The historie of tvvo the moste noble capitaines of the worlde, Anniball and Scipio of theyr dyuers battailes and victories, excedyng profitable to reade, gathered and translated into Englishe, out of Titus Liuius, and other authoures, by Antonye Cope esquier.

¶ Howe Pacuuius by crafte became chiefe ruler of Capua, and of the yeldyng of that citie to Annibal. Cap. xxvii. (Book 27)

ANniball after the battayle at Cannas, with as greatte spede as he myght, went from Apulia to Samniū, and to Cossa, and so to Naples, but the strengthe of that towne made him afrayde to gyue assaut therto. Wherfore he went from thens, and came to Capua, whiche as than floury∣shed

in pleasure and abundance by long felicitie & fauor of for∣tune. Than was there in Capua one Pacuuius, a noble mā, sa∣uing that he gat not his goodes and riches by honest meanes. This Pacuuius bare gret office in the city the same yere that the Romans lost the bataile at Trasimenus: And now thyn∣kyng to make a discord betwene the senate and the cōmon peo¦ple, who long had vsed great licence and liberty without rea∣son, and therby to increase both his authoritie and substāce, de¦uised a great and perillous enterprise, which was, that so sone as Anniball shuld come thyther with his army, he wold cause the commons to slea the Senatours: After whose death, he myght at his pleasure yelde the citie to the Carthaginenses. Yet at the last he consydered, that better it were for hym to rule and gouerne a cōmon welth florishing in all thinges than to rule a citie, that were vtterly subuerted and distroied (whi∣che he accompted to be, yf the noblemen and ancient counsel∣lers therof were slayn) he than imagined a way, that he might both saue the senate and counsel of the citie, and make the coū¦sell of the same, to thinke them selues bound to him and to the commune people. Whervpon he called a counsayle, wherein he shewed the senatours, that to receiue the Carthaginenses, and to leaue the Romans frendship, dyd nothyng please him, consyderynge that he had maryed Appius Claudius dough∣ter, and also that Liuius hadde maryed one of his dough∣ters: sauynge that necessitie dydde requyre it, bycause there was other matters in hande moche more to be doubted, whi∣che was, that the commune people were pourposed fyrste to slea theym all that were of the Senate howse, and after to yelde vp the citie to Anniball. Neuer the lesse he sayde, he wolde vndertake that he wolde saue theym frome daun∣ger, yf they wolde commytte theym selues wholly to hym: wherwith he made theym greatte assurance by othes. Whan they all, beinge ouercome with feare, had consented to hym, I wyll shut you (saith he) into the senate house, as thoughe I were of the cōmons councell, and dyd alowe their dedes and purpose: but after I shall fynde a waye to conserue and saue you. And whan they were agreed to the same, he enclosed them in the capitoll, so that none could come to them, nother they gette furthe, vnlesse it were by his licence. And than he called the common people togyther, and sayd: My frendes,

nowe haue you power ouer the detestable and wycked sena∣tours, whose death ye haue so longe desyred, and that ye haue nowe without stroke stryking. For beholde, I haue theym enclosed in yonder howse aboue vnarmed: And what sentēce ye wyll gyue of them, or any of them, that shall they suffer, accordyng to theyr desertes. but before all thynges, I wolde you shulde haue respect to your helth and profite, before the executiō of your wrath. For senatours I am sure, ye wil haue to gouerne the citie. Therfore nowe haue we two thinges to be done togither, that is, to put downe the old senatours, and than to chose newe. I wyll wel, that you shall iudge what pu∣nishment the olde shall haue: but firste you shall chuse a newe valiant wise senator in euery of their places. Thā set he down and causid their names to be put togither in writing into a pot and as their names were seuerally drawen forth of the pot, he caused them to be called in order, and he that was fyrst named he caused to be fetched out of the senate house, wherin they were inclosed. And whan the cōmons herd his name, they all cried, that he was wicked, & worthy of punishment. Than said Pacuuius, I here well what you say, lette him be cast out for ••ought, & an other chosen in his place. Than were they at the first put to silence, bicause they wanted a better to be chosen in his place. And whan any man wolde take vpon hym to name any other man: there wold arise a greater rumor and noyse at his naming. Some saying, they knew him not, and som repre∣hending his birthe, some his maners, some the vilenes of his craft and liuing, with such other like obiections: & moch more the noise was for chosing of the second and third: so that they al agreed, that it was rather better for them to suffer the olde noughty senatours to remain, which they knewe, than to haue such new, as were worse and vnknowē. so that they cōmanded to let the old senatours go free, and vse their romthes. After this maner Pacuuius gat the rule of the cōmon welthe, pea∣sybly makyng the senators moche more bounde to him for sa∣uinge their lyues, than to the commons of the citie. And by this meane by al mens consent he had the hole gouernance of the citie. Of this cam the losse of the dignitie to the senators, forgetting their liberte, doing nothīg in the coūsel hous with out the cōmons aduise. The citie was always prone & gyuen to lust & plesure, not only by the noughtynes of their myndes,

