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.

¶ Of the great battayle betwene Asdruball and the consulles, in whyche Asdruball was slayne, with syx and fyfty thousand men, besyde many that were taken, with a great spoyle. Cap. liiii. (Book 54)

ASdruball, leauing his further assiegyng of Pla∣centia, sent foure frenchemen, and two Numi∣dians to his brother Anniball with letters: who passyng all Italy, heryng that Anniball shoulde then be at Metapontus, folowed him thither: But er they were ware, they lost their way, and came to the fieldes of Tarent, where they were taken, and sent to Claudius Nero with their letters. Who whan he had redde them, and knewe by the contentes therof, that Asdru∣ball intended to mete his brother in Vmbria, thynkyng then to be no tyme mete for the common welth, to tary the determi∣nation of the senate: he imagyned, that he would enterpryse some strange thing, wherby he shulde put both the citezens of Rome, and also his ennemies in great feare. But at lengthe,

whan it was achieued, it shulde tourne the wholle citie from greate feare into meruailous gladnesse. Wherfore he sent the sayde letters to Rome, with other his owne letters of his in∣tended enterpryse. And incontinent sente messangers before hym, to all the townes & countreys, by whych he with his ar∣my shoulde passe: commaundyng theim to brynge furthe into the fieldes agaynst his commynge, vitayles, horses, and other necessaries for his souldyours. Than of his wholle armye he chose out .vi. thousande footemen, and one. M. horsmen: say∣inge and publyshyng, that with them he intended to assault the next towne of the Lucans, & to take the Carthaginenses, whi¦che were there left for the keping therof. With this company in the nyght he departed, makyng as great haste as he myghte in his iourney, to come to the healpe of his felowe Liuius, before he shulde haue to do with Asdruball: leauynge Quin∣tus Tatius in his campe, to rule and gouerne the rest of his hoste. At Rome the consulles letters made all men no lesse a∣ferde, than they were two yeres past, whan the Carthaginen∣ses hadde pytched theyr tentes before the walles of Rome. They doubted, whether they myght allowe or disallowe that bolde enterpryse of the consull, whyche dyd appere to hange all vpon chaunce. They knewe the campe was left very nere to Anniball, with an army dispurueyed of a capitayne: ye and the flowre and strengthe of the same armye was taken awaye with the Capytayne, leauynge his campe sure in nothynge, but onely by the ignoraunce of his ennemies, who were not priuy as then of the consulles absence. But what yf it hap∣ped to be knowen, and that it chaunced Anniball with his wholle army to folowe Nero, hauyng with him but .vi. thou∣sand fotemen armed, and one. M. horsemen: or that he wold as∣saile the reste, which were left in the campe, without strength or good gouernance. The euil chances, which they had before susteined in the warres, with the late dethe of .ii. consuls in one yere, increased their feare, whyche all had happed to theim, whan there was but one capytayne and one army of their en∣nemies in Italy. Nowe they knewe .ii. myghty armies .ii. va∣lyant capitaines: ye almost .ii. Anniballes, to be in the coun∣trey. For Asdruball the sonne also of Amilcar, hadde many yeres in Spayne, made warre agaynste the Romayns, where he had hadde two noble victories, sleynge two greate armies,

and also .ii. Scipions, the noble capitayns of the same. Fur∣thermore, that he myghte glory aboue Anniball, bothe of his spedy passage ouer the mountaynes, and also of drawyng with hym the frenchemen to battayle. For euen where the one had almoste loste the greatter parte of his menne, by hungre and colde (whiche two be the greattest myseries of warre): euen there had the other gathered together a gret puissance. They rekened also, that Claudius Nero shuld haue to do with a wit∣ty capitayn, whom he knewe before had mocked & illuded hym in Spayne lyke a child, with deceiteful intretyng of conditions of peace: wherby he escaped out of the straytes, wherein he was indaungered. Thus throughe feare (whiche is thinter∣pretour of all thynges to the worste) they estemed the power of theyr ennemyes to be great, and their owne to be small.

¶ In the meane tyme Nero the consull, after he had so farre traueyled frome the daunger of his ennemies, that he iudged he myght safely discouer his secrete enterprise: he then called together his souldiours, and spake vnto them sayinge:

There was neuer any enterpryse taken in hande by any capi∣tayne, whiche was in apparence more bolde, and in effect more sure then this was. For I wyll nowe brynge you (sayde he) to a certayne and sure victorye. For we goo to a battayle, for the whiche my felowe Liuius had before as many fotemenne and horsemen appoynted hym of the senate, as he wolde desyre. Ye suche a numbre as he wolde not haue desyred a greatter, if he shulde haue ben appoynted to fyght with Anniball hym selfe: and nowe, by the fame of the comynge of the other consull, with his armye, beinge ioyned to the other: we shall not fayle to haue an vndoubted victory. For fame is the thynge that gy∣ueth victory in battayle. Yea small thinges oft tymes driue the hertes and myndes of men, eyther in to feare or in to a good hope. And the hole glorye and honour of all the good spede shall be gyuen to vs. For euer that, whiche cometh last, draw∣eth all the honour to it.

