of the war, kept constantly annoying the patricians, and thought that he alone should have the leadership in view of the quiet behavior of his colleague.  Now they both reached the camp at a most opportune time:  Hannibal had no longer any provender; Spain was in turmoil; the affection of the allies was being alienated from him:  and if they had waited for even the briefest possible period, they would have conquered without trouble.  As matters went, however, the heedlessness of Terentius and the submissiveness of Paulus, who always desired the proper course but assented to his colleague in most points—­so sure is gentleness to be overcome by audacity,—­compassed their defeat. (Mai, p. 196.  Zonaras, 9, 1.)

22. ¶ In the melee of the war not even the boldest possessed a hope so buoyant as to rise above the fear that arose from its uncertainty.  The surer they felt of conquering the more did they tremble for fear they might in some way come to grief.  Those who are ignorant of a matter by reason of their very lack of perception are not awaiting anything terrible, but the boldness derived from calculation [lacuna] (Six pages are lacking.) (Mai, p. 196.)

23.  At the time when burst this frightful war, a terrific earthquake occurred, so that mountains were cleft asunder and showers of great stones poured down from heaven.  But they, fighting vigorously, perceived none of these things.  At last so great a multitude of Roman warriors fell that Hannibal, the general, in sending to Sicily the finger-rings of the generals and the other men of repute filled many bushel and peck measures—­so great a multitude that the noble, foremost Roman women ran lamenting to the temples in Rome and with the hairs of their heads cleansed the statues there;—­and later had intercourse with both slaves and barbarians (because the Roman land had been utterly impoverished of men), to the end that their race might not be every whit extirpated.  Rome at that time, after the utter loss of all her citizens, stood inglorious through many day-coursing cycles.  Her old men sitting at her outer gates bewailed the disaster most grievous to be borne and asked ever and anon the passers-by whether any one perchance were left alive.  (Tzetzes, Hist. 1, 767-785. (Cp.  Fragm.  LVI, 19, which precedes this.) Cp.  Zonaras, 9, 1.)

24. ¶ Scipio, on learning that some of the Romans were prepared to abandon Rome, and indeed all Italy, because they felt it was destined to fall into the hands of the Carthaginians, yet found a way to restrain them.  Sword in hand he sprang suddenly into the room where they were conferring, and after himself swearing to take all proper measures both of word and act he made them also devote themselves by oath to utter destruction, should they fail to keep their pledges to him.  Later these men reached a harmonious decision and wrote to the consul that they were safe enough.  He, however, did not at once write or despatch a messenger to Rome; on reaching Canusium he set in order affairs at that place, sent to the regions in proximity garrisons sufficient for immediate needs, and repulsed a cavalry attack upon the city.  Altogether, he displayed neither dejection nor terror, but with an unbending spirit, as if no serious evil had befallen them, he both planned and executed all measures of immediate benefit. (Valesius, p. 598.  Zonaras, 9, 2.)