o follow
directly across the plain, for at this time the Carthaginians greatly
outnumbered them in cavalry, and they would, therefore, have to take
the road round the foot of the mountains, which was nearly seventy miles
long; and yet, by some unaccountable blunder, they neglected to place a
sufficient guard over their great magazines at Cannae to defend them for
even a few days against a sudden attack.

Hannibal saw the opportunity, and when spring was passing into summer
broke up his camp and marched straight to Cannae, where the vast
magazines of the Romans at once fell into his hands. He thus not only
obtained possession of his enemy's supplies, but interposed between the
Romans and the low lying district of Southern Apulia, where alone, at,
this early season of the year, the corn was fully ripe.

The Romans had now no choice but to advance and fight a battle for the
recovery of their magazines, for, had they retired, the Apulians, who
had already suffered terribly from the war, would, in sheer despair,
have been forced to declare for Carthage, while it would have been
extremely difficult to continue any longer the waiting tactics of
Fabius, as they would now have been obliged to draw their provisions
from a distance, while Hannibal could victual his army from the country
behind him. The senate therefore, having largely reinforced the army,
ordered the consuls to advance and give battle.

They had under them eight full legions, or eighty thousand infantry and
seven thousand two hundred cavalry. To oppose these Hannibal had forty
thousand infantry and ten thousand excellent cavalry, of whom
two thousand were Numidians. On the second day after leaving the
neighbourhood of Geronium the Romans encamped at a distance of six miles
from the Carthaginians. Here the usual difference of opinion at once
arose between the Roman consuls, who commanded the army on alternate
days. Varro wished to march against the enemy without delay, while
Emilius was adverse to risking an engagement in a country which, being
level and open, was favourable to the action of Hannibal's superior
cavalry.

On the following day Varro, whose turn it was to command, marched
towards the hostile camp. Hannibal attacked the Roman advanced guard
with his cavalry and light infantry, but Varro had supported his cavalry
not only by his light troops, but by a strong body of his heavy armed
infantry, and after an engagement, which lasted for several hours, h