h a great quantity
of rich spoils. This victory made the Romans sensible, that they ought to
be particularly attentive to the affairs of Spain, because Hannibal could
draw considerable supplies both of men and money from that country.
Accordingly, they sent a fleet thither, the command whereof was given to
P. Scipio, who, after his arrival in Spain, having joined his brother, did
the commonwealth very great service. Till that time the Romans had never
ventured beyond the Ebro. They had been satisfied with having gained the
friendship of the nations situated between that river and Italy, and
confirming it by alliances: but under Publius, they crossed the Ebro, and
carried their arms much further up into the country.

The circumstance which contributed most to promote their affairs, was, the
treachery of a Spaniard in Saguntum. Hannibal had left there the children
of the most distinguished families in Spain, whom he had taken as
hostages. Abelox, for so this Spaniard was called, persuaded Bostar, the
governor of the city, to send back these young men into their country, in
order, by that means, to attach the inhabitants more firmly to the
Carthaginian interest. He himself was charged with this commission. But he
carried them to the Romans, who afterwards delivered them to their
relations, and, by so acceptable a present, acquired their amity.

(M122) _The Battle of Cannae._(_766_)--The next spring, C. Terentius Varro
and L. AEmilius Paulus were chosen consuls at Rome. In this campaign, which
was the third of the second Punic war, the Romans did what had never been
practised before, that is, they composed the army of eight legions, each
consisting of five thousand men, exclusive of the allies. For, as we have
already observed, the Romans never raised but four legions, each of which
consisted of about four thousand foot, and three hundred horse.(767) They
never, except on the most important occasions, made them consist of five
thousand of the one, and four hundred of the other. As for the troops of
the allies, their infantry was equal to that of the legions, but they had
three times as many horse. Each of the consuls had commonly half the
troops of the allies, with two legions, in order for them to act
separately; and it was very seldom that all these forces were used at the
same time, and in the same expedition. Here the Romans had not only four,
but eight legions, so important did the affair appear to them. The senate
eve