as forced gradually back until they were again
in a line with the Africans on their flanks.

The Romans had insensibly pressed in from both flanks upon the point
where they had met with resistance, and now occupied a face scarcely
more than half that with which they had begun the battle. Still further
the Gauls and Spaniards were driven back until they now formed an angle
in rear of the original line, and in this angle the whole of the Roman
infantry in a confused mass pressed upon them. This was the moment for
which Hannibal had waited. He wheeled round both his flanks, and the
Africans, who had hitherto not struck a blow, now fell in perfect order
upon the flanks of the Roman mass, while Hasdrubal with his victorious
cavalry charged down like a torrent upon their rear. Then followed a
slaughter unequalled in the records of history. Unable to open out, to
fight, or to fly, with no quarter asked or given, the Romans and their
Latin allies fell before the swords of their enemies, till, of the
seventy thousand infantry which had advanced to the fight, forty
thousand had fallen on the field. Three thousand were taken prisoners,
seven thousand escaped to the small camp, and ten thousand made their
way across the river to the large camp, where they joined the force
which had been left there, and which had, in obedience to Varro's
orders, attacked the Carthaginian camp, but had been repulsed with a
loss of two thousand men. All the troops in both camps were forced
to surrender on the following morning, and thus only fifteen thousand
scattered fugitives escaped of the eighty-seven thousand two hundred
infantry and cavalry under the command of the Roman consuls.

Hannibal's loss in the battle of Cannae amounted to about six thousand
men.

CHAPTER XIX: IN THE MINES

The exultation of the Carthaginians at the total destruction of their
enemies was immense, and Maharbal and some of the other leaders urged
Hannibal at once to march upon Rome; but Hannibal knew the spirit of
the Roman people, and felt that the capture of Rome, even after
the annihilation of its army, would be a greater task than he could
undertake. History has shown how desperate a defence may be made by
a population willing to die rather than surrender, and the Romans, an
essentially martial people, would defend their city until the last gasp.
They had an abundance of arms, and there were the two city legions,
which formed the regular garrison of the capi