Complete Works of Silius Italicus by Silius Italicus

Author:Silius Italicus [Italicus, Silius]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Classic literature and art
Publisher: Delphi Classics
Published: 2015-12-18T23:00:00+00:00

BOOK XVI

ARGUMENT

HANNIBAL MOVES ABOUT IN THE BRUTTIAN COUNTRY (1-22). THE CARTHAGINIANS ARE DRIVEN OUT OF SPAIN: MAGO IS DEFEATED AND FLEES TO CARTHAGE (25, 26). HANNO IS TAKEN PRISONER BY SCIPIO (28-77). THE ARMY OF HASDRUBAL, SON OF GISGO, IS DESTROYED (78-114). MASINISSA, A NUMIDIAN PRINCE, JOINS SCIPIO (115-167). SCIPIO AND HASDRUBAL AT THE COURT OF SYPHAX, A NUMIDIAN KING: SYPHAX MAKES A TREATY WITH THE ROMANS; BUT EVIL OMENS FOLLOW (168-274). SCIPIO RETURNS TO SPAIN AND HOLDS GAMES IN HONOUR OF HIS FATHER AND UNCLE (275-591). HE RETURNS TO ROME AND IS ELECTED CONSUL: IN SPITE OF THE OPPOSITION OF FABIUS, HE GETS PERMISSION TO CROSS OVER TO AFRICA (592-700).

MOURNING over the disaster that had befallen his country and himself, Hannibal retired to the land of the Bruttii. Here, behind his ramparts, he nursed plans for renewing the war which for the time he had abandoned. So a bull, when driven from his stall and deprived of his mastery over the herd, hides in the forest and prepares for conflict in a secret distant glade: his fierce bellowing terrifies the woods; he rushes on over steep hills; he knocks down trees and assaults the rocks with the fury of his angry horns; and every herdsman trembles, when from some high cliff he sees him preparing to renew the strife. Hannibal’s fiery spirit might have destroyed Rome, if the other requirements of war had been forthcoming; but he was thwarted by the perverse jealousy of his own countrymen. Supplies were refused to him, and he was forced to tame his proud spirit and let it rust in idleness. Yet his valour had gained him respect, and the dread inspired by repeated bloody victories in the past kept him safe from all attacks, like a sacred thing. The name of Hannibal was enough: it took the place of all weapons and camp-equipment and fresh recruits. That great army, of men with no common language and divided by so many differences of barbaric custom, stood firm; and respect for their leader kept them loyal in defeat.

Nor was it only in Italy that the god of war smiled upon the Romans. The Carthaginians were driven at last from the land of gold and departed from Spanish territory; Mago too, deprived of his camp and driven by fear, sailed swiftly across the sea to Libya.

Now once again Fortune, not content with what she had done for him already, was preparing another triumph for Scipio. For Hanno was hastening up at the head of a horde of barbarians with clashing targets, and was hurrying forward, when it was too late, the native Iberians. He had skill and cunning and valour enough, had his opponent been any other than Scipio. But the Roman general dwarfed all these great qualities by his greater force, as the stars are excelled by the moon and the moon by her brother’s light; as Atlas is the monarch of mountains and the Nile of rivers; as Father Ocean is superior to all the seas.

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