n in
consternation to their camp. For in addition to the other causes which
occasioned terror and dismay, two elephants had fallen just by the
gate, and the soldiers were compelled to rush into the camp over the
ditch and rampart. Here the greatest slaughter of the enemy occurred.
There fell as many as eight thousand men and five elephants. Nor did
the Romans gain a bloodless victory; about seventeen hundred of the
two legions, and thirteen hundred of the allies were slain; a great
number of the Romans and allies were wounded. The following night
Hannibal decamped. The great number of the wounded prevented Marcellus
from following him, as he desired.

15. The spies who were sent to watch his movements brought word back
the next day that Hannibal was making for Bruttium. Much about
the same time the Hirpinians, Lucanians, and Volcentes surrendered
themselves to the consul, Quintus Fulvius, delivering up the garrisons
of Hannibal which they had in their cities. They were mildly received
by the consul, with only a verbal reproof for their past error. To
the Bruttians also similar hopes of pardon were held out, when two
brothers, Vibius and Pactius, by far the most illustrious persons of
that nation, came from them to solicit the same terms of surrender
which had been given to the Lucanians. Quintus Fabius, the consul,
took by storm Manduria, a town in the territory of Sallentum, where
as many as four thousand men were made prisoners, and much booty taken
besides. Proceeding thence to Tarentum, he pitched his camp in the
very mouth of the harbour: of the ships which Livius had employed for
protecting convoys, some he loaded with engines and implements for
attacking walls, others he furnished with machines for discharging
missiles, and with stones and missiles of every kind; not only those
which were impelled with oars, but the storeships also, in order that
some might carry the engines and ladders to the walls, while others
might wound the defenders of the walls by discharging missiles from
the ships at a distance. These ships were fitted up and prepared
to attack the town from the open sea; and the sea was free from the
Carthaginian fleet, which had crossed over to Corcyra on account of
Philip's preparing to attack the Aetolians. Meanwhile, those who were
attacking Caulon, in the territory of Bruttium, fearful lest they
should be overpowered, had retired on the approach of Hannibal to an
eminence, secure from an immediate