, who
endeavoured to force their way in, as the gate itself, which, being
furnished with ballistas and scorpions, kept the enemy at bay by the
missiles discharged from it. The ardour of the Romans was also clamped
by the general, Appius Claudius, receiving a wound; he was struck by a
javelin in the upper part of his breast, beneath the left shoulder,
while encouraging his men before the front line. A great number,
however, of the enemy were slain before the gate, and the rest were
driven in disorder into the city. When Hannibal saw the destruction of
the cohort of Spaniards, and that the camp of the enemy was defended
with the utmost vigour, giving up the assault, he began to withdraw
his standards, making his infantry face about, but throwing out his
cavalry in the rear lest the enemy should pursue them closely. The
ardour of the legions to pursue the enemy was excessive, but Flaccus
ordered a retreat to be sounded, considering that enough had been
achieved to convince the Campanians, and Hannibal himself, how unable
he was to afford them protection. Some who have undertaken to give
accounts of this battle, record that eight thousand of the army of
Hannibal, and three thousand Campanians, were slain; that fifteen
military standards were taken from the Carthaginians, and eighteen
from the Campanians. In other authors I find the battle to have been
by no means so important, and that there was more of panic than
fighting; that a party of Numidians and Spaniards suddenly bursting
into the Roman camp with some elephants, the elephants, as they made
their way through the midst of the camp, threw down their tents with a
great noise, and caused the beasts of burden to break their halters
and run away. That in addition to the confusion occasioned, a
stratagem was employed; Hannibal having sent in some persons
acquainted with the Latin language, for he had some such with him, who
might command the soldiers, in the name of the consuls, to escape
every one as fast as he could to the neighbouring mountains, since the
camp was lost; but that the imposture was soon discovered, and
frustrated with a great slaughter of the enemy; that the elephants
were driven out of the camp by fire. However commenced, and however
terminated, this was the last battle which was fought before the
surrender of Capua. Seppius Lesius was Medixtuticus, or chief
magistrate of Capua, that year, a man of obscure origin and slender
fortune. It is reported that