22.38
After
completing the enrolment the consuls waited a few days for the contingents
furnished by the Latins and the allies to come in. Then a new departure was
made; the soldiers were sworn in by the military tribunes. Up to that day
there had only been the military oath binding the men to assemble at the
bidding of the consuls and not to disband until they received orders to do so.
It had also been the custom among the soldiers, when the infantry were
formed into companies of 100, and the cavalry into troops of 10, for all the
men in each company or troop to take a voluntary oath to each other that
they would not leave their comrades for fear or for flight, and that they
would not quit the ranks save to fetch or pick up a weapon, to strike an
enemy, or to save a comrade. This voluntary covenant was now changed
into a formal oath taken before the tribunes. Before they marched out of the
City, Varro delivered several violent harangues, in which he declared that the
war had been brought into Italy by the nobles, and would continue to feed on
the vitals of the republic if there were more generals like Fabius; he, Varro,
would finish off the war the very day he caught sight of the enemy. His
colleague, Paulus, made only one speech, in which there was much more
truth than the people cared to hear. He passed no strictures on Varro, but he
did express surprise that any general, whilst still in the City before he had
taken up his command, or become acquainted with either his own army or
that of the enemy, or gained any information as to the lie of the country and
the nature of the ground, should know in what way he should conduct the
campaign and be able to foretell the day on which he would fight a decisive
battle with the enemy. As for himself, Paulus said that he would not
anticipate events by disclosing his measures, for, after all, circumstances
determined measures for men much more than men made circumstances
subservient to measures. He hoped and prayed that such measures as were
taken with due caution and foresight might turn out successful; so far
rashness, besides being foolish, had proved disastrous. He made it quite clear
that he would prefer safe to hasty counsels, and in order to strengthen him in
this resolve Fabius is said to have addressed him on his departure in the
following terms:
