by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER XVIII: CANNAE
As the elephant tore down the road to the town many were the narrowescapes that, as they thought, those coming up had of being crushed orthrown into the air by the angry beast. Some threw themselves on theirfaces, others got over the parapet and hung by their hands until hehad passed, while some squeezed themselves against the wall; but theelephant passed on without doing harm to any.
On reaching the foot of the descent the mahout guided the animal to theleft, and, avoiding the busy streets of the town, directed its coursetowards the more quiet roads of the opulent quarter of Megara. The criesof the people at the approach of the elephant preceded its course, andall took refuge in gardens or houses. The latter became less andless frequent, until, at a distance of two miles from the foot of thecitadel, the mahout, on looking round, perceived no one in sight. Hebrought the elephant suddenly to a standstill.
"Quick, my lord," he exclaimed, "now is the time."
Malchus threw off the sack, climbed out of the howdah, and slipped downby the elephant's tail, the usual plan for dismounting when an elephantis on its feet. Then he sprang across the road, leaped into a garden,and hid himself among some bushes. The mahout now turned the elephant,and, as if he had succeeded at last in subduing it, slowly retraced hissteps towards the citadel.
A minute or two later Malchus issued out and quietly followed it. Hehad gone some distance when he saw an Arab approaching him, and soonrecognized Nessus. They turned off together from the main road and madetheir way by bystreets until they reached the lower city. At a spot nearthe port they found one of the Arabs from above awaiting them, and heat once led the way to the house inhabited by his family. The scheme hadbeen entirely successful. Malchus had escaped from the citadel withoutthe possibility of a suspicion arising that he had issued fromits gates, and in his Arab garb he could now traverse the streetsunsuspected.
Nessus was overjoyed at the success of the stratagem, and Malchushimself could hardly believe that he had escaped from the terribledanger which threatened him. Nessus and the Arab at once returned to thecitadel. It was agreed that the former had better continue his work asusual until the evening, and then ask for his discharge on the plea thathe had received a message requiring his presence in his native village,for it was thought that suspicion might be excited were he to leavesuddenly without drawing his pay, and possibly a search might beinstituted in the city to discover his whereabouts.
At nightfall he returned, and then went to the house of one of theleaders of the Barcine party with a message from Malchus to tell himwhere he was, and the events which had occurred since his landing atCarthage, and asking him to receive him privately in two hours' time, inorder that he might consult him as to the best plan to be followed.
Nessus returned saying that Manon was at home and was awaiting him, andthe two at once set out for his house. Manon, who was a distant relationof Malchus, received him most warmly, and listened in astonishment tohis story of what had befallen him. Malchus then explained the missionwith which Hannibal had charged him, and asked his advice as to the bestcourse to be adopted. Manon was silent for a time.
"Hanno's faction is all powerful at present," he said, "and wereHannibal himself here I doubt whether his voice could stir the senateinto taking action such as is needed. The times have been hard, andHanno and his party have lavished money so freely among the lowerclasses that there is no hope of stirring the populace up to declareagainst him. I think it would be in the highest degree dangerouswere we, as you propose, to introduce you suddenly to the senate asHannibal's ambassador to them, and leave you to plead his cause. Youwould obtain no hearing. Hanno would rise in his place and denounce youas one already condemned by the tribunals as an enemy to the republic,and would demand your instant execution, and, as he has a great majorityof votes in the senate, his demand would be complied with. You would,I am convinced, throw away your life for no good purpose, while yourpresence and your mysterious escape from prison would be made thepretense for a fresh series of persecutions of our partisans. Iunderstand as well as you do the urgency for reinforcements being sentto Italy; but in order to do this the navy, now rotting in our harbours,must be repaired, the command of the sea must be regained, and freshlevies of troops made.
"To ask Carthage to make these sacrifices in her present mood ishopeless; we must await an opportunity. I and my friends will preparethe way, will set our agents to work among the people, and when thenews of another victory arrives and the people's hopes are aroused andexcited, we will strike while the iron is hot, and call upon them tomake one great effort to bring the struggle to a conclusion and tofinish with Rome forever.
"Such is, in my opinion, the only possible mode of proceeding. Tomove now would be to ensure a rejection of our demands, to bring freshpersecutions upon us, and so to weaken us that we should be powerlessto turn to good account the opportunity which the news of another greatvictory would afford. I will write at once to Hannibal and explainall the circumstances of the situation, and will tell him why I havecounselled you to avoid carrying out his instructions, seeing that todo so now would be to ensure your own destruction and greatly damage ourcause.
"In the meantime you must, for a short time, remain in concealment,while I arrange for a ship to carry you back to Italy."
