d arrows they killed some still in their beds,
others just seizing their arms, without receiving any serious harm in
return. The Romans, having no tangible adversaries and with darkness
and mist prevailing, found no chance to employ their valor. So great
was the uproar and of such a nature the disordered alarm that seized
them, that they were not even aware of earthquakes then prevailing,
although many buildings fell in ruins and many mountains either were
cleft asunder or collapsed so that they blocked up ravines, and rivers
shut off from their ancient outlet sought another. Such were the
earthquakes which overwhelmed Etruria, yet the combatants were not
conscious of them. Flaminius himself and a vast number of others fell,
though not a few managed to climb a hill. When it became day, they
started to flee and being overtaken surrendered themselves and their
arms on promise of free pardon. Hannibal, however, recking little of
his oaths, imprisoned and kept under guard the Romans themselves, but
released their subjects and allies among all the captives he had in
his army. After this success he hastened toward Rome and proceeded as
far as Narnia devastating the country and winning over the cities,
save Spoletium; there he surrounded and slew the praetor Gaius
Centenius who was in ambush. He made an attack upon Spoletium, but was
repulsed, and as he saw that the bridge over the Nar had been torn
down and ascertained that this had been done also in the case of the
other rivers which he was obliged to cross, he ceased his headlong
rush upon Rome. Instead, he turned aside into Campania, for he heard
that the land was excellent and that Capua was a great city, and
thought that if he should first occupy these he might acquire the rest
of Italy in a short time.

The people of Rome when informed of the defeat were grieved and
lamented both for themselves and for the lost. They were in sore
straits and tore down the bridges over the Tiber, save one, and
proceeded hurriedly to repair their walls, which were weak in many
places. [Sidenote: FRAG. 56^9] WISHING TO HAVE A DICTATOR READY, THEY
HAD PROCLAIMED ONE IN ASSEMBLY. SATISFIED IF THEY THEMSELVES ONLY
SHOULD BE SAVED, THEY HAD DESPATCHED NO AID TO THE ALLIES. BUT NOW,
LEARNING THAT HANNIBAL HAD SET OUT INTO CAMPANIA, THEY DETERMINED TO
ASSIST THE ALLIES ALSO. To Hannibal they opposed the dictator Fabius
and the master of horse Marcus Minucius. These leaders set out in his
direct