mbassadors to the Roman generals,
Vibius Virrius, who had been the instigator of the revolt from the
Romans, on being asked his opinion, observed, that "those persons who
spoke of sending ambassadors, and of peace, and a surrender, did not
bear in mind either what they would do if they had the Romans in their
power, or what they themselves must expect to suffer. What! do you
think," says he, "that your surrender will be like that in which
formerly we placed ourselves and every thing belonging to us at the
disposal of the Romans, in order that we might obtain assistance from
them against the Samnites? Have you already forgotten at what a
juncture we revolted from the Romans, and what were their
circumstances? Have you forgotten how at the time of the revolt we put
to death, with torture and indignity, their garrison, which might have
been sent out? How often, and with determined hostility, we have
sallied out against them when besieging us, and assaulted their camp?
How we invited Hannibal to come and cut them off? And how most
recently we sent him hence to lay siege to Rome? But come, retrace on
the other hand what they have done in hostility towards us, that you
may learn therefrom what you have to hope for. When a foreign enemy
was in Italy, and that enemy Hannibal; when the flame of war was
kindled in every quarter; disregarding every other object,
disregarding even Hannibal himself, they sent two consuls with two
consular armies to lay siege to Capua. This is the second year, that,
surrounded with lines and shut up within our walls, they consume us by
famine, having suffered in like manner with ourselves the extremest
dangers and the severest hardships, having frequently had their troops
slain near their rampart and trenches, and at last having been almost
deprived of their camp. But I pass over these matters. It has been
usual, even from of old, to suffer dangers and hardships in besieging
an enemy's city. The following is a proof of their animosity and
bitter hatred. Hannibal assaulted their camp with an immense force of
horse and foot, and took a part of it. By so great a danger they were
not in the least diverted from the siege. Crossing the Vulturnus, he
laid waste the territory of Cales with fire. Such calamities inflicted
upon their allies had no effect in calling them off. He ordered his
troops to march in hostile array to the very city of Rome. They
despised the tempest which threatened them in this case als