22.27
Owing
to his success and popularity Minucius had been almost unbearable before,
but now that he had won as great a victory over Fabius as over Hannibal, his
boastful arrogance knew no bounds. "The man," he exclaimed, "who was
selected as the only general who would be a match for Hannibal has now, by
an order of the people, been put on a level with his second in command; the
Dictator has to share his powers with the Master of the Horse. There is no
precedent for this in our annals, and it has been done in that very State in
which Masters of the Horse have been wont to look with dread upon the
rods and axes of Dictators. So brilliant have been my good fortune and my
merits. If the Dictator persists in that dilatoriness and inaction which have
been condemned by the judgment of gods and men, I shall follow my good
fortune wherever it may lead me." Accordingly on his first meeting with Q.
Fabius, he told him that the very first thing that had to be settled was the
method in which they should exercise their divided authority. The best plan,
he thought, would be for them each to take supreme command on alternate
days, or, if he preferred it, at longer intervals. This would enable whichever
general was in command to meet Hannibal with tactics and strength equal to
his own should an opportunity arise of striking a blow. Q. Fabius met this
proposal with a decided negative. Everything, he argued, which his
colleague's rashness might prompt would be at the mercy of Fortune; though
his command was shared with another, he was not wholly deprived of it; he
would never therefore voluntarily give up what power he still possessed of
conducting operations with common sense and prudence, and though he
refused to agree to a division of days or periods of command, he was
prepared to divide the army with him and use his best foresight and judgment
to preserve what he could as he could not save all. So it was arranged that
they should adopt the plan of the consuls and share the legions between
them. The first and fourth went to Minucius, Fabius retained the second and
third. The cavalry and the contingents supplied by the Latins and the allies
were also divided equally between them. The Master of the Horse even
insisted upon separate camps.