"The sooner the better," Malchus said bitterly, "for Carthage with itshideous tyranny, its foul corruption, its forgetfulness of its glory,its honour, and even its safety, is utterly hateful to me. I trust thatnever again shall I set foot within its walls. Better a thousand timesto die in a battlefield than to live in this accursed city."
"It is natural that you should be indignant," Manon said, "for the youngblood runs hotly in your veins, and your rage at seeing the fate whichis too certainly impending over Carthage, and which you are powerlessto prevent, is in no way to be blamed. We old men bow more resignedly tothe decrees of the gods. You know the saying, 'Those whom the gods woulddestroy they first strike with madness.' Carthage is such. She seesunmoved the heroic efforts which Hannibal and his army are making tosave her, and she will not stretch out a hand to aid him. She livescontentedly under the constant tyranny of Hanno's rule, satisfied tobe wealthy, luxurious, and slothful, to carry on her trade, to keep herriches, caring nothing for the manly virtues, indifferent to valour,preparing herself slowly and surely to fall an easy prey to Rome.
"The end probably will not come in my time, it may come in yours, butcome it certainly and surely will. A nation which can place a merehandful of its own citizens in the line of battle voluntarily doomsherself to destruction."
"Whether it comes in my time or not," Malchus said, "I will be no sharerin the fate of Carthage. I have done with her; and if I do not fall inthe battlefield I will, when the war is over, seek a refuge among theGauls, where, if the life is rough, it is at least free and independent,where courage and manliness and honour count for much, and where theenervating influence of wealth is as yet unknown. Such is my firmresolution."
"I say nothing to dissuade you, Malchus," the old man replied, "such arethe natural sentiments of your age; and methinks, were my own time tocome over again, I too would choose such a life in preference to anexistence in the polluted atmosphere of ungrateful Carthage. And now,will you stop here with me, or will you return to the place where youare staying? I need not say how gladly I would have you here, butI cannot answer certainly for your safety. Every movement of thosebelonging to our party is watched by Hanno, and I doubt not that he hashis spies among my slaves and servants.
"Therefore deem me not inhospitable if I say that it were better for youto remain in hiding where you are. Let your follower come nightly to mefor instructions; let him enter the gate and remain in the garden nearit. I will come down and see him; his visits, were they known, wouldexcite suspicion. Bid him on his return watch closely to see that he isnot followed, and tell him to go by devious windings and to mix in thethickest crowds in order to throw any one who may be following off histrack before he rejoins you. I t
rust to be able to arrange for a shipin the course of three or four days. Come again and see me before youleave. Here is a bag of gold; you will need it to reward those who haveassisted in your escape."
Malchus at once agreed that it would be better for him to return to hisabode among the Arabs, and thanking Manon for his kindness he returnedwith Nessus, who had been waiting without.
As they walked along Malchus briefly related to his follower thesubstance of his interview with Manon. Suddenly Nessus stopped andlistened, and then resumed his walk.
"I think we are followed, my lord," he said, "one of Hanno's spies inManon's household is no doubt seeking to discover who are the Arabs whohave paid his master a visit. I have thought once before that I hearda footfall, now l am sure of it. When we get to the next turning do youwalk on and I will turn down the road. If the man behind us be honesthe will go straight on; if he be a spy, he will hesitate and stop at thecorner to decide which of us he shall follow; then I shall know what todo."
Accordingly at the next crossroad they came to Nessus turned down andconcealed himself a few paces away, while Malchus, without pausing,walked straight on. A minute later Nessus saw a dark figure comestealthily along. He stopped at the junction of the roads and stood fora few seconds in hesitation, then he followed Malchus.
Nessus issued from his hiding place, and, with steps as silent andstealthy as those of a tiger tracking his prey, followed the man. Whenwithin a few paces of him he gave a sudden spring and flung himself uponhim, burying his knife between his shoulders. Without a sound theman fell forward on his face. Nessus coolly wiped his knife uponthe garments of the spy, and then proceeded at a rapid pace until heovertook Malchus.
"It was a spy," he said, "but he will carry no more tales to Hanno."
Two days later, Nessus, on his return from his visit to Manon, broughtnews that the latter had arranged with the captain of a ship owned bya friend to carry them across to Corinth, whence they would have nodifficulty in taking a passage to Italy. They were to go on board latethe following night, and the ship would set sail at daybreak.
The next evening Malchus accompanied by Nessus paid a farewell visit toManon, and repeated to him all the instructions of Hannibal, and Manonhanded him his letter for the general, and again assured him that hewould, with his friends, at once set to work to pave the way for anappeal to the populace at the first favourable opportunity.
