21.45
After
the fighting spirit of both armies had been roused by these harangues, the
Romans threw a bridge over the Ticinus and constructed a blockhouse for its
defence. Whilst they were thus occupied, the Carthaginian sent Maharbal
with a troop of 500 Numidian horse to ravage the lands of the allies of
Rome, but with orders to spare those of the Gauls as far as possible, and to
win over their chiefs to his side. When the bridge was completed the Roman
army crossed over in the territory of the Insubres and took up a position five
miles from Ictumuli, where Hannibal had his camp. As soon as he saw that a
battle was imminent, he hastily recalled Maharbal and his troopers. Feeling
that he could never say enough by way of admonition and encouragement to
his soldiers, he ordered an assembly, and before the whole army offered
definite rewards in the hope of which they were to fight. He said that he
would give them land wherever they wished, in Italy, Africa, or Spain, which
would be free from all taxation for the recipient and for his children; if any
preferred money to land, he would satisfy his desires; if any of the allies
wished to become Carthaginian citizens he would give them the opportunity;
if any preferred to return to their homes he would take care that their
circumstances should be such that they would never wish to exchange them
with any of their countrymen. He even promised freedom to the slaves who
followed their masters, and to the masters, for every slave freed, two more
as compensation. To convince them of his determination to carry out these
promises, he held a lamb with his left hand and a flint knife in his right and
prayed to Jupiter and the other gods, that, if he broke his word and forswore
himself they would slay him as he had slain the lamb. He then crushed the
animal's head with the flint. They all felt then that the gods themselves would
guarantee the fulfilment of their hopes, and looked upon the delay in
bringing on an action as delay in gaining their desires; with one mind and one
voice they clamoured to be led into battle.
