not leave what he was then at work uponinconclusive and imperfect； but the soldier, nothing moved by hisentreaty, instantly killed him. others again relate that, as archimedeswas carrying to marcellus mathematical instruments, dials, spheres,and angles, by which the magnitude of the sun might be measured tothe sight, some soldiers seeing him, and thinking that he carriedgold in a vessel, slew him. certain it is that his death was veryafflicting to marcellus； and that marcellus ever after regarded himthat killed him as a murderer； and that he sought for his kindredand honoured them with signal favours.
indeed, foreign nations had held the romans to be excellent soldiersand formidable in battle； but they had hitherto given no memorableexample of gentleness, or humanity, or civil virtue； and marcellusseems first to have shown to the greeks that his countrymen were mostillustrious for their justice. for such was his moderation to allwith whom he had anything to do, and such his benignity also to manycities and private men, that, if anything hard or severe was decreedconcerning the people of enna, megara, or syracuse, the blame wasthought to belong rather to those upon whom the storm fell, than tothose who brought it upon them. one example of many i will commemorate.in sicily there is a town called engyum, not indeed great, but veryancient and ennobled by the presence of the goddesses, called themothers. the temple, they say, was built by the cretans； and theyshow some spears and brazen helmets, inscribed with the names of meriones,and （with the same spelling as in latin） of ulysses, who consecratedthem to the goddesses. this city highly favouring the party of thecarthaginians, nicias, the most eminent of the citizens, counselledthem to go over to the romans； to that end acting freely and openlyin harangues to their assemblies, arguing the imprudence and madnessof the opposite course. they, fearing his power and authority, resolvedto deliver him in bonds to the carthaginians. nicias, detecting thedesign, and seeing that his person was secretly kept in watch, proceededto speak irreligiously to the vulgar of the mothers, and showed manysigns of disrespect, as if he denied and contemned the received opinionof the presence of those goddesses； his enemies the while rejoicingthat he, of his own accord, sought the destruction hanging over hishead. when they were just now about to lay hands upon him, an assemblywas held, and here nicias, making a speech to the people concerningsome affair then under deliberation, in the midst of his address,cast himself upon the ground； and soon after, while amazement （asusually happens on such surprising occasions） held the assembly immovable,raising and turning his head round, he began in a trembling and deeptone, but by degrees raised and sharpened his voice. when he saw thewhole theatre struck with horror and silence, throwing off his mantleand rending his tunic he leaps up half naked, and runs towards thedoor, crying out aloud that he was driven by the wrath of the mothers.when no man durst, out of religious fear, lay hands upon him or stophim, but all gave way before him, he ran out of the gate, not omittingany shriek or gesture of men possessed and mad. his wife, consciousof his counterfeiting, and privy to his design, taking her childrenwith her, first cast herself as a suppliant before the temple of thegoddesses； then, pretending to seek her wandering husband, no manhindering her, went out of the town in safety； and by this means theyall escaped to marcellus at syracuse. after many other such affrontsoffered him by the men of engyum, marcellus, having taken them allprisoners and cast them into bonds, was preparing to inflict uponthem the last punishment； when nicias, with tears in his eyes, addressedhimself to him. in fine, casting himself at marcellus's feet, anddeprecating for his citizens, he begged most earnestly their lives,chiefly those of his enemies. marcellus, relenting, set them all atliberty, and rewarded nicias with ample lands and rich presents. thishistory is recorded by posidonius the philosopher.
marcellus, at length recalled by the people of rome to the immediatewar at home, to illustrate his triumph, and adorn the city, carriedaway with him a great number of the most beautiful ornaments of syracuse.for, before that, rome neither had, nor had seen, any of those fineand exquisite rarities； nor was any pleasure taken in graceful andelegant pieces of workmanship. stuffed with barbarous arms and spoilsstained with blood, and everywhere crowned with triumphal memorialsand trophies, she was no pleasant or delightful spectacle for theeyes of peaceful or refined spectators； but, as epaminondas namedthe fields of boeotia the stage of mars； and xenophon called ephesusthe workhouse of war； so, in my judgment, may you call rome, at thattime （to use the words of pindar）, "the precinct of the peacelessmars." whence marcellus was more popular with the people in general,because he had adorned the city with beautiful objects that had allthe charms of grecian grace and symmetry； but fabius maximus, whoneither touched nor brought away anything of this kind from tarentum,when he had taken it, was more approved of by the elder men. he carriedoff the money and valuables, but forbade the statues to be moved；adding, as it is commonly related, "let us leave to the tarentinesthese offended gods." they blamed marcellus, first for placing thecity in an invidious position, as it seemed now to celebrate victoriesand lead processions of triumph, not only over men, but also overthe gods as captives； then, that he had diverted to idleness, andvain talk about curious arts and artificers, the common people, which,bred up in wars and agriculture, had never tasted of luxury and sloth,and, as euripides said of hercules, had been-
"rude, unrefined, only for great things good," so that now they misspentmuch of their time in examining and criticizing trifles. and yet,notwithstanding this reprimand, marcellus made it his glory to thegreeks themselves, that he had taught his ignorant countrymen to esteemand admire the elegant and wonderful productions of greece.
