24.38
After
he had returned from the interview to the citadel, he called his men together
and addressed them as follows: "I think, soldiers, you have heard what has
happened lately and how the Roman garrisons have been surprised and
overwhelmed by the Sicilians. That treachery you have escaped, in the first
place by the good providence of the gods and next by your own steady
courage and by your persistent watchfulness and remaining under arms night
and day. I only hope the rest of our time may be spent without suffering or
inflicting things too horrible to speak about. The precautions we have so far
taken have been against secret treachery; as that has proved unsuccessful
they are now openly demanding the keys of the gates; and no sooner will
they be delivered than Henna will be in the power of the Carthaginians, and
we here shall be butchered with greater cruelty than the garrison of
Murgantia. I have succeeded with difficulty in getting one night allowed for
deliberation so that I could inform you of the impending peril. At daybreak
they are going to hold an assembly of the people at which they will fling
charges against me and stir up the populace against you. So tomorrow
Henna will run with blood, either yours or that of its own citizens. If you are
not beforehand with them, there is no hope for you; if you are, there is no
danger. Victory will fall to him who first draws the sword. So all be on the
alert and wait attentively for the signal. I shall be in the assembly and will
spin out the time by speaking and arguing till everything is perfectly ready,
and when I give the signal with my toga, raise a loud shout and make an
attack on the crowd from all sides and cut everything down with the sword,
and take care that nothing survives from which either open violence or
treachery is to be feared." Then he continued, "You, Mother Ceres and
Proserpina, and all ye deities, celestial and infernal, who have your dwelling
in this city and these sacred lakes and groves -I pray and beseech you to be
gracious and merciful to us if we are indeed purposing to do this deed not
that we may inflict but that we may escape treachery and murder. I should
say more to you, soldiers, if you were going to fight with an armed foe; it is
those who are unarmed and unsuspecting whom you will slay till you are
weary of slaughter. The consul's camp, too, is in the neighbourhood, so
nothing need be feared from Himilco and the Carthaginians."
