THE THIRD OBSERVATION.
THe insufficiency of these Commanders, whereof Caesar now com∣plaineth as the only want, which these Romans had to cleere them∣selues of this daunger; bringeth to our consideration that which former times haue made a question, which is, whether it were the vertue of the Roman leaders, or the valor of their soldiers, that inlarged their Empire to that greatnes, and made their people and senate Lords of the world? Polybius waighing the causes of a victorie, which the Carthagineans gained of the Romans, by the counsell and good direction of one Zantippus a Greci∣an, hauing before that time receiued diuers ouerthrowes, during the time of those warres in Africke; concluded, that it was more in the worthines of the Commanders, then in any extraordinary vertue of the soldiours, that the Ro∣mans atchieued so many conquests. And besides the present example of Zan∣tippus, he confirmed his opinion with the proceedings of Hanniball; who from the beginning of the second punicke warre, still gained of the Roman Empire, enlarging the territories of Carthage, and streightening the iurisdiction of mightie Rome, vntill it had got a leader matchable to that subtle Carthagine∣an, and found a Scipio to confront their Hannibal. To this may be added that Page [unnumbered]
SABINVS AND COTTA