¶ With this comforte he led them forward on theyr way, pas∣synge by a great multitude of men and women of the countrey, that came forth to mete them with great fauour and prayse gi∣uynge: namynge them the patrons and defendours of the cō∣mon welthe, and of the hole empyre of Rome, in whose han∣des then laye the helthe welth and lybertie, bothe of them and

of theyr children. Wherfore they prayed vnto the goddes for theyr prosperous returne with victory and tryumphe. And in declarynge theyr loue towardes theyr souldiours, they offe∣red them cattell, vitayles, and other necessarye thynges, whi∣che they hertely desyred them to take at theyr pleasure. And they on the other syde, thankefully receiuing that they neded, went on theyr waye, eatynge whan they were hungry, and but seldome toke any reste, tyl they came nere to the campe of the other consull M. Liuius. Then sent Claudius messangers to his felowe, aduertysynge hym of his comynge, to knowe his mynd, whether it were best for hym and his company, to come to hym pryuely or openly, in the nyght tyme or in the day: and whether he shoulde entre in to his campe, or make an other campe for hym selfe and his army: Liuius answered, that best it was, he entered into his campe secretly in the nyght. For the more suertie wherof, he gaue a pryuy watche worde or token, wherby one tribune shulde receyue an other, one centurio or hundredour an other, one horseman an other, and one foteman shulde receyue an other. And it was thought, that there was space ynoughe in the fyrste campe, to receyue hym and his cō∣panye, sense those that came with Claudius Nero brought lyt∣tle more with them, but onely theyr armour, for the spedinesse of theyr war. Liuius tentes were then pitched nere to Sena, and Asdruball rested not past halfe a myle thence. When Ne∣ro approched, he couered hym with mountaynes and hylles, tyll it was nighte. Then kepynge greate sylence, they entred the campe of Liuius, and were euery man broughte into the tentes by his lyke officer, where they were friendly and gen∣tylly receyued, with great ioye and gladnesse .L. Portius the pretor had his campe ioynynge to the campe of the consull. The daye folowynge they counsayled, what was best then to be done. Some gaue aduyse, that Nero with his company, be∣inge wery, shulde reste them certayne dayes, and that the bat∣tayle shulde be differred, tyll they were fully refreshed of their longe trauayle: and in the meane tyme to knowe the maner of theyr ennemyes. But Nero wolde in noo wyse agree therto, he instantly desyred them so to worke, that his secrete enter∣pryse, whiche by his swyfte comynge thither was made sure, shulde not by theyr long tarying be made folyshe and voyde. For Annibal beinge deceyued, kepeth hym close in his tentes,

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not knowynge of my comyng hyther, nor of the vnsure leauing of myne armye in my campe: but this deceyte can not longe be¦hyd. With spede makyng Asdruball and his host may be ouer∣throwen, er euer I departe: and then may I with lyke speede returne to my company into Apulia. But whoo so by prolon∣gynge of the tyme, gyueth space to his ennemies, he causeth my campe in Apulia to be delyuered to Anniball, and openeth the way for hym to come hither to be ioyned to his brother, As∣drubal at his pleasure. Wherfore incontinent let vs go to bat∣tayle: and therby bothe our ennemyes, that be absente in A∣pulia, and also those that be here present at hand, shalbe decey∣ued: the other by thynkynge our numbre there to be no lesse then it was, and these by thinking your numbre to be nothynge increased.

¶ After these earnest wordes of Claudius, they departed frō the counsaile, and euery man armed hym selfe, and were put in good order of battayle. The Carthaginenses also were alre∣dy come out of theyr campe, and stode in array redy to fyght, and bothe the armies had without taryeng gone to gither, had not Asdrubal for a season caused his company to stay. He, with certayne other horsemen in his company, rode before his host: where he perceiued amonges the Romaynes, to be many olde shildes, whiche he had not seene before. Also he marked many carreine leane and ouer laboured horses. He thought also the numbre of his ennemies was greatter then it was wont to be. Wherfore hauyng a mistrust of that, whiche in dede was true: he blewe the retraite. And incontinent sent certayn of his men to the ryuer, where the Romayne horses were watered, to es∣pye and marke, whether any of theyr horses were discoloured by dashinge with myre of the waye, or with dust: wherby they might appere to be of late iourneyed. He also caused some o∣ther to ride a farre of aboute theyr campes, to se, whether the trenche that enuironed the campe, were enlarged any whyt or not. Furthermore to marke, whether the trumpet, did sounde ones or two tymes within the campe of the Romaynes. No∣thinge deceiued him so moche, as when worde was broughte him, that the campes were nothynge enlarged: but that there were but twaine as was before, one of Liuius cōsull, the other of L. Portius: and neither of thē altered otherwise then they fyrste were. Neuerthelesse it troubled hym sore, beinge a wyse

