had only fifty thousand to
cope with them, the greater number being Gauls, and not to be depended
on. Of the original troops that he had brought from Spain, many were
dead, but he was able to muster ten thousand cavalry, mostly consisting
of the Numidian horse, and in this respect he was superior to the
Romans. There was also to be reckoned to his advantage the fact that the
two consuls, Varro and Paulus, hated each other bitterly, and that
neither of them had any instinct of command, though Paulus was a capable
soldier and a brave man.

There was a custom among the Romans, dating back from ancient days, that
when the two consuls were serving on the same campaign, each should
command on alternate days. It seems strange that such a very practical
nation should have made such a foolish law, but so it was; and on this
occasion it once more led, as it was bound to do, to an utter defeat.
Hannibal played his usual game of sending Numidians across the river to
insult and tease his enemy, till at length Varro exclaimed in wrath that
the next day the command would be his, and that he would give the
Carthaginians battle and teach them something of the majesty of Rome.

In vain the wiser Paulus, who had followed the counsels of Fabius,
reasoned and protested. Varro would listen to nothing, and orders were
given to the army to be ready on the morrow for the attack.

The day before the battle Hannibal spent 'in putting the bodies of his
troops into a fit state to fight,' as the historian tells us--that is,
he made them rest and sleep, and prepare plenty of food for their
breakfast. Early next morning the Romans began to cross the river, which
took several hours, thus leaving their strong camp on the southern bank
with only a small force to defend it, and took up their position in the
plains, where Hannibal's cavalry had ample room to manoeuvre. And, to
make matters worse, the consul formed his men into such close columns
that they could not avoid being hampered by each other's movements.

* * * * *

The two armies when facing each other in order of battle must have
presented a curious contrast. The Roman legions and their allies,
amounting in all to seventy-six thousand men, wore helmets and cuirasses
and carried swords and short throwing-spears. In front, the Carthaginian
troops looked a mere motley crowd, so various were the dress and weapons
of the different nations. It is true that the black-