HOW THE ROMANS CONQUERED CARTHAGE 87
helplessly . Then they set to work to build a road - no small task , for it must be strong enough to support the elephants . There were no idlers; the men were working for their lives, and in a few days both men and elephants were in northern Italy .
But meanwhile what had the Romans been doing to de fend their country ? They had done what they supposed was wise , for they never dreamed that Hannibal would attempt to march through Gaul and come down upon them from the north . They sent one army to Sicily , thence to Africa ; and another under Publius Cor-ne'li-us Scip'i-o to Spain . On the way to Spain Scipio learned that Hannibal had already crossed the Pyrenees , and pursued him as far as the Rhone . There he found that the Carthaginian general was three days ahead . He understood then what Hannibal was planning to do . The Romans now sent troops to northern Italy by rapid marches , for news had come that the Gauls were joining the lines of the Carthaginians.
The two armies met on the banks of the Ti -ci'nus River . The Romans were much troubled ; for a wolf entered the camp and escaped , and a swarm of bees settled on a tree beneath which the general's tent was pitched , and they feared that these were omens of evil . The Carthaginians, on the other hand , were happy and eager for battle . Their com mander had taken his stand before them , promising them land and money and citizenship . After this he had taken a lamb in one hand and a stone in the other , and calling the gods as witnesses to his truth , he had slain the lamb as a sacrifice. Then came the battle of the Ticinus . Hannibal
88 STORY OF THE ROMAN PEOPLE
was victorious there and also later on , in the battles fought at the Tre'bi -a River and at Lake Tras - i -me'nus .
The people of Rome were in great distress. Crowds stood at the gates to get the first news from their friends in the army. The senate sat from sunrise to sunset for several days; and while they were in session , word came that Hannibal was winning still more battles . A dictator was chosen , Quin'tus Fabius Maximus . He saw to it that sacrifices should be of fered and games and temples vowed to the gods . He strength ened the walls of Rome , cut down the bridges over the Tiber , and also burned the houses and destroyed the growing corn where Hannibal was expected to march . Then he set out to pursue the invader.
Hannibal had meanwhile crossed Italy to the Adriatic shores, and was moving slowly southward, plundering as he went . Fabius did not dare to engage in open battle , for if he lost , Rome could hardly be saved ; but he kept close watch of Hannibal, cut off scattered parties of soldiers, and harassed the Carthaginian army in every way possible. The Romans could not have acted more wisely , but the soldiers were al most frantic . Hannibal was destroying their homes, and the dictator would not permit them to strike a blow . They angrily called him Cunctator," the delayer . They even declared that he was a traitor to Rome . The Roman people believed that they had made a mistake in choosing him as dictator, and they now chose another commander as co ' dictator . This co -dictator attempted a battle ; but if Fabius had not hurried to his assistance, the army would have been lost . Then the Romans began to see that Fabius had been
HOW THE ROMANS CONQUERED CARTHAGE 89
wiser than they. They hailed him as savior of his country , and his nickname of Cunctator became a title of honor.
The following year the Romans raised new troops , and now they thought they might venture to meet Hannibal in battle . They had twice as many men as he ; but the hitherto invincible Romans had met their match , for at Can'næ in A-pu'li-a they experienced the most terrible defeat that Rome had ever known . Hannibal sent his brother home to Carthage to report the news of the victory . It was so amaz ing that the Carthaginians would hardly believe him , and to prove his story he poured out a peck of gold rings in the ves tibule of the senate house . These are from the fingers of the Roman nobles who were slain at Cannæ ," he said .
There was rejoicing in Carthage, but Rome was almost in despair. The first thought of many was to flee, to leave Rome, even to leave Italy ; but the senate closed the city gates . Every one thought that Hannibal would attack Rome, but he did not . One of his officers urged him to do so , but he refused . You know how to gain a victory, but not how to use one," muttered the officer as he turned away .
Hannibal himself had lost an immense number of men , not only in battle , but by the sufferings and dangers of the march from Spain . He begged Carthage for more men and for money to pay his troops ; but his countrymen were inclined to think that if he could win such victories as he had already won , he had troops enough , and that as for gold , so successful a commander ought to be able to capture it from the enemy ; therefore they were slow in helping him . He was disap pointed that so few of the Italian cities joined him . Capua