man and moche vsed to warres with the Romaynes, when it was shewed hym, that the trumpet blewe but ones in the pre∣tors campe: but in the other it blewe two tymes: wherfore he iudged surely, that bothe the consuls were there. Whervp∣pon he began to muse, howe the other consull shulde be depar¦ted from his brother Anniball. He could not deuyse the thing as it was, that his brother was so illuded by the departinge of the capitayne from his campe, whiche was not farre of, with part of his power. He iudged, that he had susteined some gret losse: wherby he durst not followe the consull. Wherfore he feared greatly, least whan all was lost before, he was come to late to his brother with socours. He also mistrusted, that his letters neuer came to Anniballes handes, but that they, with his messangers, were taken vp by the waye: vpon the syghte wherof the other consull was come with hast to vanquishe him also. Beinge in this great perplexitie, he caused all the fires to be put oute, and euery man to trusse vp his stuffe and baggage: and in the begynninge of the nyghte, he with his hole host de∣parted secretely, folowinge two guides. Whoo had not farre gone with them, but partly for feare, and partely beinge trou∣bled with the rumour of the armye, toke no good hede to their waye: wherfore they secretely slypped awaye, leauyng theim without a guide. Some wandered abrode in the fieldes, some beinge wery and ouerwatched, laide them bowne to slepe and to rest them, leauynge theyr standardes. When the daye ap∣pered, Asdruball caused his standardes to go before the hoste alonge the syde of the ryuer of Metaurus, sekynge for fordes, where he myght passe ouer: but the further he went vp the ri∣uer, the hyer were the bankes. Thus wanderynge styll after the crokes and tourninges of the banke, sekyng a place of pas∣sage: he spente a great parte of the daye in waste: wherby the Romaynes had gotten tyme and space to followe them. Fyrst Nero with his horsemen ouer toke them: sone after came Lu∣cius Portius with his light harnessed men. They slewe many of Asdruball his folke, that abode behynd in the fieldes to rest them. Asdruball seinge no remedy to escape, soughte for some hyll by the riuer syde, wheron he myghte lodge his host. By that tyme was Liuius also come with al his power of fotemen, armed and in good array. Then ioynynge theyr companies to gether, they put euery man in order. Claudius Nero led the

ryght wynge. Liuius kept the lefte wyng. Portius the pre∣tor came in the myddell warde.

¶Whan Asdruball sawe to remedy, but that he must needes fyght, he left the fortifiyng of his campe, and put his people in array. In the forefront he set his elephantes: about theim on the lefte hande agaynst Claudius Nero the consull, he set his frenchemen: not for that he trusted to theim moche hym selfe, but bicause he thought his ennemies feared theim most. The ryghte wynge he kepte hym selfe with his spanyardes, his olde meane of warre, in whom his moste truste was. The Liguriens, men of a countrey of Italy, were sette in the mid∣dell behynde the elephantes. There was a greatte hylse be∣twene the Frenchemen and Claudius Nero: so that he by no meanes with his host, might come to fight with theim. Wher¦fore they stode styll a good space without doing of any thing. But betweene Asdruball and Liuius fyers and mortall was the fyght. There were the greate numbre of Romayne fote∣men agaynst the multitude of Spaniardes his expert warry∣ours, and also agaynst the Liguriens, which wer very stronge and valiant men. The elephantes also dyd at the fyrste moche displeasure. Claudius seinge that he coulde not haue to doo with the Frenchemen, tourned aboute his company, and fet∣chyng a compasse, came on the other syde of Asdruballes ar∣mye. Than were the Spanyardes and the Liguriens slayne on all parties, and the fyght was alredy come to the french∣men, who were able to make smal resistence: for many of their company were shronken away and feble for labour and ouer∣watchynge, as they be a people that can not well away with peyne. Many of theim were there slayne. Many also of the elephantes were slayne by the Romaynes, but moo by theyr owne rulars that rode vppon theim. For after they were ones stryken and aferde, the beastes were so vnruly, and dyd soo moche hurte to theyr owne Carthaginenses hoste: that theyr owne kepers and ryders slewe theim.