but when the envious opposed his being brought triumphant into thecity, because there were some relics of the war in sicily, and a thirdtriumph would be looked upon with jealousy, he gave way. he triumphedupon the alban mount, and thence entered the city in ovation, as itis called in latin, in greek eua； but in this ovation he was neithercarried in a chariot, nor crowned with laurel, nor ushered by trumpetssounding； but went afoot with shoes on, many flutes or pipes soundingin concert, while he passed along, wearing a garland of myrtle, ina peaceable aspect, exciting rather love and respect than fear. whencei am, by conjecture, led to think that, originally, the differenceobserved betwixt ovation and triumph did not depend upon the greatnessof the achievements, but the manner of performing them. for they who,having fought a set battle, and slain the enemy, returned victors,led that martial, terrible triumph, and, as the ordinary custom thenwas in lustrating the army, adorned the arms and the soldiers witha great deal of laurel. but they who without force, by colloquy, persuasion,and reasoning, had done the business, to these captains custom gavethe honour of the unmilitary and festive ovation. for the pipe isthe badge of peace, and myrtle the plant of venus, who more than therest of the gods and goddesses abhors force and war. it is calledovation, not as most think, from the greek euasmus, because they actit with shouting and cries of eua： for so do they also the propertriumphs. the greeks have wrested the word to their own language,thinking that this honour, also, must have some connection with bacchus,who in greek has the titles of euius and thriambus. but the thingis otherwise. for it was the custom for commanders, in their triumph,to immolate an ox, but in their ovation, a sheep： hence they namedit ovation, from the latin ovis. it is worth observing, how exactlyopposite the sacrifices appointed by the spartan legislator are tothose of the romans. for at lacedaemon, a captain, who had performedthe work he had undertook by cunning, or courteous treaty, on layingdown his command, immolated an ox； he that did the business by battle,offered a cock； the lacedaemonians, though most warlike, thinkingexploit performed by reason and wisdom to be more excellent and morecongruous to man, than one effected by mere force and courage. whichof the two is to be preferred i leave to the determination of others.
marcellus being the fourth time consul, his enemies suborned the syracusansto come to rome to accuse him, and to complain that they had sufferedindignities and wrongs, contrary to the conditions granted them. ithappened that marcellus was in the capitol offering sacrifice whenthe syracusans petitioned the senate, yet sitting, that they mighthave leave to accuse him and present their grievances. marcellus'scolleague, eager to protect him in his absence, put them out of thecourt. but marcellus himself came as soon as he heard of it. and first,in his curule chair as consul, he referred to the senate the cognizanceof other matters： but when these were transacted, rising from hisseat, he passed as a private man into the place where the accusedwere wont to make their defence, and gave free liberty to the syracusansto impeach him. but they, struck with consternation by his majestyand confidence, stood astonished； and the power of his presence now,in his robe of state, appeared far more terrible and severe than ithad done when he was arrayed in armour. yet, reanimated at lengthby marcellus's rivals, they began their impeachment, and made an orationin which pleas of justice mingled with lamentation and complaint；the sum of which was, that being allies and friends of the peopleof rome, they had, notwithstanding, suffered things which other commandershad abstained from inflicting upon enemies. to this marcellus answeredthat they had committed many acts of hostility against the peopleof rome, and had suffered nothing but what enemies conquered and capturedin war cannot possibly be protected from suffering： that it was theirown fault they had been made captives, because they refused to giveear to his frequent attempts to persuade them by gentle means： neitherwere they forced into war by the power of tyrants, but had ratherchosen the tyrants themselves for the express object that they mightmake war. the orations ended, and the syracusans, according to thecustom, having retired, marcellus left his colleague to ask the sentences,and, withdrawing with the syracusans, stayed expecting at the doorsof the senate-house； not in the least discomposed in spirit, eitherwith alarm at the accusation, or by anger against the syracusans；but with perfect calmness and serenity attending the issue of thecause. the sentences at length being all asked, and a decree of thesenate made in vindication of marcellus, the syracusans, with tearsflowing from their eyes, cast themselves at his knees, beseechinghim to forgive themselves there present, and to be moved by the miseryof the rest of their city, which would ever be mindful of, and gratefulfor, his benefits. thus marcellus, softened by their tears and distress,was not only reconciled to the deputies, but ever afterwards continuedto find opportunity of doing kindness to the syracusans. the libertywhich he had restored to them, and their rights, laws, and goods thatwere left, the senate confirmed. upon which account the syracusans,besides other signal honours, made a law, that if marcellus shouldat any time come into sicily, or any of his posterity, the syracusansshould wear garlands and offer public sacrifice to the gods.
