er quarters
on the first and uncertain indications of spring, he leads them into
Etruria, intending to gain that nation to his side, like the Gauls and
Ligurians, either by force or favour. As he was crossing the
Apennines, so furious a storm attacked him, that it almost surpassed
the horrors of the Alps. When the rain and wind together were driven
directly against their faces, they at first halted, because their arms
must either be cast away, or striving to advance against the storm
they were whirled round by the hurricane, and dashed to the ground:
afterwards, when it now stopped their breath, nor suffered them to
respire, they sat down for a little, with their backs to the wind.
Then indeed the sky resounded with loud thunder, and the lightnings
flashed between its terrific peals; all, bereft of sight and hearing,
stood torpid with fear. At length, when the rain had spent itself, and
the fury of the wind was on that account the more increased, it seemed
necessary to pitch the camp in that very place where they had been
overtaken by the storm. But this was the beginning of their labours,
as it were, afresh; for neither could they spread out nor fix any
tent, nor did that which perchance had been put up remain, the wind
tearing through and sweeping every thing away: and soon after, when
the water raised aloft by the wind had been frozen above the cold
summits of the mountains, it poured down such a torrent of snowy hail,
that the men, casting away every thing, fell down upon their faces,
rather buried under than sheltered by their coverings; and so extreme
an intensity of cold succeeded, that when each wished to raise and
lift himself from that wretched heap of men and beasts of burden, he
was for a long time unable, because their sinews being stiffened by
the cold, they had great difficulty in bending their joints.
Afterwards, when, by continually moving themselves to and fro, they
succeeded in recovering the power of motion, and regained their
spirits, and fires began to be kindled in a few places, every helpless
man had recourse to the aid of others. They remained as if blockaded
for two days in that place. Many men and beasts of burden, and also
seven elephants, of those which had remained from the battle fought at
the Trebia, were destroyed.

59. Having descended from the Apennines, he moved his camp back
towards Placentia, and having proceeded as far as ten miles, took up
his station. On the following day he lea