¶Asdruball, lyke a full noble capitayne, handled hym selfe in that battayle, sometyme fyght••ng valiantly in his owne per∣sone, sometyme exhortyng his men manfully to fight, some∣tyme he desyred his werye souldiours to take some peyne for hym, and for theyr owne lyues, sometyme he rebuked theyr sluggyshnes. And yf any began to flee, he anon brought them

backe to the battayle, and restored agayne the fielde, whyche in diuers places was slaked. At the last, whan he saw no helpe, but that withoute remedy he muste lose the fielde: not myn∣dynge to lyue after so great a slaughter of his men and frien∣des, whyche for his sake vndertooke that voyage: he ranne his horse with the spurres into the myddell of the Romayne hoste: where to declare the noble valour of his stomacke, of whome he was descended, lyke the sonne of Amilcar, and brother to Anniball, he valyantly fought, and fyghtyng was slayne. Greate was the slaughter of the Carthaginenses in that battayle: so that it was thought equall to the Romaynes losse at Cannas, as well for the numbre of menslayne, as for the losse of the capitaynes. There was of Asdrubals hoste in this battayle slayne syx and fyfty thousande men, and there were .v. thousande and foure hundred taken prysoners. The pray at the spoyle was great, bothe of golde and syluer, and also of the Romayne prisoners, whiche before Asdruball bad taken. Of whyche Romayne prysoners, there were founde a∣boue .iiii. M. The Romayns lost in this battayle almoste .viii. M. men. On the morowe woorde was broughte to Liuius, that those frenchemen and Ligures, whiche were left on liue at the battayle the daye before, were nowe assembled togither agayne, and went away without any capitayn or kepyng good order, so that they myght soone be all slayne, yf he wolde send but one wynge of horsemen to pursue theim. Not so sayd Li∣uius, we wyll suffre some of our ennemies to escape, whyche shal remayne and be messangers, both of the distruction of our ennemies, and also of our noble honour and prowesse.

¶Claudius Nero, the night after the battayle foughten, de∣parted with his company agayne toward his owne camp, ma∣king so moche hast in his retourne, that the syxt day folowing he was come to his owne campe, and to the frontiers of his ennemy Annibal, he made suche spede, that no messenger was come thyther before him, whiche hadde broughte any newes of the victorie. Wherefore his personalle comynge, with the sodein declaration of their good spede, caused so greatte ioye and gladnes in the Romayne armie, as thoughe an hea∣uenlie comforte had ben sent theym after an extreme doloure. At Rome also, when newes were brought of their prosperus successe, suche ioye was made, as canne not well be expressed.

For after Claudius departynge towarde his selowe, frome the sonne rysynge to the some settynge, the senatours neuer departed frome the senate howse: neyther wente the cyte∣zens out of the market place. The matrones of the citie were in contynuall prayers: soo that with theyr clamour, pylgre∣mages, and vowes, theyr goddis were all weryed. But whame the certayntie of the vyctorye, the greatte occision of theyr ennemies, with the deathe of the Capytayne, was broughte the•••• by the legates of the consulles: theyr sus∣pended hoope was sodaynely tourned into a perfecte ioye, whyche passed measure. Th••n beganne the marchauntes to bye, to sell, to paye, to receyue, and to make all maner of con∣tractes, as they were wont to do intyme of peace.

¶ Claudius the cons••ll, retournynge frome the battayle, broughte with hym the heade of Asdruball: whyche at his fyrste comynge, he caused to be throwen before the entree of Anniballes campe. He alsoo caused the Affricans, why∣che he hadde taken prysoners in the battaylle, bounden as they were, to be sette before his campe: to the intente his ennemyes myghte see theim. And for the more encrease of Anniballes sorowe, he loosed two of his sayde Affricanes prysoners, commaundynge theim to goo to Anniball, and to declare vnto hym, the ordre of all thynges as they hadde ben done in the battayl: wherwith he was so stryken with so∣rowe, bothe for the losse of soo greate noumbee of menne of his brothers armye, as also for the losse of his friendes and famylyars, that he sayde, he knewe full well, what shoulde be the fortune and fatall chaunce of Carthage within shorte space. Whervppon he remoued into the fieldes of the Bru∣tians. And for that he hadde no power lefte hym of men, to defende his fortresses, that yet helde, being so farre of: he gathered to gyther all the Metapontanes and the Lucanes, suche as were his fren∣des: and brought them all into the coun∣trey of the Brutians, where he re∣mayned for a season, coun∣sailing, what were beste for hym to doo.