they were about to run was so much more
serious than the defeat they had sustained, as Marcellus was superior
to Fulvius.

According to his despatch, he instantly marched against Hannibal into
Lucania, and finding him entrenched on some strong hills near the city
of Numistro, he himself encamped in the plain. On the following day he
was the first to draw out his army in battle array. Hannibal descended
from his position, and fought a great and well-contested battle, for
it began at the third hour, and was scarcely over by dark, but without
any decisive result. At daybreak he again led out his army and defied
Hannibal to fight. But Hannibal retired; and Marcellus, after
stripping the corpses of the enemy, and burying his own dead, pursued.
His skill and good fortune were greatly admired in this campaign, as
he did not fall into any of the numerous ambuscades which were
prepared for him by Hannibal, and in all his skirmishes came off
victorious. For this reason, as the comitia were impending, the Senate
thought that it would be better to call the other consul away from
Sicily than to recall Marcellus just as he was thoroughly engaged with
Hannibal. When the other consul arrived, they bade him name Quintus
Fulvius dictator. For a dictator is not chosen by the people or by the
Senate, but one of the consuls or praetors comes forward publicly and
names whom he pleases dictator. And this is the reason that the man so
named is called dictator; for _dicere_ in Latin means to _name_. But
some think that the dictator is so called because he does not require
any vote or show of hands, but on his own responsibility dictates his
orders; indeed, the orders of magistrates which are called by the
Greeks _diatagmata_, are called _edicts_ by the Romans.

XXV. When Marcellus's colleague came to Rome from Sicily, he wished to
name another person dictator, and, that he might not be forced to act
against his inclination, he sailed away by night back to Sicily. Under
these circumstances the people nominated Quintus Fulvius dictator, and
the Senate wrote to Marcellus bidding him vote for this person. He did
so, confirming the choice of the people, and was himself elected
proconsul for the following year. After a conference with Fabius
Maximus, at which it was arranged that the latter should make an
attempt on Tarentum, while Marcellus should constantly engage Hannibal
and so prevent his affording the town any assistance, he set out, and
came