21.22
Spain
also had to be provided for, all the more so as Hannibal was fully aware that
Roman commissioners had been going all about the country to win over the
leading men of the various tribes. He placed it in charge of his energetic and
able brother, Hasdrubal, and assigned him an army mainly composed of
African troops -11,850 native infantry, 300 Ligurians, and 500 Balearics. In
addition to this body of infantry there were 450 Libyphoenician cavalry -these are a mixed race of Punic and aboriginal African descent -some 1800
Numidians and Moors, dwellers on the shore of the Mediterranean, and a
small mounted contingent of 300 Ilergetes raised in Spain. Finally, that his
land force might be complete in all its parts, there were twenty-one
elephants. The protection of the coast required a fleet, and as it was natural
to suppose that the Romans would again make use of that arm in which they
had been victorious before, Hasdrubal had assigned to him a fleet of 57
warships, including 50 quinqueremes, 2 quadriremes, and 5 triremes, but
only 32 quinqueremes and the 5 triremes were ready for sea. From Gades he
returned to the winter quarters of his army at New Carthage, and from New
Carthage he commenced his march on Italy. Passing by the city of Onusa, he
marched along the coast to the Ebro. The story runs that whilst halting there
he saw in a dream a youth of god-like appearance who said that he had been
sent by Jupiter to act as guide to Hannibal on his march to Italy. He was
accordingly to follow him and not to lose sight of him or let his eyes wander.
At first, filled with awe, he followed him without glancing round him or
looking back, but as instinctive curiosity impelled him to wonder what it was
that he was forbidden to gaze at behind him, he could no longer command
his eyes. He saw behind him a serpent of vast and marvellous bulk, and as it
moved along trees and bushes crashed down everywhere before it, whilst in
its wake there rolled a thunder-storm. He asked what the monstrous portent
meant, and was told that it was the devastation of Italy; he was to go
forward without further question and allow his destiny to remain hidden.
