rmies, particularly three hundred horsemen, the flower of
the Campanian nobility, had been selected and sent by the Romans to
garrison the cities of Sicily.

5. The parents and relations of these men with difficulty obtained
that ambassadors should be sent to the Roman consul. The consul, who
had not yet set out for Canusium, they found at Venusia with a few
half-armed troops, an object of entire commiseration to faithful, but
of contempt to proud and perfidious allies, like the Campanians. The
consul too increased their contempt of himself and his cause, by too
much exposing and exhibiting the disastrous state of his affairs; for
when the ambassadors had delivered their message, which was, that the
senate and people of Capua were distressed that any adverse event
should have befallen the Romans, and were promising every assistance
in prosecuting the war, he observed, "In bidding us order you to
furnish us with all things which are necessary for the war,
Campanians, you have rather observed the customary mode of addressing
allies, than spoken suitably to the present posture of our affairs;
for hath anything been left us at Cannae, so that, as if we possessed
that, we can desire what is wanting to be supplied by our allies? Can
we order a supply of infantry, as if we had any cavalry? Can we say we
are deficient in money, as if that were the only thing we wanted?
Fortune has not even left us anything which we can add to. Our
legions, cavalry, arms, standards, horses, men, money, provisions, all
perished either in the battle, or in the two camps which were lost the
following day. You must, therefore, Campanians, not assist us in the
war, but almost take it upon yourselves in our stead. Call to mind how
formerly at Saticula we received into our protection and defended your
ancestors, when dismayed and driven within their walls; terrified not
only by their Samnite but Sidicinian enemies; and how we carried on,
with varying success, through a period of almost a century, a war with
the Samnites, commenced on your account. Add to this, that when you
gave yourselves up to us we granted you an alliance on equal terms,
that we allowed you your own laws, and lastly, what before the
disaster at Cannae was surely a privilege of the highest value, we
bestowed the freedom of our city on a large portion of you, and held
it in common with you. It is your duty, therefore, Campanians, to look
upon this disaster which has been suffered as y