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.

¶ The citie of Capua is beseged by the two consuls, Anniball cō∣meth to the succour of the citezēs, giueth the cōsuls battel, from thens goth to Rome ward with his host, to thintent therby to draw the cōsuls from the siege of Capua. Ca. xxxix. (Book 39)

IN the meane season was Capua compassed & besieged by both the consuls, & great prouision of corne made for the same, & laid in garners in the castel of Casselin{us}

Than sent they to Suessula for Claudius Nero the Pretor, who leauyng a small garrison there, came hym selfe to theym to Capua with all his power. Thus was Capua compassed with thre greatte armyes on three partes, and to enclose the citezens the more surely, they prepared to compasse the hole city with a great diche. And thervpon they made many castels a good distance thone frō the other. The Cāpanes thinkynge to let their work, issued many times & fought with the Romās but their fortune was euer such, that they lost still of their mē, and at the last were constrained to kepe them within the wal∣les of their citie. but before the warkes or siege was so straite and strong, they had sent ambassadours to Anniball, complay∣nyng, that he had forsaken theym and his citie of Capua: and that yf he dyd not shortly succour them, they must yeld them to the Romans. To whom Anniball answered, that of late he had res••ued them, and raysed their siege ones, and that short∣ly he wolde come to helpe them againe, not doubting, but the Romayns shuld be vnable to resist his power at his cōmyng. With this comfortable message they retourned to their citie, whyche they founde so compassed with a double dyche, that with peyne coulde they fynde the meane to enter into it: nei∣ther coulde they haue entred, had not the letters of P. Cor∣nelius the pretor bene, wherin he aduysed the consuls, before the dyche shuld be fully finysshed, to proclaime, that as many of the Campanes as wolde issue with their baggage and bag∣ges, before a day by him lymitted, shulde go free where they wold, and haue their goodes their owne. After that day, soo many as remained, they wolde take and vse as their enemies. But this proclamation was so disdainfully taken of the Cam∣panes, that besyde that there wold none issue out of the city, they also spake proude and opprobrious wordes in dispite of the Romaynes. Whervppon the workes of the dyche were ended, and the citie fully enclosed.

¶ Anniball, desyrous to succour his great frendes of Capua, left al his heuy cariage among the Brucians, and with a great numbre of chosen horsemen and light fotemen, hasted thither as faste as he might, and after his hooste came .xxxiii. of his elephantes. With this army he came to the valey that was vnder a mountayn adioynyng to Capua, called Tifata, er the Romans had any knowlege of his cōming. Than sent he spies

to the Romayns hoste to Capua, commaundynge them, soo soone as he shulde gyue them battaile on his parte, that Bo∣star and Mago, with the horsemen and garrison of the Car∣thaginenses, assemblynge also all the power of the citizens, shoulde sodaynely issue oute of the citie: and with force assayle their ennemies. This diuise of Anniball was executed with soo sodayne crye and clamoure, that the Romaynes were in greate feare and daunger. Neuertheles with as great spede as they coulde, they prepared their battayles, and dyuyded their people. Appius Claudius wente to withstande the Campanes, and Fuluius wente agaynste Anniball. Claudius was stronge inough for his ennemies, but Fuluius was hard∣ly handled of the Carthaginenses and Spaniardes. One cō∣pany or legion of his men were driuen backe, and than a great companye of Spanyardes, with thre elephantes, had broken the myddell warde of the Romaynes, and were come to the trench of the campe, redy to enter into the tentes and campe of their enmies. Whan Fuluius sawe, what daunger his peo∣ple and campe were in, he cried to Q. Nanius, and other pe∣ty capitaines, exhorting them to assaile that company of Spa¦niardes, that fought at the diche: shewyng them what danger all was in, onlesse they might sone be confounded, which was easy inough to be done, sens there was of them no greatter a number. Nanius was a strong man, and of a huge stature. And whan he hearde the consulles exhortation, anone he toke the standerde from hym that bare it, and commaundyng his com∣pany, boldly to take parte with hym, he sette furthe towarde the Spanyardes, with a great courage. As sone as the Spa∣niardes sawe hym drawe nere, they threwe plentye of dartes at hym; and beganne violently to assayle him. But he nother beynge stayde with the multitude of his ennemies, nor with the dartes that were caste at him, with great force went stylle forwarde, tyl by the helpe of Marcus Attilius, Portius Lu∣cius, and other, they had slain the elephantes, and made great slaughter also of Spaniardes.

