26.10
In the
midst of this turmoil and excitement Fulvius Flaccus entered Rome with his
army. He passed through the Porta Capena and marched right through the
City past the Cavinae and the Esquiliae, and out again through the Colline
Gate, entrenching himself on ground between the Colline and Esquiline
Gates. Here the plebeian aediles furnished him with provisions. The consuls,
attended by the senate, visited him in his camp, and a council was held to
consider what measures the supreme interests of the republic demanded. It
was decided that the consuls should form entrenched camps in the vicinity of
the Colline and Esquiline Gates, the City praetor taking command of the
Citadel and the Capitol, and that the senate should remain in permanent
session in the Forum in case any sudden emergency should need to be
provided against. Hannibal had now moved his camp to the Anio at a
distance of three miles from the City. From this position, he advanced with a
body of 2000 cavalry towards the Colline Gate as far as the temple of
Hercules, and from that point he rode up and made as close an inspection as
he could of the walls and the situation of the City. Flaccus was furious with
indignation at this calm and leisurely proceeding and sent some cavalry with
orders to clear the enemy and drive them back to their camp. There were
some 1200 Numidian deserters stationed on the Aventine at the time, and the
consuls sent orders to them to ride through the City to the Esquiliae, as they
considered none more fitted to fight amongst the hollows and garden walls
and sepulchres and enclosed paths all around that part of the City. When
those on guard at the Citadel and the Capitol saw them trotting down the
Publician hill they shouted out that the Aventine was taken. This caused so
much confusion and panic that, had not the Carthaginian camp been outside
the City, the terrified population would have poured out of the gates. As it
was, they took refuge in the houses and various buildings, and seeing some
of their own people walking in the streets, they took them for enemies and
attacked them with stones and missiles. It was impossible to calm the
excitement or to rectify the mistake, as the streets were packed with crowds
of country people with their cattle, whom the sudden danger had driven into
the City. The cavalry action was successful and the enemy were driven off. It
became necessary, however, to quell the disturbances which, without the
slightest reason, were breaking out in many quarters, and the senate decided
that all who had been Dictators, consuls or censors should be invested with
the imperium until the enemy had retired from the walls. During the
remainder of the day and throughout the night, many such disturbances arose
and were promptly repressed.
