23.12
As
evidence that the joyful tidings he brought were true, he ordered a quantity
of gold rings to be piled up in the vestibule of the Senate-house, and they
formed such a great heap that, according to some authorities, they measured
more than three modii; the more probable account, however, is that they did
not amount to more than one modius. He added by way of explanation, to
show how great the Roman losses had been, that none but knights, and
amongst them only the highest in rank, wore that ornament. The main
purport of his speech was that the nearer Hannibal's chances were of
bringing the war to a speedy close the more need there was to render him
every possible assistance; he was campaigning far from home, in the midst of
a hostile country; vast quantities of corn were being consumed and much
money expended, and all those battles, whilst they destroyed the armies of
the enemy, at the same time wasted very appreciably the forces of the victor.
Reinforcements, therefore, must be sent, money must be sent to pay the
troops, and supplies of corn to the soldiers who had done such splendid
service for Carthage. Amidst the general delight with which Mago's speech
was received, Himilco, a member of the Barcine party, thought it a
favourable moment for attacking Hanno. "Well, Hanno," he began, "do you
still disapprove of our commencing a war against Rome? Give orders for
Hannibal to be surrendered, put your veto upon all thanksgivings to the gods
after we have received such blessings, let us hear the voice of a Roman
senator in the Senate-house of Carthage?"
Then Hanno spoke to the following effect: "Senators, I would have
kept silence on the present occasion, for I did not wish on a day of universal
rejoicing to say anything which might damp your happiness. But as a senator
has asked me whether I still disapprove of the war we have commenced
against Rome, silence on my part would show either insolence or cowardice;
the one implies forgetfulness of the respect due to others, the other of one's
own self-respect. My reply to Himilco is this: I have never ceased to
disapprove of the war, nor shall I ever cease to censure your invincible
general until I see the war ended upon conditions that are tolerable. Nothing
will banish my regret for the old peace that we have broken except the
establishment of a new one. Those details which Mago has proudly
enumerated make Himilco and the rest of Hannibal's caucus very happy; they
might make me happy too, for a successful war, if we choose to make a wise
use of our good fortune, will bring us a more favourable peace. If we let this
opportunity slip, when we are in a position to offer rather than submit to
terms of peace, I fear that our rejoicing will become extravagant and finally
turn out to be groundless. But even now, what is it that you are rejoicing at?
'I have slain the armies of the enemy; send me troops.' What more could you
ask for, if you had been defeated? 'I have captured two of the enemy's
camps, filled, of course, with plunder and supplies; send me corn and
money.' What more could you want if you had been despoiled, stripped of
your own camp? And that I may not be the only one to be surprised at your
delight -for as I have answered Himilco, I have a perfect right to ask
questions in my turn -I should be glad if either Himilco or Mago would tell
me, since, you say, the battle of Cannae has all but destroyed the power of
Rome and the whole of Italy is admittedly in revolt, whether, in the first
place, any single community of the Latin nation has come over to us, and,
secondly, whether a single man out of the thirty-five Roman tribes has
deserted to Hannibal." Mago answered both questions in the negative. "Then
there are still," Hanno continued, "far too many of the enemy left. But I
should like to know how much courage and confidence that vast multitude
possess."
