by an attack upon their city. So much more constant were
the Romans in their enmity than the Carthaginians in their friendship.
If he would return to Capua and direct the whole operations of the war
to that point, that both themselves and the Campanians would be
prepared for a sally. That they had crossed the Alps not to carry on a
war with the people of Rhegium nor Tarentum. That where the Roman
legions were, there the armies of the Carthaginians ought to be. Thus
it was that victories had been gained at Cannae and Trasimenus; by
uniting, by pitching their camp close to that of the enemy, by trying
their fortune." A letter to this effect was given to some Numidians
who had already engaged to render their services for a stated reward.
These men came into the camp to Flaccus under pretence of being
deserters, with the intention of quitting it by seizing an
opportunity, and the famine, which had so long existed at Capua,
afforded a pretext for desertion which no one could suspect. But a
Campanian woman, the paramour of one of the deserters, unexpectedly
entered the camp, and informed the Roman general that the Numidians
had come over according to a preconcerted plan of treachery, and were
the bearers of letters to Hannibal; that she was prepared to convict
one of the party of that fact, as he had discovered it to her. On
being brought forward, he at first pretended, with considerable
pertinacity, that he did not know the woman; but afterwards, gradually
succumbing to the force of truth, when he saw the instruments of
torture called for and preparing, he confessed that it was so. The
letters were produced, and a discovery was made of an additional fact,
before concealed, that other Numidians were strolling about in the
Roman camp, under pretence of being deserters. Above seventy of these
were arrested, and, with the late deserters, scourged with rods; and
after their hands had been cut off, were driven back to Capua. The
sight of so severe a punishment broke the spirit of the Campanians.

13. The people, rushing in crowds to the senate-house, compelled
Lesius to assemble a senate, and openly threatened the nobles, who had
now for a long time absented themselves from the public deliberations,
that unless they attended the meeting of the senate, they would go
round to their houses and drag them all before the public by force.
The fear of this procured the magistrate a full senate. Here, while
the rest contended for sending a