ving been given and received, and the time and place for delivering
the hostages having been appointed, he returns to Saguntum. The
following day he spent with Bostar, in taking his commands for
effecting the business; having so arranged it, that he should go by
night, in order that he might escape the observation of the enemy, he
was dismissed; and awakening the guards of the youths at the hour
agreed upon with them, set out and led them, as if unconsciously, into
a snare prepared by his own deceit. They were brought to the Roman
camp, and every thing else respecting the restoration of the hostages
was transacted as had been agreed upon with Bostar, and in the same
course as if the affair had been carried on in the name of the
Carthaginians. But the favour of the Romans was somewhat greater than
that of the Carthaginians would have been in a similar case; for
misfortune and fear might have seemed to have softened them, who had
been found oppressive and haughty in prosperity. The Roman, on the
contrary, on his first arrival, having been unknown to them before,
had begun with an act of clemency and liberality: and Abelux, a man of
prudence, did not seem likely to have changed his allies without good
cause. Accordingly all began, with great unanimity, to meditate a
revolt; and hostilities would immediately have commenced, had not the
winter intervened, which compelled the Romans, and the Carthaginians
also, to retire to shelter.

23. Such were the transactions in Spain also during the second summer
of the Punic war; while in Italy the prudent delay of Fabius had
procured the Romans some intermission from disasters; which conduct,
as it kept Hannibal disturbed with no ordinary degree of anxiety, for
it proved to him that the Romans had at length selected a general who
would carry on the war with prudence, and not in dependence on
fortune; so was it treated with contempt by his countrymen, both in
the camp and in the city; particularly after that a battle had been
fought during his absence from the temerity of the master of the
horse, in its issue, as I may justly designate it, rather joyful than
successful. Two causes were added to augment the unpopularity of the
dictator: one arising out of a stratagem and artful procedure of
Hannibal; for the farm of the dictator having been pointed out to him
by deserters, he ordered that the fire and sword and every outrage of
enemies should be restrained from it alone, while all aroun