upon his
enemy a defeat not much less disastrous than he had himself received
at Beneventum, and then hastily retired to the territory of the
Bruttians, lest Gracchus should overtake him. Of the consuls,
Marcellus returned to Nola, whence he had come, Fabius proceeded to
Samnium to waste the lands, and recover by force the cities which had
revolted. The Samnites of Caudium suffered the severest devastation;
their fields were laid waste by fire for a wide extent, and both men
and cattle were conveyed away as booty. The towns of Compulteria,
Telesia, Compsa, Melae, Fulfulae, and Orbitanium, were taken by storm.
Blandae, belonging to the Lucanians, and Aecae to the Apulians, were
taken after a siege. Twenty-five thousand of the enemy were captured
or slain in these towns, and three hundred and seventy deserters
recovered; who, being sent to Rome by the consul, were all of them
beaten with rods in the comitium, and thrown down from the rock. Such
were the achievements of Fabius within the space of a few days. Ill
health detained Marcellus from active operations at Nola. The town of
Accua also was taken by storm, during the same period, by the praetor
Quintus Fabius, whose province was the neighbourhood of Luceria; he
also fortified a stationary camp at Ardonea. While the Romans were
thus employed in different quarters, Hannibal had reached Tarentum,
utterly destroying every thing whichsoever way he went. In the
territory of Tarentum, the troops at length began to march in a
peaceable manner. There nothing was violated, nor did they ever go out
of the road; it was evident that this was done not from the moderation
of the soldiery, or their general, but to conciliate the affections of
the Tarentines. However, on advancing almost close to the walls
without perceiving any movement, which he expected would occur on the
sight of his vanguard, he pitched his camp about a mile off the city.
Three days before the arrival of Hannibal, Marcus Livius, who had been
sent by Marcus Valerius, the propraetor, commanding the fleet at
Brundusium, had enlisted the young nobility of Tarentum, and
stationing guards at every gate, and round the walls, wherever
circumstances made it necessary, had kept such a strict watch both by
day and night, as to give no opportunity for making any attempt either
to the enemy or doubtful allies. On this account several days were
consumed there to no purpose, when Hannibal, as none of those who had
come to him a