he Pentrian tribe), and almost all
the Apulians, Lucanians, and Bruttians, declared in favor of Carthage.
But, though the whole of the south of Italy was thus apparently lost to
the Romans, yet the effect of this insurrection was not so decisive as
it would at first appear; for the Latin colonies, which still, without
exception, remained faithful, gave the Romans a powerful hold upon the
revolted provinces; and the Greek cities on the coast, though mostly
disposed to join the Carthaginians, were restrained by the presence of
Roman garrisons. Hence it became necessary to support the insurrection
in the different parts of Italy with a Carthaginian force. Hannibal
marched first into Samnium, and from thence into Campania, where he
obtained possession of the important city of Capua, the gates of which
were opened to him by the popular party. Here he established his army in
winter quarters. Thus ends the first period of the war, in which
Hannibal had met with uninterrupted success. Three great victories in
three years, followed by the revolt of a city scarcely inferior to Rome
itself in importance, seemed to promise a speedy termination of the war.

[Illustration: Route of Hannibal. (See p. 90.) (After footnote
32--Transcriber)]

[Footnote 31: The pass of the Alps which Hannibal crossed was probably
the Graian Alps, or _Little St. Bernard_. See note "On the Passage of
Hannibal across the Alps" at the end of this chapter.]

[Footnote 32: At this time the Consuls entered upon their office on the
Ides of March. It was not till B.C. 153 that the consulship commenced on
the Kalends of January.]

NOTE ON HANNIBAL'S PASSAGE ACROSS THE ALPS.

(See p. 84.)(Fourth paragraph of Chapter XII.--Transcriber)

The narrative in the text is taken from that of the Greek historian
Polybius, which is certainly by far the most trustworthy that has
descended to us; but that author has nowhere clearly stated by which of
the passes across the Alps Hannibal effected his march; and this
question has given rise to much controversy both in ancient and modern
times. Into this discussion our limits will not allow us to enter, but
the following may be briefly stated as the general results: 1. That
after a careful examination of the text of Polybius, and comparison of
the different localities, his narrative will be found, on the whole, to
agree best with the supposition that Hannibal crossed the Graian Alps,
or _Little St. Bernard_; though it