Now that Mago had joined Hasdrubal and Lucius his brother Scipio, at first they would make descents into the plain and fight strenuously with their cavalry, and later they would array their whole army in line of battle but did not do any fighting.  This went on for several days.  When the clash finally came, the Carthaginians themselves and their allies were defeated, their stronghold was taken by the Romans, and the Romans made use of the provisions in it.  This Scipio had prophesied, as the story goes, three days before.  For when materials for food had failed them he predicted—­by what prompting is unknown—­:  “On such and such a day we shall make use of the enemy’s store.”—­After this he left Silanus to take care of the surviving opponents and himself took his departure to the other cities, many of which he won over.  When he had brought order into the newly acquired territory he took up his winter abode there.  His brother Lucius he despatched to Rome to report the progress made, to convey the captives thither, and to investigate how the people of Rome felt toward him.

IX, 9.—­The dwellers in Italy had suffered from disease and had encountered hardships in battles, for some of the Etruscans had rebelled.  But what grieved them more than all else was the fact that they had lost Marcellus.  They had been making a campaign against Hannibal, who chanced to be at Locri, and both the consuls had been surrounded by an ambuscade, Marcellus perishing instantly and Crispinus dying from a wound not long after.  Hannibal found the body of Marcellus and taking his ring with which Marcellus was accustomed to seal his documents he would forward letters to the cities purporting to come from him.  He was accomplishing whatever he pleased until Crispinus became aware of it and sent them a warning to be on their guard.  As a result of this the tables were turned upon Hannibal.  He had sent a message to the citizens of Salapia through a fictitious deserter, and approached the walls in the guise of Marcellus, using the Latin language in company with other men who understood it, in order to be taken for Romans.  The Salapini, informed of his artifice, were artful enough in turn to pretend that they believed Marcellus was really approaching.  Then drawing up the portcullis they admitted as many as it seemed to them they could conveniently dispose of and killed them all.  Hannibal withdrew at once on learning that Locri was being besieged by the Romans, who had sailed against it from Sicily.

Publius Sulpicius assisted by AEtolians and other allies devastated a large part of Achaea.  But as soon as Philip the Macedonian formed an alliance with the Achaeans, the Romans would have been driven out of Greece completely but for the fact that the helmet of Philip fell off and the AEtolians got possession of it.  For in this way a report reached Macedonia that he was dead and a factional uprising took place; Philip, consequently, fearing that he should be deprived of his kingdom, hastened to Macedonia.  Then the Romans stuck to their places in Greece and conquered a few cities.