23.49
On the
appointed day three syndicates appeared, consisting each of nineteen
members, prepared to tender for the contracts. They insisted on two
conditions -one was that they should be exempt from military service whilst
they were employed on this public business, and the other that the cargoes
they shipped should be insured by the government against storm or capture.
Both demands were conceded, and the administration of the State was
carried on with private money. Such were the moral tone and lofty
patriotism which pervaded all ranks of society! As the contracts had been
entered into from a generous and noble spirit, so they were executed with
the utmost conscientiousness; the soldiers received as ample supplies as
though they had been furnished, as they once were, from a rich treasury.
When these supplies reached Spain, the town of Iliturgi, which had gone
over to the Romans, was being attacked by three Carthaginian armies under
Hasdrubal, Mago, and Hannibal, the son of Bomilcar. Between these three
camps the Scipios forced their way into the town after hard fighting and
heavy losses. They brought with them a quantity of corn, of which there was
a great scarcity, and encouraged the townsfolk to defend their walls with the
same courage that they saw the Roman army display when fighting on their
behalf. Then they advanced to attack the largest of the three camps, of which
Hasdrubal was in command. The other two commanders and their armies
saw that the decisive struggle would be fought there and they hastened to its
support. As soon as they had emerged from their camps the fighting began.
There were 60,000 of the enemy engaged that day and about 16,000
Romans. And yet the victory was such a crushing one that the Romans slew
more than their own number of the enemy, made prisoners of more than
3000, captured somewhat less than 1000 horses, 59 military standards, 7
elephants, 5 having been killed in the battle, and got possession of the three
camps -all in that one day. After the siege of Iliturgi was thus raised, the
Carthaginian armies marched to attack Intibili. They had repaired their losses
out of that province which, above all others, was eager for fighting, if only
plunder and money were to be got out of it, and which, too, abounded in
young men. A pitched battle was again fought with the same result for both
sides. Over 13,000 of the enemy were killed, more than 2000 made
prisoners, 42 standards and 9 elephants were also taken. And now nearly all
the tribes of Spain went over to Rome, and the successes gained in Spain
that summer were far greater than those in Italy.
End of Book 23