eived the tower advanced into contact with the
wall they threw upon it a large quantity of fire, making use of
blazing fire-brands; and while the armed men were throwing themselves
down from the tower in great numbers, in consequence of the flames
thus occasioned, the troops sallying out of the town at two gates at
once, routed the enemy, and drove them back to their camp; so that the
Carthaginians that day were more like persons besieged than besiegers.
As many as one thousand three hundred of the Carthaginians were slain,
and fifty-nine made prisoners, having been unexpectedly overpowered,
while standing careless and unconcerned near the walls and on the
outposts, fearing any thing rather than a sally. Gracchus sounded a
retreat, and withdrew his men within the walls, before the enemy could
recover themselves from the effects of this sudden terror. The next
day Hannibal, supposing that the consul, elated with his success,
would engage him in a regular battle, drew up his troops in
battle-array between the camp and the city; but finding that not a
man was removed from the customary guard of the town, and that nothing
was hazarded upon rash hopes, he returned to Tifata without
accomplishing any thing. At the same time that Cumae was relieved from
siege, Tiberius Sempronius, surnamed Longus, fought successfully with
the Carthaginian general, Hanno, at Grumentum in Lucania. He slew
above two thousand of the enemy, losing two hundred and eighty of his
own men. He took as many as forty-one military standards. Hanno,
driven out of the Lucanian territory, drew back among the Bruttii.
Three towns belonging to the Hirpinians, which had revolted from the
Romans, were regained by force by the praetor, Marcus Valerius,
Vercellius and Sicilius, the authors of the revolt, were beheaded;
above a thousand prisoners sold by auction; and the rest of the booty
having been given up to the soldiery, the army was marched back to
Luceria.

38. While these things were taking place in Lucania and Hirpinia, the
five ships, which were conveying to Rome the captured ambassadors of
the Macedonians and Carthaginians, after passing round the whole coast
of Italy from the upper to the lower sea, were sailing by Cumae, when,
it not being known whether they belonged to enemies or allies,
Gracchus despatched some ships from his fleet to meet them. When it
was ascertained, in the course of their mutual inquiries that the
consul was at Cumae, the ships p