enemy　keeping　himself　upon　the　hills；　pitched　his　camp　in　a　level
  plain；　and　the　next　day　drew　forth　his　army　in　order　for　fight。　Nor
  did　Hannibal　refuse　the　challenge。　They　fought　long　and　obstinately　on
  both　sides；　victory　yet　seeming　undecided；　when；　after　three　hours'
  conflict；　night　hardly　parted　them。　The　next　day；　as　soon　as　the　sun
  was　risen；　Marcellus　again　brought　forth　his　troops；　and　ranged　them
  among　the　dead　bodies　of　the　slain；　challenging　Hannibal　to　solve
  the　question　by　another　trial。　When　he　dislodged　and　drew　off；
  Marcellus；　gathering　up　the　spoils　of　the　enemies；　and　burying　the
  bodies　of　his　slain　soldiers；　closely　followed　him。　And　though
  Hannibal　often　used　stratagems；　and　laid　ambushes　to　entrap　Marcellus；
  yet　he　never　could　circumvent　him。　By　skirmishes；　meantime；　in　all
  of　which　he　was　superior；　Marcellus　gained　himself　such　high　repute；
  that；　when　the　time　of　the　Comitia　at　Rome　was　near　at　hand；　the
  senate　thought　fit　rather　to　recall　the　other　consul　from　Sicily
  than　to　withdraw　Marcellus　from　his　conflict　with　Hannibal；　and　on　his
  arrival　they　bid　him　name　Quintus　Fulvius　dictator。　For　the　dictator
  is　created　neither　by　the　people　nor　by　the　senate；　but　the　consul
  of　the　praetor；　before　the　popular　assembly；　pronounces　him　to　be
  dictator　whom　he　himself　chooses。　Hence　he　is　called　dictator；
  dicere　meaning　to　name。　Others　say　that　he　is　named　dictator　because
  his　word　is　a　law；　and　he　orders　what　he　pleases；　without　submitting
  it　to　the　vote。　For　the　Romans　call　the　orders　of　magistrates　Edicts。
  And　now　because　Marcellus's　colleague；　who　was　recalled　from　Sicily；
  had　a　mind　to　name　another　man　dictator；　and　would　not　be　forced　to
  change　his　opinion；　he　sailed　away　by　night　back　to　Sicily。　So　the
  common　people　made　an　order　that　Quintus　Fulvius　should　be　chosen
  dictator：　and　the　senate；　by　an　express；　commanded　Marcellus　to
  nominate　him。　He　obeying　proclaimed　him　dictator　according　to　the
  order　of　the　people；　but　the　office　of　proconsul　was　continued　to
  himself　for　a　year。　And　having　arranged　with　Fabius　Maximus　that；
  while　he　besieged　Tarentum；　he　would；　by　following　Hannibal　and
  drawing　him　up　and　down；　detain　him　from　coming　to　the　relief　of　the
  Tarentines；　he　overtook　him　at　Canusium：　and　as　Hannibal　often　shifted
  his　camp；　and　still　declined　the　combat；　he　everywhere　sought　to
  engage　him。　At　last；　pressing　upon　him　while　encamping；　by　light
  skirmishes　he　provoked　him　to　a　battle；　but　night　again　divided　them
  in　the　very　heat　of　the　conflict。　The　next　day　Marcellus　again
  showed　himself　in　arms；　and　brought　up　his　forces　in　array。
  Hannibal；　in　extreme　grief；　called　his　Carthaginians　together　to　an
  harangue：　and　vehemently　prayed　them　to　fight　to…day　worthily　of　all
  their　former　success；　〃For　you　see；〃　said　he；　〃how；　after　such　great
  victories；　we　have　not　liberty　to　respire；　nor　to　repose　ourselves；
  though　victors；　unless　we　drive　this　man　back。〃　Then　the　two　armies；
  joining　battle；　fought　fiercely；　when　the　event　of　an　untimely
  movement　showed　Marcellus　to　have　been　guilty　of　an　error。　The　right