after this he moved against hannibal. and whereas the other consulsand commanders, since the defeat received at cannae, had all madeuse of the same policy against hannibal, namely, to decline comingto a battle with him； and none had had the courage to encounter himin the field and put themselves to the decision by the sword； marcellusentered upon the opposite course, thinking that italy would be destroyedby the very delay by which they looked to wear out hannibal； and thatfabius, who, adhering to his cautious policy, waited to see the warextinguished, while rome itself meantime wasted away （like timid physicians,who, dreading to administer remedies, stay waiting, and believe thatwhat is the decay of the patient's strength is the decline of thedisease）, was not taking a right course to heal the sickness of hiscountry. and first, the great cities of the samnites, which had revolted,came into his power； in which he found a large quantity of corn andmoney, and three thousand of hannibal's soldiers, that were left forthe defence. after this, the proconsul cnaeus fulvius with eleventribunes of the soldiers being slain in apulia, and the greatest partof the army also at the same time cut off, he despatched letters torome, and bade the people be of good courage, for that he was nowupon the march against hannibal, to turn his triumph into sadness.on these letters being read, livy writes that the people were notonly not encouraged, but more discouraged than before. for danger,they thought, was but the greater in proportion as marcellus was ofmore value than fulvius. he, as he had written, advancing into theterritories of the lucanians, came up to him at numistro, and, theenemy keeping himself upon the hills, pitched his camp in a levelplain, and the next day drew forth his army in order for fight. nordid hannibal refuse the challenge. they fought long and obstinatelyon both sides, victory yet seeming undecided, when, after three hours'conflict, night hardly parted them. the next day, as soon as the sunwas risen, marcellus again brought forth his troops, and ranged themamong the dead bodies of the slain, challenging hannibal to solvethe question by another trial. when he dislodged and drew off, marcellus,gathering up the spoils of the enemies, and burying the bodies ofhis slain soldiers, closely followed him. and though hannibal oftenused stratagems, and laid ambushes to entrap marcellus, yet he nevercould circumvent him. by skirmishes, meantime, in all of which hewas superior, marcellus gained himself such high repute, that, whenthe time of the comitia at rome was near at hand, the senate thoughtfit rather to recall the other consul from sicily than to withdrawmarcellus from his conflict with hannibal； and on his arrival theybid him name quintus fulvius dictator. for the dictator is createdneither by the people nor by the senate, but the consul of the praetor,before the popular assembly, pronounces him to be dictator whom hehimself chooses. hence he is called dictator, dicere meaning to name.others say that he is named dictator because his word is a law, andhe orders what he pleases, without submitting it to the vote. forthe romans call the orders of magistrates edicts.
and now because marcellus's colleague, who was recalled from sicily,had a mind to name another man dictator, and would not be forced tochange his opinion, he sailed away by night back to sicily. so thecommon people made an order that quintus fulvius should be chosendictator： and the senate, by an express, commanded marcellus to nominatehim. he obeying proclaimed him dictator according to the order ofthe people； but the office of proconsul was continued to himself fora year. and having arranged with fabius maximus that, while he besiegedtarentum, he would, by following hannibal and drawing him up and down,detain him from coming to the relief of the tarentines, he overtookhim at canusium： and as hannibal often shifted his camp, and stilldeclined the combat, he everywhere sought to engage him. at last,pressing upon him while encamping, by light skirmishes he provokedhim to a battle； but night again divided them in the very heat ofthe conflict. the next day marcellus again showed himself in arms,and brought up his forces in array. hannibal, in extreme grief, calledhis carthaginians together to an harangue： and vehemently prayed themto fight to-day worthily of all their former success； "for you see,"said he, "how, after such great victories, we have not liberty torespire, nor to repose ourselves, though victors； unless we drivethis man back." then the two armies, joining battle, fought fiercely；when the event of an untimely movement showed marcellus to have beenguilty of an error. the right wing being hard pressed upon, he commandedone of the legions to be brought up to the front. this change disturbingthe array and posture of the legions gave the victory to the enemies；and there fell two thousand seven hundred romans. marcellus, afterhe 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 oneroman." to their entreaties for his pardon, he returned a refusalwhile they remained beaten, but promised to give it so soon as theyshould overcome； and he resolved to bring them into the field againthe next day, that the fame of their victory might arrive at romebefore that of their flight. dismissing the assembly, he commandedbarley instead of wheat to be given to those companies that had turnedtheir backs. these rebukes were so bitter to the soldiers, that thougha great number of them were grievously wounded, yet they relate therewas not one to whom the general's oration was not more painful andsmarting than his wounds.