After bidding farewell to the old noble, Malchus returned to the houseof the Arab and prepared for his departure. He had already handsomelyrewarded the two men and the mahout for the services they had renderedhim. In the course of the day he had provided himself with the garmentsof a trader, the character which he was now about to assume.
At midnight, when all was quiet, he and Nessus set out and made theirway down to the port, where, at a little frequented landing stage, aboat was awaiting them, and they were at once rowed to the ship, whichwas lying at anchor half a mile from the shore in readiness for an earlystart in the morning.
Although it seemed next to impossible that they could have been traced,Malchus walked the deck restlessly until the morning, listening to everysound, and it was not until the anchor was weighed, the sails hoisted,and the vessel began to draw away from Carthage that he went into hiscabin. On the sixth day after leaving Carthage the ship entered the portof Corinth.
There were several vessels there from Italian ports, but beforeproceeding to arrange for a passage Malchus went to a shop and bought,for himself and Nessus, such clothing and arms as would enable them topass without difficulty as fighting men belonging to one of the Latintribes. Then he made inquiries on the quay, and, finding that a smallItalian craft was to start that afternoon for Brundusium, he went onboard and accosted the captain.
"We want to cross to Italy," he said, "but we have our reasons for notwishing to land at Brundusium, and would fain be put ashore at somedistance from the town. We are ready, of course, to pay extra for thetrouble."
The request did not seem strange to the captain. Malchus had spoken inGreek, the language with which all who traded on the Mediterranean werefamiliar. He supposed that they had in some way embroiled themselveswith the authorities at Brundusium, and had fled for awhile until thematter blew over, and that they were now anxious to return to theirhomes without passing through the town. He asked rather a high price forputting them ashore in a boat as they wished, and Malchus haggled overthe sum for a considerable time, as a readiness to pay an exorbitantprice might have given rise to doubts in the captain's mind as to thequality of his passengers. Once or twice he made as if he would goashore, and the captain at last abated his demands to a reasonable sum.
When this was settled Malchus went no more ashore, but remained on boarduntil the vessel sailed, as he feared that he might again be recognizedby some of the sailors of the Carthaginian vessels in port. The weatherwas fair and the wind light, and on the second day after sailingthe vessel lay to in a bay a few miles from Brundusium. The boat waslowered, and Malchus and his companions set on shore.
They had before embarking laid in a store of provisions not only fora voyage, but for their journey across the country, as the slightknowledge which Malchus had of the Latin tongue would have betrayed himat once were he obliged to enter a town or village to purchase food.Carrying the provisions in bundles they made for the mountains, andafter three days' journey reached without interruption or adventurethe camp of Hannibal. He was still lying in his intrenched camp nearGeronium. The Roman army was as before watching him at a short distanceoff.
Malchus at once sought the tent of the general, whose surprise at seeinghim enter was great, for he had not expected that he would return untilthe spring. Malchus gave him an account of all that had taken placesince he left him. Hannibal was indignant in the extreme at Hanno havingventured to arrest and condemn his ambassador. When he learned theresult of the interview with Manon, and heard how completely the hostilefaction were the masters of Carthage, he agreed that the counsels ofthe old nobleman were wise, and that Malchus could have done no good,whereas he would have exposed himself to almost certain death, byendeavouring further to carry out the mission with which he had beencharged.
"Manon knows what is best, and, no doubt, a premature attempt to excitethe populace to force Hanno into sending the reinforcements we so muchneed would have not only failed, but would have injured our cause. Heand his friends will doubtless work quietly to prepare the public mind,and I trust that ere very long some decisive victory will give them theopportunity for exciting a great demonstration on our behalf."
The remainder of the winter passed quietly. Malchus resumed his post asthe commander of Hannibal's bodyguard, but his duties were very light.The greater part of his time was spent in accompanying Hannibal in hisvisits to the camps of the soldiers, where nothing was left undone whichcould add to the comfort and contentment of the troops. There is nostronger evidence of the popularity of Hannibal and of the influencewhich he exercised over his troops than the fact that the army underhim, composed, as it was, of men of so many nationalities, for the mostpart originally compelled against their will to enter the serviceof Carthage, maintained their discipline unshaken, not only by thehardships and sacrifices of the campaigns, but through the long periodsof enforced idleness in their winter quarters.
From first to last, through the long war, there was neither grumbling,nor discontent, nor insubordination among the troops. They servedwillingly and cheerfully. They had absolute confidence in their general,and were willing to undertake the most tremendous labours and to engagein the most arduous conflicts to please him, knowing that he, on hispart, was unwearied in promoting their comfort and well being at allother times.
