27.28
Hannibal felt convinced that the enemy
would be thoroughly cowed by the death of one consul and the disablement
of the other, and he determined not to lose the opportunity thus afforded
him. He at once transferred his camp to the hill where the action had been
fought, and here he interred the body of Marcellus, which had been found.
Crispinus, unnerved by the death of his colleague and his own wound, left
his position in the dead of night and fixed his camp on the first mountains he
came to, in a lofty position protected on every side. And now the two
commanders showed great wariness, the one trying to deceive his opponent,
the other taking every precaution against him. When the body of Marcellus
was discovered, Hannibal took possession of his rings. Fearing that the
signet might be used for purposes of forgery, Crispinus sent couriers to all
the cities round, warning them that his colleague was killed and his ring in
the possession of the enemy, so that they were not to trust any missives sent
in the name of Marcellus. Soon after the consul's messenger had arrived at
Salapia, a despatch was received from Hannibal purporting to come from
Marcellus, and stating that he would come to Salapia the night after they
received the letter, and the soldiers of the garrison were to hold themselves
in readiness in case their services should be required. The Salapians saw
through the ruse, and supposed that he was seeking an opportunity for
punishing them, not only for their desertion of the Carthaginian cause, but
also for the slaughter of his cavalry. They sent back the messenger, who was
a Roman deserter, that he might not be cognisant of the measures which they
decided to take, and then made their dispositions. The townsmen took their
places on the walls and other commanding positions, the patrols and sentries
for the night were strengthened and kept a most careful look out, and the
pick of the garrison were formed up near the gate to which the enemy were
expected to come.
Hannibal approached the city about the fourth watch. The head of
the column was formed of Roman deserters; they carried Roman weapons,
their armour was Roman, and they were all speaking Latin. When they
reached the gate, they called up the sentinels and told them to open the gate
as the consul was there. The sentinels, pretending to be just wakened up,
bustled about in hurry and confusion and began slowly and laboriously to
open the gate. It was closed by a portcullis, and by means of levers and
ropes they raised it just high enough for a man to pass upright under it. The
passage was hardly sufficiently clear when the deserters rushed through the
gate, each trying who should be first. About 600 were inside, when suddenly
the rope which held it was let go, and the portcullis fell with a great crash.
The Salapians attacked the deserters, who were marching carelessly along
with their shields hung from their shoulders, as though friends; others on the
gate tower and the walls kept off the enemy outside with stones and long
poles and javelins. So Hannibal, finding himself caught in his own trap, drew
off and proceeded to raise the siege of Locri. Cincius was making a most
determined attack upon the place with siege works and artillery of every kind
which he had brought from Sicily, and Mago was beginning to despair of
holding the place when his hopes were suddenly revived by the news of
Marcellus' death. Then came a messenger with the tidings that Hannibal had
sent his Numidian cavalry on in advance, and was following as rapidly as he
could with his infantry. As soon as the signal was given from the look-out of
the approach of the Numidians, Mago flung the city gate open and made a
vigorous sortie. Owing to the suddenness of his attack which was quite
unlooked for, rather than to his fighting strength, the battle was for some
time an even one, but when the Numidians came up, such a panic seized the
Romans that they abandoned the siege works and the engines with which
they were battering the walls, and fled in disorder to the sea and to their
ships. Thus by the arrival of Hannibal, the siege of Locri was raised.