25.13
Hannibal was still in the neighbourhood
of Tarentum and both the consuls were in Samnium apparently making
preparations for besieging Capua. Famine, generally the result of a long
siege, was already beginning to press upon the Campanians, as they had been
prevented by the Roman armies from sowing their crops. They sent a
message to Hannibal asking him to give orders for corn to be conveyed to
Capua from places in the neighbourhood before the consuls sent their legions
into their fields and all the roads were rendered impassable by the enemy.
Hannibal ordered Hanno who was in Bruttium to march his army into
Campania and see to it that the people of Capua were plentifully supplied
with corn. Hanno accordingly marched into Campania and, carefully
avoiding the consuls who were both encamped in Samnium, he selected a
position for his camp on some rising ground about three miles from
Beneventum. He then issued orders for the corn which had been stored in
the friendly cities round to be carried to his camp, and assigned detachments
to guard the convoys. A message was despatched to Capua stating the day
on which they were to appear in the camp to receive the corn, bringing with
them all the vehicles and beasts they could collect. The Campanians carried
out his instructions with the same slackness and carelessness that they
showed in everything else. Hardly more than four hundred country carts
were sent and a few draught cattle. Hanno scolded them severely, telling
them that even the hunger which rouses the energies of dumb animals failed
to stimulate them to exertion. He then fixed another day for them to come
for corn provided with much more efficient means of transport.
Everything was reported to the people of Beneventum exactly as it
happened. They at once sent a deputation of ten of their principal citizens to
the consuls, both of whom were near Bovianum. On hearing what was going
on at Capua they arranged that one of them should march into Campania.
Fulvius, to whom that province had been assigned, made a night march and
entered Beneventum. He was now in Hanno's immediate neighbourhood and
was informed that he had left with a portion of his army on a foraging
expedition, that corn was supplied to Capua under the superintendence of
the head of his commissariat, that two thousand wagons with a disorderly
and unarmed crowd had arrived at his camp, that haste and confusion
prevailed everywhere, and that the rustics had invaded the camp from all the
country round and destroyed all semblance of military order and all chance
of military discipline. When he had satisfied himself that this information was
correct, he issued an order for his men to get ready their standards and arms
against nightfall -and nothing else -as they would have to attack the
Carthaginian camp. Leaving their kits and all their baggage in Beneventum,
they started at the fourth watch and reached the camp just before dawn.
Their appearance created such alarm that, had the camp been on level
ground, it could undoubtedly have been carried at the first assault. Its
elevated position and its entrenchments saved it; in no direction could it be
approached except by steep and difficult climbing. When day broke a hot
fight commenced; the Carthaginians did not confine themselves to defending
their lines; but being on more even ground themselves they threw down the
enemy who were struggling up the heights.