  wing　being　hard　pressed　upon；　he　commanded　one　of　the　legions　to　be
  brought　up　to　the　front。　This　change　disturbing　the　array　and
  posture　of　the　legions　gave　the　victory　to　the　enemies；　and　there　fell
  two　thousand　seven　hundred　Romans。　Marcellus；　after　he　had　retreated
  into　his　camp；　called　his　soldiers　together。　〃I　see；〃　said　he；　〃many
  Roman　arms　and　bodies；　but　I　see　not　so　much　as　one　Roman。〃　To　their
  entreaties　for　his　pardon；　he　returned　a　refusal　while　they　remained
  beaten；　but　promised　to　give　it　so　soon　as　they　should　overcome；　and
  he　resolved　to　bring　them　into　the　field　again　the　next　day；　that
  the　fame　of　their　victory　might　arrive　at　Rome　before　that　of　their
  flight。　Dismissing　the　assembly；　he　commanded　barley　instead　of
  wheat　to　be　given　to　those　companies　that　had　turned　their　backs。
  These　rebukes　were　so　bitter　to　the　soldiers；　that　though　a　great
  number　of　them　were　grievously　wounded；　yet　they　relate　there　was
  not　one　to　whom　the　general's　oration　was　not　more　painful　and
  smarting　than　his　wounds。
  The　day　breaking；　a　scarlet　toga；　the　sign　of　instant　battle；　was
  displayed。　The　companies　marked　with　ignominy　begged　they　might　be
  posted　in　the　foremost　place；　and　obtained　their　request。　Then　the
  tribunes　bring　forth　the　rest　of　the　forces；　and　draw　them　up。　On　news
  of　which；　〃O　strange！〃　said　Hannibal；　〃what　will　you　do　with　this　man；
  who　can　bear　neither　good　nor　bad　fortune？　He　is　the　only　man　who
  neither　suffers　us　to　rest　when　he　is　victor；　nor　rests　himself　when
  he　is　overcome。　We　shall　have；　it　seems；　perpetually　to　fight　with
  him；　as　in　good　success　his　confidence；　and　in　ill　success　his
  shame；　still　urges　him　to　some　further　enterprise。〃　Then　the　armies
  engaged。　When　the　fight　was　doubtful；　Hannibal　commanded　the　elephants
  to　be　brought　into　the　first　battalion；　and　to　be　driven　upon　the
  van　of　the　Romans。　When　the　beasts；　trampling　upon　many；　soon　caused
  disorder；　Flavius；　a　tribune　of　soldiers；　snatching　an　ensign；　meets
  them；　and　wounding　the　first　elephant　with　the　spike　at　the　bottom
  of　the　ensign　staff；　puts　him　to　flight。　The　beast　turned　around
  upon　the　next；　and　drove　back　both　him　and　the　rest　that　followed。
  Marcellus；　seeing　this；　pours　in　his　horse　with　great　force　upon　the
  elephants；　and　upon　the　enemy　disordered　by　their　flight。　The　horse；
  making　a　fierce　impression；　pursued　the　Carthaginians　home　to　their
  camp；　while　the　elephants；　wounded　and　running　upon　their　own　party；
  caused　a　considerable　slaughter。　It　is　said　more　than　eight　thousand
  were　slain；　of　the　Roman　army　three　thousand；　and　almost　all
  wounded。　This　gave　Hannibal　opportunity　to　retire　in　the　silence　of
  the　night；　and　to　remove　to　greater　distance　from　Marcellus；　who　was
  kept　from　pursuing　by　the　number　of　his　wounded　men；　and　removed；　by
  gentle　marches；　into　Campania；　and　spent　the　summer　at　Sinuessa；
  engaged　in　restoring　them。
  But　as　Hannibal；　having　disentangled　himself　from　Marcellus；
  ranged　with　his　army　round　about　the　country；　and　wasted　Italy　free