the day breaking, a scarlet toga, the sign of instant battle, wasdisplayed. the companies marked with ignominy begged they might beposted in the foremost place, and obtained their request. then thetribunes bring forth the rest of the forces, and draw them up. onnews of which, "o strange！" said hannibal, "what will you do withthis man, who can bear neither good nor bad fortune？ he is the onlyman who neither suffers us to rest when he is victor, nor rests himselfwhen he is overcome. we shall have, it seems, perpetually to fightwith him； as in good success his confidence, and in ill success hisshame, still urges him to some further enterprise." then the armiesengaged. when the fight was doubtful, hannibal commanded the elephantsto be brought into the first battalion, and to be driven upon thevan of the romans. when the beasts, trampling upon many, soon causeddisorder, flavius, a tribune of soldiers, snatching an ensign, meetsthem, and wounding the first elephant with the spike at the bottomof the ensign staff, puts him to flight. the beast turned around uponthe 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 afierce impression, pursued the carthaginians home to their camp, whilethe elephants, wounded and running upon their own party, caused aconsiderable slaughter. it is said more than eight thousand were slain；of the roman army three thousand, and almost all wounded. this gavehannibal opportunity to retire in the silence of the night, and toremove to greater distance from marcellus； who was kept from pursuingby the number of his wounded men, and removed, by gentle marches,into campania, and spent the summer at sinuessa, engaged in restoringthem.
but as hannibal, having disentangled himself from marcellus, rangedwith his army round about the country, and wasted italy free fromall fear, at rome marcellus was evil spoken of. his detractors inducedpublicius bibulus, tribune of the people, an eloquent and violentman, to undertake his accusation. he, by assiduous harangues, prevailedupon 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 warmbaths to refresh himself." marcellus, on hearing this, appointed lieutenantsover his camp and hasted to rome to refute the charges against him：and there found ready drawn up an impeachment consisting of thesecalumnies. at the day prefixed, in the flaminian circus, into whichplace the people had assembled themselves, bibulus rose and accusedhim. marcellus himself answered, briefly and simply, but the firstand most approved men of the city spoke largely and in high terms,very freely advising the people not to show themselves worse judgesthan the enemy, condemning marcellus of timidity, from whom aloneof all their captains the enemy fled, and as perpetually endeavouredto avoid fighting with him as to fight with others. when they madean end of speaking, the accuser's hope to obtain judgment so far deceivedhim, that marcellus was not only absolved, but the fifth time createdconsul.
no sooner had he entered upon this consulate, but he suppressed agreat commotion in etruria, that had proceeded near to revolt, andvisited 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 templecould be lawfully dedicated to two gods, he began to adjoin anotherto it, resenting the priests' opposition, and almost converting thething into an omen. and, truly, many other prodigies also affrightedhim； some temples had been struck with lightning, and in jupiter'stemple mice had gnawed the gold： it was reported, also, that an oxhad 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 reconciliationhad not been obtained from the gods. the aruspices therefore detainedhim 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 washe to fight a battle with hannibal. it was the subject of his dreamsin the night, the topic of all his consultations with his friendsand familiars, nor did he present to the gods any other wish, butthat he might meet hannibal in the field. and i think that he wouldmost gladly have set upon him, with both armies environed within asingle camp. had he not been even loaded with honours, and had henot given proofs in many ways of his maturity of judgment and of prudenceequal to that of any commander, you might have said that he was agitatedby a youthful ambition, above what became a man of that age, for hehad passed the sixtieth year of his life when he began his fifth consulship.