but also by the abundance of pleasures, ryches, and other de∣lytes, and of all fruitefulnes bothe on sea and lande, and wa∣red want on through the flattery of pryncis, and ouermoche libertie of the people, folowyng theyr pleasures and lust be∣yonde all measure, so that they dispised both the senate and o∣ther magistrates, and also all rule and lawe. And than after the battayle of Canuas, they that had a lyttell shamefastnesse before, were not ashamed to dispise the empire of Rome. And in short tyme after, they consented to yeld vp the citie to An∣niball, and to leaue the amitie of the Romans: yet before they wolde sende theyr legates to Anniball, they sent messangers to Rome, to desyre that one of theyr citie myght be euer one of the consuls at Rome, yf they wolde that they shuld helpe them in theyr busines. Whervpon there arose great indigna∣tion and angre, for that they that were before in amitie and as subiectes, shulde requyre suche equalitie of honour with the Romans. Wherfore they cōmaunded, that the legates shuld be brought out of the senate house, and further they sente an officer, who shoulde conueye theym oute of the citie, and to charge them to departe oute of the limyttes and boundes of Rome. The same legates incontinent vppon theyr retourne home, were sent to Anniball, who receyued them, and gran∣ted them all the conditions of peace, accordynge to theyr as∣kyng, so that no ruler or magistrate of Carthage shulde here∣after clayme rule or dominion ouer any citizen of Capua, no∣ther shulde any of them be enforsed to go in the warres, but at his owne pleasure. Agayne, that they myghte kepe stylle theyr owne lawes, with theyr rulers and magistrates. Amon∣gest whyche requestes, they desyred .iii. C. Romane captiues to be delyuered vnto them, whiche shulde be chaunged for o∣ther .iii. C. of theyr horsemen, that kepte warre in Sicilia, whiche was not denyed theym. To this agreement, Decius Magius, a man of great authoritie (sauing that the commons were not agreable to hym) dydvtterly withstande: fyrst wil∣lynge that no legacy shulde be sent to Anniball. And as soone as he hearde, that the agreement was made, and that Anni∣ball wolde sende his men of armes to Capua▪ be shewed them for an example, the proude raygnynge of Pyrthus: and the myserable seruitude of the Tarentines, crying alowde, that if they wolde here hym, Anniballes army shulde in no wyse be

receyued: And yf they were all redye receyued, that they shulde be put furth agayne.

¶ As soone as these thynges were shewed to Anniball (as they were not secretely spoken) he cōmanded, that Magius shulde be taken and sent vnto hym: but than he fearynge the displeasure of the people, sent worde to Marius the Pretor, that he wold be at Capua the next day folowyng. Marius in∣continent assembled the people, and shewed all men of Anni∣balles commynge, commandynge them to be redy with their wyues to meete hym. And whanne he was commynge, and all the citie went to mete hym, onely Decius, with his sonne, and a fewe of his frendes, wolde not go with them: but wal∣ked openly and stubburnely in the market place. As soone as Annibal came to the citie, he called a counsayle, myndynge in his angre to do cruell execution of his aduersaries, not with∣standyng the rulars of the citie desyred hym, that he shuld do nothing as that day, but be mery and celebrate the same in the worshyp of his commynge. To whose request (although he was of a sodayne inclination to wrath and angre) he was con∣formable: and spent that day in vewyng the citie.

¶ Pacuuins Calauius, of whome we spake before, who was chiefe of the citie, and chiefe causer of the yeldynge thereof to the Carthaginenses, brought his sonne, being a yong mā, thyther, whom he toke from the companye of Decius, with whom the yonge man stode fyrmely agaynste the bandes and frendshyp made with the Carthaginenses: nother coulde the citezens, being enclyned to that parte, nother the auctoritie of his father, moue the yonge man to the same: vnto whome his father, with great intercession, made Anniball good lorde and frende. Anniball being ouercome and appeased with the request of his father, caused the yonge man, with his father, to be sent for to supper: at whiche supper there was none of Capua, sauyng those that were lodged in that howse, and one Iubellius Taurea, a noble warriour. The souper was begun before the nyght, the feast was sumptuous, and not after the maner of fare in warre tyme. This yongeman, nother by the prouocation of the rulars, nor by the chering of Annibal him selfe, coulde be perswaded to be mery, but he shewed his fa∣ther, that he was diseased, and that his minde was soore trou∣bled. And whan his father hearde that, he departed oute of

