Livy, History of Rome1 Livy (Titus Livius; 59 BCE-17CE) Was Born In
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Livy, History of Rome1 22.2 … [That spring] information reached Hannibal that [the Roman Livy (Titus Livius; 59 BCE-17CE) was born in Padua, Italy, and consul and general] Flaminius had arrived at Arretium, and he at once lived during the reign of Augustus. Almost all we know of him is that he broke up his winter quarters. wrote a massive History of Rome from Its Foundation that was published 2 There were two routes into Etruria, both of which were pointed out in his lifetime and is one of the major sources for Roman history. During the Second Punic War (218-202 BCE), the Carthaginian to Hannibal; one was considerably longer than the other but a much general Hannibal marched his army from Spain across the Pyrenees and better road, the shorter route, which he decided to take, passed through Alps and onto the Italian peninsula, beating the Roman army a number the marshes of the Arno, which was at the time in higher flood than of times.3 [Lake Trasimene] usual. He ordered the Spaniards and Africans, the main strength of his 22.1 Spring was now coming on; Hannibal accordingly moved out of veteran army, to lead, and they were to take their own baggage with his winter quarters. His previous attempt to cross the Apennines had been them, so that, in case of a halt, they might have the necessary supplies; 4 frustrated by the insupportable cold; to remain where he was would have the Gauls were to follow so as to form the centre of the column; the been to court danger. The Gauls had rallied to him through the prospect cavalry were to march last, and Mago and his Numidian light horse were of booty and spoil, but when they found that instead of plundering other to close up the column, mainly to keep the Gauls up to the mark in case people’s territory their own had become the seat of war and had to bear they fell out or came to a halt through the fatigue and exertion of so long the burden of furnishing winter quarters for both sides, they diverted a march, for as a nation they were unable to stand that kind of thing. their hatred from the Romans to Hannibal. Plots against his life were Those in front followed wherever the guides led the way, through the frequently hatched by their chiefs, and he owed his safety to their mutual deep and almost bottomless pools of water, and though almost sucked in faithlessness, for they betrayed the plots to him in the same spirit of by the mud through which they were half-wading, half-swimming, still fickleness in which they had formed them. He guarded himself from their kept their ranks. The Gauls could neither recover themselves when they attempts by assuming different disguises, at one time wearing a different slipped nor when once down had they the strength to struggle out of the dress, at another putting on false hair. But these constant alarms were an pools; depressed and hopeless they had no spirits left to keep up their additional motive for his early departure from his winter quarters. bodily powers. Some dragged their worn-out limbs painfully along, others gave up the struggle and lay dying amongst the baggage animals 1 Titus Livius, The History of Rome, Vol. III, ed. Ernest Rhys, transl. Rev. Canon which were lying about in all directions. What distressed them most of Roberts (London: J.M. Dent and Sons, 1912); Digital version prepared for the University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center: all was want of sleep, from which they had been suffering for four days http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/Liv3His.html Accessed 5/16/11. 2 Adapted from http://www.livius.org/li-ln/livy/livy.htm. 3 Introduction from http://www.ancient.eu/Punic_Wars/ 4 Germanic tribesmen in present-day France. Livy 1 and three nights. As everything was covered with water and they had not successes he had achieved both at home and in the field. It was perfectly a dry spot on which to lay their wearied bodies, they piled up the obvious that he would not seek counsel from either god or man, and baggage in the water and lay on the top, whilst some snatched a few whatever he did would be done in an impetuous and headstrong manner. minutes’ needful rest by making couches of the heaps of baggage By way of making him show these faults of character still more animals which were everywhere standing out of the water. Hannibal flagrantly, the Carthaginian prepared to irritate and annoy him. He left himself, whose eyes were affected by the changeable and inclement the Roman camp on his left, and marched in the direction of Faesulae to spring weather, rode upon the only surviving elephant so that he might plunder the central districts of Etruria. Within actual view of the consul be a little higher above the water. Owing, however, to want of sleep and he created as widespread a devastation as he possibly could, and from the the night mists and the malaria from the marshes, his head became Roman camp they saw in the distance an extensive scene of fire and affected, and as neither place nor time admitted of any proper treatment, massacre. he completely lost the sight of one eye. Flaminius had no intention of keeping quiet even if the enemy had 22.3 After losing many men and beasts under these frightful done so, but now that he saw the possessions of the allies of Rome circumstances, he at last got clear of the marshes, and as soon as he could plundered and pillaged almost before his very eyes, he felt it to be a find some dry ground he pitched his camp. The scouting parties he had personal disgrace that an enemy should be roaming at will through Italy sent out reported that the Roman army was lying in the neighbourhood of and advancing to attack Rome with none to hinder him. All the other Arretium. His next step was to investigate as carefully as he possibly members of the council of war were in favour of a policy of safety rather could all that it was material for him to know-what mood the consul was than of display; they urged him to wait for his colleague, that they might in, what designs he was forming, what the character of the country and unite their forces and act with one mind on a common plan, and pending the kind of roads it possessed, and what resources it offered for the his arrival they should check the wild excesses of the plundering enemy obtaining of supplies. The district was amongst the most fertile in Italy; with cavalry and the light-armed auxiliaries. Enraged at these the plains of Etruria, which extend from Faesulae to Arretium, are rich in suggestions he dashed out of the council and ordered the trumpets to give corn and live stock and every kind of produce. The consul’s [Flaminius’] the signal for march and battle; exclaiming at the same time: “We are to overbearing temper, which had grown steadily worse since his last sit, I suppose, before the walls of Arretium, because our country and our consulship, made him lose all proper respect and reverence even for the household gods are here. Now that Hannibal has slipped through our gods, to say nothing of the majesty of the Senate and the laws, and this hands, he is to ravage Italy, destroy and burn everything in his way till he self-willed and obstinate side of his character had been aggravated by the reaches Rome…” During this outburst, he ordered the standards to be Livy 2 pulled up with all speed and at the same time mounted his horse. No the lake, and the hills. Flaminius had reached the lake at sunset. The next sooner had he done so than the animal stumbled and fell and threw him morning, in a still uncertain light, he passed through the defile, without over its head All those who were standing round were appalled by what sending any scouts on to feel the way, and when the column began to they took to be an evil omen at the beginning of a campaign, and their deploy in the wider extent of level ground the only enemy they saw was alarm was considerably increased by a message brought to the consul the one in front, the rest were concealed in their rear and above their that the standard could not be moved though the standard-bearer had heads. When the Carthaginian saw his object achieved and had his exerted his utmost strength…Then the column began its march. The enemy shut in between the lake and the hills with his forces surrounding superior officers, besides being absolutely opposed to his plans, were them, he gave the signal for all to make a simultaneous attack, and they thoroughly alarmed by the double portent, but the great body of the charged straight down upon the point nearest to them. The affair was all soldiers were delighted at the spirit their general had shown; they shared the more sudden and unexpected to the Romans because a fog which had his confidence without knowing on what slender grounds it rested. risen from the lake was denser on the plain than on the heights; the 22.4 In order still further to exasperate his enemy and make him bodies of the enemy on the various hills could see each other well eager to avenge the injuries inflicted on the allies of Rome, Hannibal laid enough, and it was all the easier for them to charge all at the same time.