27.12
After
despatching their business in Rome the consuls started for the war. Fulvius
was the first to leave and went on in advance to Capua. After a few days
Fabius followed, and in a personal interview with his colleague strongly
urged him, as he had Marcellus by letter, to do his utmost to keep Hannibal
on the defensive while he himself was attacking Tarentum. He pointed out
that the enemy had now been driven back on all sides, and if he were
deprived of that city there would be no position where he could make a
stand, no sure place for retreat, there would be no longer anything to keep
him in Italy. He also sent a message to the commandant of the garrison
which Laevinus had stationed in Regium as a check against the Bruttii. This
was a force of 8000 men, the majority drawn, as stated above, from
Agathyrna in Sicily, and all accustomed to live by rapine; their numbers had
been swelled by deserters from Bruttium, who were quite their equals in
recklessness and love of desperate adventures. Fabius ordered the
commandant to take this force into Bruttium and lay waste the country and
then attack the city of Caulonia. They carried out their orders with alacrity
and zest, and after plundering and scattering the peasants, they made a
furious attack on the citadel. The consul's letter and his own belief that no
Roman general was so good a match for Hannibal as himself stirred
Marcellus into action. As soon as there was plenty of forage in the fields he
broke up his winter quarters and confronted Hannibal at Canusium. The
Carthaginian was trying to induce the Canusians to revolt, but as soon as he
heard of the approach of Marcellus, he moved away. As the country was
open, affording no cover for an ambuscade, he began to withdraw into a
more wooded district. Marcellus followed at his heels, fixed his camp close
to Hannibal's, and the moment he had completed his entrenchments he led
his legions out to battle. Hannibal saw no necessity for risking a general
engagement, and sent out detached troops of cavalry and bodies of slingers
to skirmish. He was, however, drawn into the battle which he had tried to
avoid, for after he had been marching all night, Marcellus caught him up in
level and open country, and prevented him from fortifying his camp by
attacking the entrenching parties on all sides. A pitched battled ensued in
which the whole strength of both armies was engaged, and at the approach
of nightfall they separated on equal terms. Both the camps, separated by only
a small interval, were hastily fortified before dark. As soon as it began to
grow light on the morrow Marcellus marched his men on to the field and
Hannibal accepted the challenge. He said much to encourage his men,
bidding them remember Thrasymenus and Cannae, and tame the insolence of
their foe, who was incessantly pressing them and following on their heels,
preventing them from fortifying their camp, giving them no breathing space,
no time to look round. Day after day two objects met their eyes at the same
time, the rising sun and the Roman battle-line on the plain. If the enemy got
away with heavy loss after one battle, he would conduct his operations more
quietly and deliberately. Animated by their general's words and exasperated
at the defiant way in which the enemy challenged and provoked them, they
began the battle with great spirit. After more than two hours' fighting the
allied contingent on the Roman right including the special levies, began to
give way. As soon as Marcellus saw this he brought the 10th legion up to the
front. They were slow in coming up, and as the others were becoming
unsteady and falling back, the whole line was gradually thrown into disorder
and ultimately routed. Their fears got the better of them and they took to
flight. 2700 Romans and allies fell in the battle and during the pursuit;
amongst them were four centurions and two military tribunes, M. Licinius
and M. Helvius. Four standards were lost out of the wing which began the
fight, and two from the legion which came up in support.