annibal flung his troops (he had but 30,000) into a
space inclosed on the rear and wings by a loop of the river. He placed
his Spanish infantry in the centre, with the African foot on either
flank. His Numidian horse, now reduced to 2,000 men, he posted on the
right wing; while Hasdrubal, with 8,000 heavy cavalry, was opposed to
the Roman cavalry on the left. The legionaries pressed into the loop,
and Hannibal drew back his centre before them. Hasdrubal, on the left,
broke the Roman cavalry, swept round to the left wing of the Romans,
drove the second detachment of Roman horse into flight, and then came
thundering in the rear of the legionaries. The Libyans, who had by the
general's orders fallen back as the Romans pressed after the retiring
Spanish infantry, now closed on the enemy's flanks. Packed together so
closely that they could not use their weapons, assailed in front,
flank, and rear, the legionaries were hewn down through eight hours of
carnage, till 50,000 lay dead on the field. The battle became a
butchery. Nearly 20,000 men were taken prisoners. The consul Paulus,
the proconsul Servilius, the master of the horse Minucius, 21 military
tribunes, and 60 senators lay amid the slain. On his side Hannibal
lost but 5,700 men. "Send me on with the horse, general," said
Maherbal, "and in five days thou shalt sup in the Capitol."

But the general was wiser than the fiery captain of the horse. It has
been common to censure Hannibal for neglecting to march on Rome after
the battle of Cannae. But his dazzling triumph did not for a moment
unsettle his clear judgment. He knew that his forces were unequal to
the task of storming a walled city garrisoned by a population of
fighting men. An attack which he had made on Spoletium had proved the
inadequacy of the small Carthaginian army to carry a strongly
fortified town. Had he followed the advice of Maherbal, he would in
all likelihood have dashed his army to pieces against the walls of
Rome. His aim was to destroy the common oppressor by raising the
Italian allies against her; and the hope was partly justified by the
revolt of Lucania and Bruttium, Samnium and Apulia. The soundness of
judgment, the patience and self-control which he evinced in this hour
of intoxicating success, are hardly less marvellous than the genius by
which the success had been won. After the battle of Cannae the
character of the war changes. Hitherto Hannibal had swept everything
before him. Rivers and