23.43
To all
this Hannibal replied: "You Samnites and Hirpini are doing everything at
once; you point out your sufferings and ask for protection and complain of
being unprotected and neglected. But you ought to have first made your
representations, then asked for protection, and if you did not obtain it then
only should you have complained that you had sought help in vain. I shall
not lead my army into the country of the Hirpini and Samnites because I do
not want to be a burden to you, but I shall march into those districts
belonging to the allies of Rome which are nearest to me. By plundering these
I shall satisfy and enrich my soldiers and shall frighten the enemy sufficiently
to make him leave you alone. As to the war with Rome, if Trasumennus was
a more famous battle than the Trebia, if Cannae was more famous than
Trasumennus, I shall make even the memory of Cannae fade in the light of a
greater and more brilliant victory." With this reply and with munificent
presents he dismissed the envoys, and then leaving a somewhat small
detachment on Tifata marched with the rest of his army to Nola, whither
Hanno also came with the reinforcements he had brought from Carthage and
the elephants. Encamping at no great distance, he found out, on inquiry, that
everything was very different from the impression he had received from the
envoys. No one who watched Marcellus' proceedings could ever say that he
trusted to Fortune or gave the enemy a chance through his rashness.
Hitherto his plundering expeditions had been made after careful
reconnoitring, with strong supports for the marauding parties and a secure
retreat. Now when he became aware of the enemy's approach, he kept his
force within the fortifications and ordered the senators of Nola to patrol the
ramparts and keep a sharp lookout all round and find out what the enemy
were doing.
Hanno had come close up to the walls, and, seeing amongst the
senators Herennius Bassus and Herius Pettius, asked for an interview with
them. Having obtained permission from Marcellus they went out to him. He
addressed them through an interpreter. After magnifying the merits and good
fortune of Hannibal and dwelling upon the decaying strength and greatness
of Rome, he went on to urge that even if Rome were what she once had
been, still men who knew by experience how burdensome the Roman
government was to their allies and with what indulgence Hannibal had
treated all those of his prisoners who belonged to any Italian nation must
surely prefer the alliance and friendship of Carthage to those of Rome. If
both the consuls and their two armies had been at Nola, they would still be
no more a match for Hannibal than they were at Cannae, how then could one
praetor with a few raw soldiers defend the place? It was of more importance
to them whether the town were taken or surrendered than it was to
Hannibal; he would get possession of it in any case as he had got possession
of Capua and Nuceria. But what a difference there was between the fate of
Capua and that of Nola, they knew best, situated as they were midway
between the two places. He did not want to prophesy what would happen to
the city if it were captured; he preferred to pledge his word that if they
would give up Marcellus and his garrison and the city of Nola no one but
themselves should dictate the terms on which they would become allies and
friends of Hannibal.