As the spring advanced the great magazines which Hannibal had broughtwith him became nearly exhausted, and no provisions could be obtainedfrom the surrounding country, which had been completely ruined by thelong presence of the two armies. It became, therefore, necessary to movefrom the position which he had occupied during the wint
er. The Romanspossessed the great advantage over him of having magazines in their rearconstantly replenished by their allies, and move where they might, theywere sure of obtaining subsistence without difficulty. Thus, uponthe march, they were unembarrassed by the necessity of taking a greatbaggage train with them, and, when halted, their general could keephis army together in readiness to strike a blow whenever an opportunityoffered; while Hannibal, on the other hand, was forced to scatter aconsiderable portion of the army in search of provisions.
The annual elections at Rome had just taken place, and Terentius Varroand Emilius Paulus had been chosen consuls. Emilius belonged to thearistocratic party, and had given proof of military ability threeyears before when he had commanded as consul in the Illyrian war. Varrobelonged to the popular party, and is described by the historians ofthe period as a coarse and brutal demagogue, the son of a butcher, andhaving himself been a butcher. But he was unquestionably an able man,and possessed some great qualities. The praetor Marcellus, who had slaina Gaulish king with his own hand in the last Gaulish war, was at Ostiawith a legion. He was destined to command the fleet and to guard thesouthern coasts of Italy, while another praetor, Lucius Postumius, withone legion, was in Cisalpine Gaul keeping down the tribes friendly toCarthage.
But before the new consuls arrived to take the command of the armyHannibal had moved from Geronium.
The great Roman magazine of Apulia was at Cannae, a town near the riverAulidus. This important place was but fifty miles by the shortest routeacross the plain from Geronium; but the Romans were unable to followdirectly across the plain, for at this time the Carthaginians greatlyoutnumbered them in cavalry, and they would, therefore, have to takethe road round the foot of the mountains, which was nearly seventy mileslong; and yet, by some unaccountable blunder, they neglected to place asufficient guard over their great magazines at Cannae to defend them foreven a few days against a sudden attack.
Hannibal saw the opportunity, and when spring was passing into summerbroke up his camp and marched straight to Cannae, where the vastmagazines of the Romans at once fell into his hands. He thus not onlyobtained possession of his enemy's supplies, but interposed between theRomans and the low lying district of Southern Apulia, where alone, at,this early season of the year, the corn was fully ripe.
The Romans had now no choice but to advance and fight a battle for therecovery of their magazines, for, had they retired, the Apulians, whohad already suffered terribly from the war, would, in sheer despair,have been forced to declare for Carthage, while it would have beenextremely difficult to continue any longer the waiting tactics ofFabius, as they would now have been obliged to draw their provisionsfrom a distance, while Hannibal could victual his army from the countrybehind him. The senate therefore, having largely reinforced the army,ordered the consuls to advance and give battle.
They had under them eight full legions, or eighty thousand infantry andseven thousand two hundred cavalry. To oppose these Hannibal had fortythousand infantry and ten thousand excellent cavalry, of whomtwo thousand were Numidians. On the second day after leaving theneighbourhood of Geronium the Romans encamped at a distance of six milesfrom the Carthaginians. Here the usual difference of opinion at oncearose between the Roman consuls, who commanded the army on alternatedays. Varro wished to march against the enemy without delay, whileEmilius was adverse to risking an engagement in a country which, beinglevel and open, was favourable to the action of Hannibal's superiorcavalry.
On the following day Varro, whose turn it was to command, marchedtowards the hostile camp. Hannibal attacked the Roman advanced guardwith his cavalry and light infantry, but Varro had supported his cavalrynot only by his light troops, but by a strong body of his heavy armedinfantry, and after an engagement, which lasted for several hours, herepulsed the Carthaginians with considerable loss.
That evening the Roman army encamped about three miles from Cannae,on the right bank of the Aufidus. The next morning Emilius, who was incommand, detached a third of his force across the river, and encampedthem there for the purpose of supporting the Roman foraging parties onthat side and of interrupting those of the Carthaginians.
The next day passed quietly, but on the following morning Hannibalquitted his camp and formed his army in order of battle to tempt theRomans to attack; but Emilius, sensible that the ground was against him,would not move, but contented himself with further strengthening hiscamps. Hannibal, seeing that the Romans would not fight, detached hisNumidian cavalry across the river to cut off the Roman foraging partiesand to surround and harass their smaller camp on that side of theriver. On the following morning Hannibal, knowing that Varro would bein command, and feeling sure that, with his impetuous disposition, theconsul would be burning to avenge the insult offered by the surroundingof his camp by the Numidians, moved his army across the river, andformed it in order of battle, leaving eight thousand of his men to guardhis camp.