the feastynge chaumbre before the sonne was sette: whome his sonne folowed. And whan they came to a gardeyn, at the ende of the house, whiche was secrete: Father (sayth he) I haue diuised nowe away, wherby we shall not onely purchase our pardon of the Romanes, for that we haue forsaken them and chosen Hanniball to be our gouernour, but we shall stande nowe from hensforth in moche more dignitie and grace with them, than euer we were before. Whan his father (meruay∣lyng what it myghte be) had inquired of hym that diuise: he caste his gowne from hym, and shewed his syde beinge gyrte with a swerde: Nowe wyll I (sayde he) establysshe and san∣ctifye the bandes betwyxte the Romaynes and vs, with the bloudde of Anniball: Of this counsayle father, I thoughte to make the priuey before, for bycause I knewe not, whether thou haddest rather be present, whyles the deede were do∣inge or not. Whyche diuyse whan the olde manne hearde (as thoughe he hadde be presente at the doynge of that whyche was spoken) with greatte feare he beganne to adhorte and perswade his sonne to the contrary: layinge fyrst the greatte othe and promyse made to Anniball by all the whole citie: and also shewynge the daunger of the acte to be suche, that he coulde neuer escape alyne. I beynge thy Father (sayde he) haue wonne Anniball to be thy good lorde, and shall not I wynne my sonne to be frende to Anniball? And after that he hadde with longe prayer, wepynge, and great intercession ouercomme his sonne, and disswaded hym frome his enter∣prise: the yonge manne sayde these wordes: O countreye, receyue thou this swerde, with whyche I beynge armed, wolde haue defended this citie and castell, sparyng nothyng, nor Fearynge myne owne deathe, but onely beinge ouercome with my fathers perswasyons. And whan he hadde so sayde, he caste his sworde into the playne ouer the gardeyne walle, and than bycause he shulde not be suspecte, he wente agayne to the feast.

¶ The next day the senate was holden, in the whiche Anni∣bals fyrst oration was very gentyll, gyuyng thankes vnto the citezens, for that they preferred his amitie and frendshyp be∣fore the Romanes: and among other hygh promises, he pro∣mysed theym, that Capua shulde in shorte space be the heade of all Italye: And that the Romaynes, with other cities of

Italy, shoulde seke vnto Capua for theyr ryghte and lawe: but he sayde, that there was amonge them one named Ma∣gius Decius, who was noothynge agreable vnto the amy∣tie betweene the Carthaginenses and them of Capua: who (he sayd) was no citezen, nor ought to be so called nor repu∣ted. Wherfore he requyred, that he myghte be yelded vn∣tohym, and that also in his presence his cause myght be de∣bated before theym of the counsaylle. To whyche requeste euery manne graunted, althoughe somme thoughte he was a manne moche vnworthy to sustayne suche myserye, and that theyr lybertie beganne to mynysshe not a lytell in the begin∣nynge. The senate was holden in the temple. Magius was commaunded to be taken, and brought to shewe his mattier, and he anone denyed it to be lawfull for theym, to breake the truce taken with the Romaynes. Wherefore he was com∣maunded to be bounde with chaynes, and ledde to the campe of the Carthaginenses. In this leadynge thyther, as longe as his face was not couered, he wente cryinge to all theym, whyche were gathered togyther to see hym: Nowe haue ye, menne of Capua, your lybertie, whiche you desyred: In the markette place, and in the day lyghte, and in the presence of you all, I beinge chiefe and moste auncient of Capua, be∣inge bounde, am drawen to deathe. What coulde haue bene done more cruell and violente, yf Capua had be taken? whan he coulde not be stayed, but contynued crienge after this ma∣ner, bicause the commune people were thoughte to be moued with his wordes, his face and head was couered, and he was ledde quyckely out of the gates into the tentes of Anniball, and from thense in haste sente towarde Carthage by shyppe, leste there shoulde be anye sedytion moued for the same a∣monge the Cytezens: but in saylynge thyther, the shyppe was dryuen by tempeste to Cyrenas, where Magius fledde to the pycture of Ptholomeus the kynge for his sauegarde. Wherevppon he was broughte by the kepars of the towne to Alexandria, before Ptholomeus. And whan he hadde declared vnto the kynge, that Anniball hadde sente hym bounde, contrarye vnto the league and bandes of the truce taken with the Cytezens of Capua: he was delyuered from his bandes, and hadde lybertie to goo whyther he wolde to Rome, or to Capua. To the whyche he made aunswere,

that Capua was not a place very safe for hym: and he sayde, that Rome, whyles there was warre betweene the men of Capua and it, was rather an habitation of vacabundes than of frendes and olde guestes. Wherfore he sayd, he had not soo great desyre to liue in any place, as in his kyngdom, by whom he was restored to his libertie.