general the yoke of Carthage might seem to the Africans and
Spaniards the natural dominion of superior beings; in such a
champion the Gauls beheld the appointed instrument of their
country's gods to lead them once more to assault the
Capitol."--Vol. iii. 131-132.

It was the battle of Cannae which first shook the fidelity of the Roman
allies, and by opening to the Carthaginians the gates of Capua, gave
them the command of a city in the south of Italy, second only to Rome
herself in wealth and consideration. Of this great and memorable battle,
when upwards of eighty thousand Romans fell, and their power was, to all
appearance, irrecoverably broken, Arnold give the following interesting
account:--

"The skirmishing of the light-armed troops preluded as usual to
the battle; the Balearian slingers slung their stones like hail
into the ranks of the Roman line, and severely wounded the
consul AEmilius himself. Then the Spanish and Gaulish horse
charged the Romans front to front, and maintained a standing
fight with them, many leaping off their horses and fighting on
foot, till the Romans, outnumbered and badly armed, without
cuirasses, with light and brittle spears, and with shields made
only of ox-hide, were totally routed and driven off the field.
Hasdrubal, who commanded the Gauls and Spaniards, followed up
his work effectually; he chased the Romans along the river,
till he had almost destroyed them, and then, riding off to the
right, he came up to aid the Numidians, who, after their
manner, had been skirmishing indecisively with the cavalry of
the Italian allies. These, on seeing the Gauls and Spaniards
advancing, broke away and fled; the Numidians, most effective
in pursuing a flying enemy, chased them with unweariable speed,
and slaughtered them unsparingly; while Hasdrubal, to complete
his signal services on this day, charged fiercely upon the rear
of the Roman infantry.

"He found its huge masses already weltering in helpless
confusion, crowded upon one another, totally disorganized, and
fighting each man as he best could, but struggling on against
all hope, by mere indomitable courage. For the Roman columns on
the right and left, finding the Gaulish and Spanish foot
advancing in a convex line or wedge, pressed forwards to assail
what seemed the flanks of the e