By thus doing he obtained a position which he could the better holdwith his inferior forces, while the Romans, deeming that he intendedto attack their camp on that side of the river, would be likely to movetheir whole army across and to give battle. This in fact Varro proceededto do. Leaving ten thousand men in his own camp with orders to march outand attack that of Hannibal during the engagement, he led the rest ofhis troops over the river, and having united his force with that inthe camp on the right bank, marched down the river until he faced theposition which Hannibal had taken up.
This had been skillfully chosen. The river, whose general course waseast and west, made a loop, and across this Hannibal had drawn up hisarmy with both wings resting upon the river. Thus the Romans couldnot outflank him, and the effect of their vastly superior numbers ininfantry would to some extent be neutralized. The following was thedisposition of his troops.
The Spaniards and Gauls occupied the centre of the line of infantry. TheAfricans formed the two wings. On his left flank between the Africansand the river he placed his heavy African and Gaulish horse, eightthousand strong, while the two thousand Numidians were posted betweenthe infantry and the river on the right flank. Hannibal commanded thecentre of the army in person, Hanno the right wing, Hasdrubal the leftwing; Maharbal commanded the cavalry.
Varro placed his infantry in close and heavy order, so as to reducetheir front to that of the Carthaginians. The Roman cavalry, numberingtwo thousand four hundred men, was on his right wing, and was thusopposed to Hannibal's heavy cavalry, eight thousand strong. The cavalryof the Italian allies, four thousand eight hundred strong, was on theleft wing facing the Numidians.
Emilius commanded the Roman right, Varro the left. The Carthaginiansfaced north, so that the wind, which was blowing strongly from thesouth, swept clouds of dust over their heads full into the faces of theenemy. The battle was commenced by the light troops on both sides,who fought for some time obstinately and courageously, but without anyadvantage to either. While this contest was going on, Hannibal advancedhis centre so as to form a salient angle projecting in front of hisline. The whole of the Gauls and Spaniards took part in this movement,while the Africans remained stationary; at the same time he launched hisheavy cavalry against the Roman horse.
The latter were instantly overthrown, and were driven from the fieldwith great slaughter. Emilius himself was wounded, but managed to jointhe infantry. While the Carthaginian heavy horse were thus defeatingthe Roman cavalry, the Numidians maneuvered near the greatly superiorcavalry of the Italian allies, and kept them occupied until the heavyhorse, after destroying the Roman cavalry, swept round behind theirinfantry and fell upon the rear of the Italian horse, while theNumidians charged them fiercely in front.
Thus caught in a trap the Italian horse were completely annihilated, andso, before the heavy infantry of the two armies met each other, not aRoman cavalry soldier remained alive and unwounded on the field.
The Roman infantry now advanced to the charge, and from the nature ofHannibal's formation their centre first came in contact with the head ofthe salient angle formed by
the Gauls and Spaniards. These resisted withgreat obstinacy. The principes, who formed the second line of the Romaninfantry, came forward and joined the spearmen, and even the triariipressed forward and joined in the fight. Fighting with extreme obstinacythe Carthaginian centre was forced gradually back until they were againin a line with the Africans on their flanks.
The Romans had insensibly pressed in from both flanks upon the pointwhere they had met with resistance, and now occupied a face scarcelymore than half that with which they had begun the battle. Still furtherthe Gauls and Spaniards were driven back until they now formed an anglein rear of the original line, and in this angle the whole of the Romaninfantry in a confused mass pressed upon them. This was the moment forwhich Hannibal had waited. He wheeled round both his flanks, and theAfricans, who had hitherto not struck a blow, now fell in perfect orderupon the flanks of the Roman mass, while Hasdrubal with his victoriouscavalry charged down like a torrent upon their rear. Then followed aslaughter unequalled in the records of history. Unable to open out, tofight, or to fly, with no quarter asked or given, the Romans and theirLatin allies fell before the swords of their enemies, till, of theseventy thousand infantry which had advanced to the fight, fortythousand had fallen on the field. Three thousand were taken prisoners,seven thousand escaped to the small camp, and ten thousand made theirway across the river to the large camp, where they joined the forcewhich had been left there, and which had, in obedience to Varro'sorders, attacked the Carthaginian camp, but had been repulsed with aloss of two thousand men. All the troops in both camps were forcedto surrender on the following morning, and thus only fifteen thousandscattered fugitives escaped of the eighty-seven thousand two hundredinfantry and cavalry under the command of the Roman consuls.
Hannibal's loss in the battle of Cannae amounted to about six thousandmen.