¶ On the other part, the Campanes were dryuen back, with the garrison alsoo of Numidians and Carthaginenses: soo that the battaile was stronge euen at the very gate of Capua, that was towarde the ryuer of Vulturnus. This gate was garnished with Crossebowes dartes and other suche ingyns,

wherby many of the Romayns were wounded by the shot out of the towre of the gate. Amonge other, the Consul Appius Claudius was soore hurt on the breast vnder the left shulder. Neuerthelesse the citizens with their helpers were driuen in∣to the citie with great slaughter and losse of theyr company. Anniball seing the slaughter of his Spaniardes, and that the Romaynes so manfully defended theyr campes, he caused his people to withdrawe them, and made the horsemen to abyde hyndermoste for the defence of the footemen, yf their enne∣mies happed to chase them. The Romaines were very egre, and wolde haue folowed them in the chase, had not Flaccus caused to sounde the retreate.

¶ In this batayle Anniball wrought one crafty poynt, he sent dyuers of his men forth, that coulde speake the latine tunge, into dyuers partes of the hooste of the Romaynes, whyche shulde in the consuls name and behalfe declare, that the Ro∣mayne campes were taken and spoyled. Wherfore he wylled euery man to saue hym selfe by fleing to the next mountayns, sens by lenger tarying, the greater shuld be theyr losse. This crafty deceite made many of them amased: but at the laste it was espied, to the great slaughter of their ennemies.

¶ After this battaile the Romaynes kept them in their cam∣pes, and so straightly besieged the citie, that Anniball seinge he could no more drawe them furth to bataile, nother through the campes of the Romaines haue any way to enter into Ca∣pua, fearyng leste his vitayles shuld be cut from hym and his hoste: he determined to depart from thens. And than he y∣magyned, that he wolde go towarde Rome, not doubtynge, but whan the Romayn capitaynes dyd perceyue Rome theyr head citie to be in any daunger, that either one or both wolde leaue Capua, and come to the defence therof. And than theyr powers being diuided, bothe partes shoulde be the weaker: and he trusted, that either he or the Campanes shulde haue a fayre day of some of them. One thynge troubled hym soore, lest the Campanas seing his departyng from them, wolde in∣continent yelde the citie to the Romayns. Wherfore by fayre wordes and great giftes, he had gotten one of Numidia to go with his letters through the campes of the Romains, as one that was runne away from the Carthaginenses army: & whan

he shuld come to the further part of the host towarde the ci∣tie, than secretly to enter into Capua, and deliuer his letters, which were full of comfort, declaring his departyng to be for theyr profite, to thintent onely to withdrawe their ennemies from Capua, to defende their owne citie, bydding them not to dispayre, but to take pacience for a season, trustyng shortly to lose them of the daunger they were in. Sone after he depar∣ted with his hoste, and passed the ryuer of Vulturnus, taking the way towarde Rome. His commynge caused great heuy∣nes in the citie. The senatours consulted, what was beste for to be done in this daungerous case. At length it was agreed, that Q. Fuluius shulde come from Capua, with a certayn le∣gions with him, leauing his felowe at the siege with a numbre sufficient for that purpose. Q. Fuluius, hauing this cōmande∣ment, toke with him .xv. M. fotemen, and one thousand horse men, and folowed Anniball as spedily as he could. Now was Anniball come within .iii. miles of Rome, where he pitched his tentes, and made his campe on a riuer side. And soone af∣ter came Quintus Fuluius Flaccus into Rome with his ar∣my, and consulted with the senators of the affaires that were to be done touching their enmies. Than toke Annibal .ii. M. horsemen with hym, and camme to the walles and gates of Rome, riding from the gate called Porta Collina, to the tem∣ple of Hercules, viewynge the situation of the citie, and the strength of the walles. This bolde and hygh mynde of An∣niball, in so doing, Fuluius Flaccus coulde not suffer: but in∣continent sent furth a greate numbre of horsemen, who with force droue their enemies to their campe. The next day An∣niball came into the fielde with his host in good aray, redy to gyue battaile. And Flaccus hauinge with hym the two newe consuls, that of late were chosen, with their powers, made hym redy also to battaile. Thus whan bothe partes were re∣dy to go togither, abidynge the chaunce of fortune, whether of them shulde be maister of the noble citie of Rome: there came sodainly on them so vehement a storme of raine and haile togither, that both the partes were faine to withdrawe them to their Campes. The nexte daye they were lykewise redye to ioyne battaile, whan a like storme also departed theym a∣gayne. And after theyr departure incontynente the wether waxed verye bryght and fayre, and all the wyndes ceassed,

whiche euyl chances toke away the hartes and courage from Anniball and his companye, for euer to enioye the citie of Rome. Wherfore hauynge no further hope therof, he re∣turned backe in hast to the Brucians: And the consul Quin∣tus Fuluius returned to Capua to his felowe.