he oracular utterances: now what befell the Romans was
this. [Sidenote: FRAG. 56^21] THE COMMANDERS WERE AEMILIUS PAULUS AND
TERENTIUS VARRO, MEN NOT OF SIMILAR TEMPERAMENT. FOR THE ONE WAS A
PATRICIAN, POSSESSED OF THE GRACES OF EDUCATION, AND ESTEEMED SAFETY
BEFORE HASTE: BUT TERENTIUS HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP AMONG THE RABBLE, WAS
PRACTICED IN VULGAR BRAVADO, AND SO DISPLAYED LACK OF PRUDENCE IN
NEARLY ALL RESPECTS, THINKING, FOR INSTANCE, THAT HE ALONE SHOULD HAVE
THE LEADERSHIP IN VIEW OF THE QUIET BEHAVIOR OF HIS COLLEAGUE. NOW
THEY BOTH REACHED THE CAMP AT A MOST OPPORTUNE TIME: HANNIBAL HAD NO
LONGER ANY PROVENDER; SPAIN WAS IN TURMOIL; THE AFFECTION OF THE
ALLIES WAS BEING ALIENATED FROM HIM; AND IF THEY HAD WAITED FOR EVEN
THE BRIEFEST POSSIBLE PERIOD, THEY WOULD HAVE CONQUERED. AS MATTERS
WENT, HOWEVER, THE RECKLESSNESS OF TERENTIUS AND THE SUBMISSIVENESS OF
PAULUS COMPASSED THEIR DEFEAT. Hannibal attempted to lead them into a
conflict at once, and with a few followers drew near their stronghold:
then, when a sortie was made, he purposely fell back to create the
impression of being afraid and so drew them the more surely into a set
battle. But, as Paulus restrained his own soldiers from pursuit,
Hannibal simulated terror and that night packed up as if to depart;
and he left behind him numerous articles lying within the palisade and
ordered the rest of the baggage to be escorted with a considerable
show of carelessness so as to make the Romans devote their attention
to plundering it and give him thereby a chance to attack them. He
would have translated his wish into fact, if Paulus had not held back
his soldiers, in spite of their reluctance, and held back Terentius as
well.

So Hannibal, having failed in this essay also, came by night to Cannae,
and since he knew the place as one fit for ambuscades and for a
pitched battle, he encamped there. And first he ploughed the whole
site over, because it had a sandy subsoil and his object was to have a
cloud of dust raised in the conflict; the wind generally springs up
there in summer toward noon, and he contrived to get it behind his
back. The consuls seeing at dawn that his stockade was empty of men at
first waited, apprehending ambush, but later in the broad daylight
came to Cannae. Each of the Roman leaders bivouacked apart beside the
river, for since they were not congenial they avoided association
together. Paulus remained quiet, but Terentius was anxious to force
t