22.41
An
incident occurred which still further encouraged Varro's impetuous and
headstrong temperament. Parties were sent to drive off the foragers; a
confused fight ensued owing to the soldiers rushing forward without any
preconcerted plan or orders from their commanders, and the contest went
heavily against the Carthaginians. As many as 1700 of them were killed, the
loss of the Romans and the allies did not amount to more than 100. The
consuls commanded on alternate days, and that day happened to be Paulus'
turn. He checked the victors who were pursuing the enemy in great disorder,
for he feared an ambuscade. Varro was furious, and loudly exclaimed that
the enemy had been allowed to slip out of their hands, and if the pursuit had
not been stopped the war could have been brought to a close. Hannibal did
not very much regret his losses, on the contrary he believed that they would
serve as a bait to the impetuosity of the consul and his newly-raised troops,
and that he would be more headstrong than ever. What was going on in the
enemy's camp was quite as well known to him as what was going on in his
own; he was fully aware that there were differences and quarrels between the
commanders, and that two-thirds of the army consisted of recruits. The
following night he selected what he considered a suitable position for an
ambuscade, and marched his men out of camp with nothing but their arms,
leaving all the property, both public and private, behind in the camp. He then
concealed the force behind the hills which enclosed the valley, the infantry to
the left and the cavalry to the right, and took the baggage train through the
middle of the valley, in the hope of surprising the Romans whilst plundering
the apparently deserted camp and hampered with their plunder. Numerous
fires were left burning in the camp in order to create the impression that he
wished to keep the consuls in their respective positions until he had traversed
a considerable distance in his retreat. Fabius had been deceived by the same
stratagem the previous year.
