ere hid on the slopes of
the mountains above them, and were looking down upon them at that
very moment from behind rocks and bushes. When, therefore, the Romans
had got through the pass, they spread out upon the plain beyond it,
and were advancing to the camp, when suddenly the secreted troops
burst forth from their ambuscade, and, pouring down the mountains,
took complete possession of the pass, and attacked the Romans in the
rear, while Hannibal attacked them in the van. Another long, and
desperate, and bloody contest ensued. The Romans were beaten at every
point, and, as they were hemmed in between the lake, the mountain, and
the pass, they could not retreat; the army was, accordingly, almost
wholly cut to pieces. Flaminius himself was killed.

The news of this battle spread every where, and produced the strongest
sensation. Hannibal sent dispatches to Carthage announcing what he
considered his final victory over the great foe, and the news was
received with the greatest rejoicings. At Rome, on the other hand, the
news produced a dreadful shock of disappointment and terror. It seemed
as if the last hope of resisting the progress of their terrible enemy
was gone, and that they had nothing now to do but to sink down in
despair, and await the hour when his columns should come pouring in
through the gates of the city.

The people of Rome were, in fact, prepared for a panic, for their
fears had been increasing and gathering strength for some time. They
were very superstitious in those ancient days in respect to signs and
omens. A thousand trifling occurrences, which would, at the present
day, be considered of no consequence whatever, were then considered
bad signs, auguring terrible calamities; and, on occasions like these,
when calamities seemed to be impending, every thing was noticed, and
circumstances which would not have been regarded at all at ordinary
times, were reported from one to another, the stories being
exaggerated as they spread, until the imaginations of the people were
filled with mysterious but invincible fears. So universal was the
belief in these prodigies and omens, that they were sometimes formally
reported to the senate, committees were appointed to inquire into
them, and solemn sacrifices were offered to "expiate them," as it was
termed, that is, to avert the displeasure of the gods, which the omens
were supposed to foreshadow and portend.

A very curious list of these omens was reported to the