25.38
His
plan seemed a desperate one, considering the position he was in, and might
easily be upset by some unforeseen incident creating a panic in the night. To
guard against these dangers as far as possible, he thought it well to address
some words of encouragement to his men. He called them together and
made the following speech to them: "My loyalty and affection for my old
commanders whether living or dead, as well as the situation in which we
now find ourselves, ought to convince every one of you, soldiers, that this
command, honourable as you rightly deem it to be, is, as a matter of fact, a
position of very grave anxiety. For at a moment when I was hardly sufficient
master of myself -did not fear dull the sense of pain -to find any comfort in
my distress, I saw myself compelled to take thought alone for you all, the
hardest thing in the world in a time of grief. Even when I have to consider
how I can possibly preserve for my country you who are all that remain out
of two armies, it is still a grief to have to divert my thoughts from a sorrow
that is ever with me. Bitter memories vex me; the two Scipios haunt me in
anxious thoughts by day and in dreams at night; they rouse me from my
slumbers and forbid me to suffer them or their soldiers -your own comrades
who never for eight years knew defeat in these lands -or the republic, to
remain unavenged. They call upon me to follow their example and act on the
principles they laid down; as no man obeyed them more faithfully while they
lived, so now that they are gone they would have me think that what they
would have done on any occasion that arose is the best thing for me also to
do. And I would have you, my soldiers, not follow them with tears and
laments as though they had ceased to be, for they live and are strong in the
glory of all that they have done, but go into battle thinking of them as if they
were here to encourage you and give you the signal. Surely it was nothing
else than their image before your eyes which brought about that memorable
battle yesterday, in which you showed your enemy that the Roman name did
not perish with the Scipios, and that a people whose strength and courage
even Cannae could not crush will rise superior to the hardest blows of
fortune.
"Well, as you showed such daring yesterday on your own account,
I want now to see if you will show as much daring at the bidding of your
commander. When I gave the signal yesterday to recall you from your hot
pursuit of your disordered foe it was from no wish to damp your courage but
to reserve it for a greater and more glorious occasion, when you will shortly
be able, prepared and armed, to fall upon the enemy when he is off his guard,
without his arms and even wrapped in slumbers. And in thus hoping, I am
not trusting simply to chance, but have good grounds for what I say. If any
one were to ask you how, few as you are, you managed to defend your camp
against a mighty host, how after your defeat you were able to repel those
who had defeated you from your rampart, you would, I am sure, reply that
this was the very danger you feared, and therefore you strengthened your
defences in every possible way and held yourselves at your posts in
readiness. And such is generally the case; men are least safe when their
circumstances give them no cause for fear; what you think of no importance
you leave open and unguarded. There is nothing which the enemy are less
afraid of than that we who were lately surrounded and attacked should of
our own motion attack their camp. Let us venture where no one can believe
we will venture. The fact that it is thought too difficult will make it all the
easier. I will lead you out in a silent march at the third watch of the night. I
have ascertained that they have no proper arrangement of sentinels and
pickets. When once our shout is heard in their gates the camp will be carried
at the first rush. Then, whilst they are heavy with sleep, panic-struck at the
unlooked-for tumult, and surprised defenceless in their beds, that slaughter
will take place amongst them from which you were, to your intense
disappointment, recalled yesterday.
"I know that the plan seems a daring one, but in difficult
circumstances which leave little to hope for the boldest measures are always
the safest. If, when the critical moment comes, you hang back ever so little
and do not catch the opportunity as it flies past, you will look for it in vain
when once you have let it go. There is one army near us, two more are not
very far away. If we attack them now, there is some hope for us; you have
already tried your strength against theirs. If we put off the day, and after
yesterday's sortie are no longer regarded with contempt, there is the danger
of all the generals and their armies uniting. In that case, shall we withstand
the three generals, the three armies, which Cn. Scipio did not withstand
when his army was in its full strength? As our generals perished owing to
their forces being divided, so the enemy can be crushed in detail while they
are divided. There is no other way of carrying on war; let us, then, wait for
nothing beyond the opportunity of the coming night. Now go, trusting to the
help of the gods and get food and rest so that, fresh and vigorous, you may
break into the enemies' camp in the same courageous spirit in which you
defended your own." They were delighted to hear this new plan from their
new general, and the more daring it was the more it pleased them. The rest
of the day was spent in getting their arms ready and in looking after
themselves. At the fourth watch they began to move.