was one of present, but not constant, supply, consisting, as it did, of plantations and vineyards, and all places planted luxurious rather than useful produce.  This intelligence was to Fabius by his scouts.  When he felt convinced that he would return by the same narrow pass through which he had entered the Falernian territory, he occupied Mount Callicula and Casilinum with a pretty strong guard.  Which city, intersected by the river Vulturnus, divides the Falernian and Campanian territories.  He himself leads back his troops along the same heights, having sent Lucius Hostilius Mancinus with four hundred of the allied cavalry to reconnoitre; who being one of the crowd of youths who had often heard the master of the horse fiercely haranguing, at first advanced after the manner of a scout, in order that he might observe the enemy in security; and when he saw the Numidians scattered widely throughout the villages, having gotten an opportunity, he also slew a few of them.  But from that moment his mind was engrossed with the thoughts of a battle, and the injunctions of the dictator were forgotten, who had charged him, when he had advanced as far as he could with safety, to retreat before he came within the enemy’s view.  The Numidians, party after party, skirmishing and retreating, drew the general almost to their camp, to the fatigue of his men and horses.  Then Karthalo, who had the command of the cavalry, charging at full speed, and having put them to flight before he came within a dart’s throw, pursued them for five miles almost in a continuous course.  Mancinus, when he saw that the enemy did not desist from the pursuit, and that there was no hope of escape, having encouraged his troops, turned back to the battle though inferior in every kind of force.  Accordingly he himself, and the choicest of his cavalry, being surrounded, are cut to pieces.  The rest in disorderly retreat fled first to Cales, and thence to the dictator, by ways almost impassable.  It happened that on that day Minucius had formed a junction with Fabius, having been sent to secure with a guard the pass above Tarracina, which, contracted into a narrow gorge, overhangs the sea, in order that Hannibal might not be able to get into the Roman territory by the Appian way’s being unguarded.  The dictator and master of the horse, uniting their forces, lead them down into the road through which Hannibal was about to march his troops.  The enemy was two miles from that place.

16.  The following day the Carthaginians filled the whole road between the two camps with his troops in marching order; and though the Romans had taken their stand immediately under their rampart, having a decidedly superior position, yet the Carthaginian came up with his light horse and, with a view to provoke the enemy, carried on a kind of desultory attack, first charging and then retreating.  The Roman line remained in its position.  The battle was slow and more conformable to the wish of the dictator