he issue; when he saw, however, that the soldiers were rather
listless, he gave up the idea. But Hannibal, who was determined to
goad them into battle even against their will, shut them off from
their sources of water, prevented their scattering into small parties,
and threw the bodies of the slain into the stream above their
intrenchments and in plain sight, in order to disgust them with the
drinking supply. Then the Romans started to array themselves for
battle. Hannibal anticipating this movement had planted ambuscades at
the foot of the hills but held the remainder of his army drawn up. He
also ordered some men at a given signal to simulate desertion; they
were to throw away their shields and spears and larger swords but
secretly to retain their daggers, so that after his antagonists had
received them as unarmed, they might attack them unexpectedly.

The Romans having had in view since early morning the troops arrayed
about Hannibal were now arming themselves and taking their places. The
trumpets incited both parties, the signals were raised, and then
ensued the clash of battle and a contest which assumed a variety of
aspects. Until noon the advantage had not fallen distinctly to either
side. Then the wind came up and the false deserters were received as
men destitute of arms and got behind the Romans, alleging the very
natural reason that they wanted to be out of the way of the
Carthaginian attack. At this moment the men rose from ambush on both
sides, Hannibal with his cavalry charged the front ranks, the enemy
confused the Romans on every hand, the wind and the dust cloud
assailed their faces violently, causing perplexity, and interfered
with their breathing, which was already growing quick and labored from
exertion, so that deprived of sight, deprived of voice, they perished
in a wild melee, preserving no semblance of order. So great a
multitude fell that Hannibal did not even try to find out the number
of the common people, and in regard to the number of the knights and
members of the senate he did not write to the Carthaginians at home
but indicated it by the finger-rings; these he measured off by the
quart and sent away. Only the senators and the knights wore
finger-rings. Yet after all a number made good their escape even on
this occasion, among them Terentius; Paulus was killed. Hannibal did
not pursue nor did he hasten to Rome. He might have set out at once
for Rome with either his entire army or at least