  from　all　fear；　at　Rome　Marcellus　was　evil　spoken　of。　His　detractors
  induced　Publicius　Bibulus；　tribune　of　the　people；　an　eloquent　and
  violent　man；　to　undertake　his　accusation。　He；　by　assiduous
  harangues；　prevailed　upon　the　people　to　withdraw　from　Marcellus　the
  command　of　the　army；　〃Seeing　that　Marcellus；〃　said　he；　〃after　brief
  exercise　in　the　war；　has　withdrawn　as　it　might　be　from　the　wrestling
  ground　to　the　warm　baths　to　refresh　himself。〃　Marcellus；　on　hearing
  this；　appointed　lieutenants　over　his　camp　and　hasted　to　Rome　to　refute
  the　charges　against　him：　and　there　found　ready　drawn　up　an　impeachment
  consisting　of　these　calumnies。　At　the　day　prefixed；　in　the　Flaminian
  circus；　into　which　place　the　people　had　assembled　themselves；
  Bibulus　rose　and　accused　him。　Marcellus　himself　answered；　briefly
  and　simply；　but　the　first　and　most　approved　men　of　the　city　spoke
  largely　and　in　high　terms；　very　freely　advising　the　people　not　to　show
  themselves　worse　judges　than　the　enemy；　condemning　Marcellus　of
  timidity；　from　whom　alone　of　all　their　captains　the　enemy　fled；　and　as
  perpetually　endeavoured　to　avoid　fighting　with　him　as　to　fight　with
  others。　When　they　made　an　end　of　speaking；　the　accuser's　hope　to
  obtain　judgment　so　far　deceived　him；　that　Marcellus　was　not　only
  absolved；　but　the　fifth　time　created　consul。
  No　sooner　had　he　entered　upon　this　consulate；　but　he　suppressed　a
  great　commotion　in　Etruria；　that　had　proceeded　near　to　revolt；　and
  visited　and　quieted　the　cities。　Then；　when　the　dedication　of　the
  temple；　which　he　had　vowed　out　of　his　Sicilian　spoils　to　Honour　and
  Virtue；　was　objected　to　by　the　priests；　because　they　denied　that　one
  temple　could　be　lawfully　dedicated　to　two　gods；　he　began　to　adjoin
  another　to　it；　resenting　the　priests'　opposition；　and　almost
  converting　the　thing　into　an　omen。　And；　truly；　many　other　prodigies
  also　affrighted　him；　some　temples　had　been　struck　with　lightning；
  and　in　Jupiter's　temple　mice　had　gnawed　the　gold：　it　was　reported；
  also；　that　an　ox　had　spoken；　and　that　a　boy　had　been　born　with　a
  head　like　an　elephant's。　All　which　prodigies　had　indeed　been
  attended　to；　but　due　reconciliation　had　not　been　obtained　from　the
  gods。　The　aruspices　therefore　detained　him　at　Rome；　glowing　and
  burning　with　desire　to　return　to　the　war。　For　no　man　was　ever　inflamed
  with　so　great　desire　of　anything　as　was　he　to　fight　a　battle　with
  Hannibal。　It　was　the　subject　of　his　dreams　in　the　night；　the　topic
  of　all　his　consultations　with　his　friends　and　familiars；　nor　did　he
  present　to　the　gods　any　other　wish；　but　that　he　might　meet　Hannibal　in
  the　field。　And　I　think　that　he　would　most　gladly　have　set　upon　him；
  with　both　armies　environed　within　a　single　camp。　Had　he　not　been
  even　loaded　with　honours；　and　had　he　not　given　proofs　in　many　ways
  of　his　maturity　of　judgment　and　of　prudence　equal　to　that　of　any
  commander；　you　might　have　said　that　he　was　agitated　by　a　youthful
  ambition；　above　what　became　a　man　of　that　age；　for　he　had　passed　the
  sixtieth　year　of　his　life　when　he　began　his　fifth　consulship。
  The　sacrifices　having　been