4. ¶Hannibal before beginning operations called together the soldiers and brought in the captives whom he had taken by the way:  he enquired of the latter whether they wished to undergo imprisonment in fetters and to endure a grievous slavery or to fight in single combat one with another on condition that the victors should be released.  When they chose the second alternative, he set them to fighting.  And at the end of the conflict he said:  “Now is it not shameful, fellow-soldiers, that these men who have been captured by us are so disposed toward bravery as to be eager to die in place of becoming slaves, whereas we shrink from incurring a little toil and danger for the purpose of not being subservient to others,—­yes, and ruling them besides?” (Mai, p.192.  Zonaras, 8, 23.)

5.  All the sufferings that we have endured when occasionally defeated by the enemy we will inflict upon them, if we are victorious.  Be well assured that by conquering we shall obtain all the benefits that I mention, but if conquered we shall not even have a safe means of escape.  The victor straightway finds everything friendly, even if possibly it hates him, and to the vanquished no one even of his own household pays any longer heed. (Mai, pp. 543 and 192.)

6. ¶To have once failed in an enterprise against some foes puts them forever out of countenance, and is a preventative of any future courage.  (Mai, p. 192.)

7.  For the whole Gallic race is naturally more or less eccentric and cowardly and faithless.  Just as they are readily emboldened in the face of hopes, so (only more readily) when frightened do they fall into a panic.  The fact that they were no more faithful to the Carthaginians will teach the rest of mankind a lesson never to dare to invade Italy.  (Mai, p. 192.  Cp.  Zonaras, 8, 24.)

8. ¶Many portents, [Footnote:  Cp.  Livy XXI, 62, and XXII, I, 8-20.] some of which had actually occurred and others which were the product of idle talk, became the subject of conversation.  For when persons get seriously frightened and those [lacuna] are in reality proven to have occurred to them, oftentimes others are imagined.  And if once any of the former phenomena is believed, heedlessly at once the rest [lacuna]

Accordingly, the sacrifices were offered and all the other ceremonies were accomplished which men are in the habit of performing for the cure of their temporary terror and for escape from expected ruin.  Yet the race of men is wont to trust such agencies, hoping in the line of improvement, and so now, even if because of the greatness of the danger awaited they thought that the harshest fate would fall upon them, still they kept hoping that they would not be defeated. (Mai, p. 192.)

9. ¶ The Romans proclaimed Fabius dictator, satisfied if they could themselves survive, and neither despatched any aid to the allies nor [lacuna] but learning that Hannibal had turned aside from Campania, they made sure of the former’s safety through fear that they might change sides either willingly or under compulsion. (Mai, p. 193.  Zonaras, 8, 25.)