the sacrifices having been offered, and all that belonged to the propitiationof the gods performed, according to the prescription of the diviners,he at last with his colleague went forth to carry on the war. he triedall possible means to provoke hannibal, who at that time had a standingcamp betwixt bantia and venusia. hannibal declined an engagement,but having obtained intelligence that some troops were on their wayto the town of locri epizephyrii, placing an ambush under the littlehill of petelia, he slew two thousand five hundred soldiers. thisincensed 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 therewere springs of water seen trickling down. this place was so fit andadvantageous that the romans wondered that hannibal, who had comethither before them, had not seized upon it, but had left it to theenemies. but to him the place had seemed commodious indeed for a camp,but yet more commodious for an ambuscade； and to that use he choseto put it. so in the wood and the hollows he hid a number of archersand spearmen, confident that the commodiousness of the place wouldallure the romans. nor was he deceived in his expectation. for presentlyin the roman camp they talked and disputed, as if they had all beencaptains, how the place ought to be seized, and what great advantagethey should thereby gain upon the enemies, chiefly if they transferredtheir camp thither, at any rate, if they strengthened the place witha fort. marcellus resolved to go, with a few horse, to view it. havingcalled a diviner he proceeded to sacrifice. in the first victim thearuspex showed him the liver without a head； in the second the headappeared of unusual size, and all the other indications highly promising.when these seemed sufficient to free them from the dread of the former,the diviners declared that they were all the more terrified by thelatter； because entrails too fair and promising, when they appearafter others that are maimed and monstrous, render the change doubtfuland suspicious. but-
"nor fire nor brazen wall can keep out fate；" as pindar observes.marcellus, therefore, taking with him his colleague crispinus, andhis son, a tribune of soldiers, with two hundred and twenty horseat most （among whom there was not one roman, but all were etruscans,except forty fregellans, of whose courage and fidelity he had on alloccasions received full proof）, goes to view the place. the hill wascovered with woods all over； on the top of it sat a scout concealedfrom the sight of the enemy, but having the roman camp exposed tohis view. upon signs received from him, the men that were placed inambush stirred not till marcellus came near； and then all startingup in an instant, and encompassing him from all sides, attacked himwith darts, struck about and wounded the backs of those that fled,and pressed upon those who resisted. these were the forty fregellans.for though the etruscans fled in the very beginning of the fight,the fregellans formed themselves into a ring, bravely defending theconsuls, till crispinus, struck with two darts, turned his horse tofly away； and marcellus's side was run through with a lance with abroad head. then the fregellans, also, the few that remained alive,leaving the fallen consul, and rescuing young marcellus, who alsowas wounded, got into the camp by flight. there were slain not muchabove forty； five lictors and eighteen horsemen came alive into theenemy's hands. crispinus also died of his wounds a few days after.such a disaster as the loss of both consuls in a single engagementwas one that had never before befallen the romans.
hannibal, little valuing the other events, as soon as he was toldof marcellus's death, immediately hasted to the hill. viewing thebody, and continuing for some time to observe its strength and shape,he allowed not a word to fall from him expressive of the least prideor arrogancy, nor did he show in his countenance any sign of gladness,as another perhaps would have done, when his fierce and troublesomeenemy had been taken away； but amazed by so sudden and unexpectedan end, taking off nothing but his ring, gave order to have the bodyproperly clad and adorned and honourably burned. the relics put intoa silver urn, with a crown of gold to cover it, he sent back to hisson. but some of the numidians, setting upon these that were carryingthe urn, took it from them by force, and cast away the bones； whichbeing told to hannibal, "it is impossible, it seems then," he said,"to do anything against the will of god！" he punished the numidians；but took no further care of sending or re-collecting the bones； conceivingthat marcellus so fell, and so lay unburied, by a certain fate. socornelius nepos and vaerius maximus have left upon record： but livyand augustus caesar affirm that the urn was brought to his son, andhonoured with a magnificent funeral. besides the monuments raisedfor him at rome, there was dedicated to his memory at catana, in sicily,an ample wrestling place called after him； statues and pictures, outof those he took from syracuse, were set up in samothrace, in thetemple of the gods, named cabiri, and in that of minerva at lindus,where also there was a statue of him, says posidonius, with the followinginscription：-
"this was, o stranger, once rome's star divine, claudius marcellus of an ancient line； to fight her wars seven times her consul made, low in the dust her enemies he laid." the writer of the inscriptionhas added to marcellus's five consulates his two proconsulates. hisprogeny continued in high honour even down to marcellus, son of octavia,sister of augustus, whom she bore to her husband caius marcellus；and who died a bridegroom, in the year of his aedileship, having notlong before married caesar's daughter. his mother, octavia, dedicatedthe library to his honour and memory, and caesar the theatre whichbears his name.
the end