enced the battle at the proper time, or
strengthened his line with reserves, or that he discharged any duty of a
good consul? or did you yourself, when the Roman legions were beaten, of
your own judgment dismount the cavalry and restore the fight? then when
you and the horsemen with you were cut off from our army, did either the
consul himself come to your relief, or did he send you succour? Then
again, on the following day, had you any assistance any where? or did
you and your cohort by your own bravery make your way into your camp?
Did you find a consul or an army in the camp, or did you find the camp
forsaken, the wounded soldiers left behind? These things are to be
declared by you this day, as becomes your valour and honour, by which
alone the republic has stood its ground on this day. In a word, where is
Caius Sempronius, where are our legions? Have you been deserted, or have
you deserted the consul and the army? In a word, have we been defeated,
or have we gained the victory?"

41. In answer to these questions the language of Tempanius is said to
have been entirely devoid of elegance, but firm as became a soldier, not
vainly parading his own merits, nor exulting in the inculpation of
others: "How much military skill Caius Sempronius possessed, that it was
not his business as a soldier to judge with respect to his commander,
but the business of the Roman people when they were choosing consuls at
the election. Wherefore that they should not require from him a detail
of the plans to be adopted by a general, nor of the qualifications to be
looked for in a consul; which matters required to be considered by great
minds and great capacities; but what he saw, that he could state. That
before he was separated from his own party, he saw the consul fighting
in the first line, encouraging his men, actively employed amid the Roman
ensigns and the weapons of the enemy; that he was afterwards carried out
of sight of his friends. That from the din and shouting he perceived
that the contest was protracted till night; nor did he think it
possible, from the great numbers of the enemy, that they could force
their way to the eminence which he had seized on. Where the army might
be, he did not know; he supposed that as he protected himself and his
men, by advantage of situation when in danger, in the same way the
consul, for the purpose of preserving his army, had selected a more
secure place for his camp. Nor did he think that the affa