action, gave him much trouble.  This man made unseemly boasts, and harangued the army, filling it with wild excitement and self-confidence.  The soldiers in derision used to call Fabius Hannibal’s lacquey, because he followed him wherever he went, and thought Minucius a really great general, and worthy of the name of Roman.  Minucius, encouraged in his arrogant vauntings, began to ridicule the habit of encamping on the mountain-tops, saying that the dictator always took care to provide them with good seats from which to behold the spectacle of the burning and plundering of Italy, and used to ask the friends of Fabius whether he took his army up so near the sky because he had ceased to take any interest in what went on on the earth below, or whether it was in order to conceal it from the enemy among the clouds and mists.  When Fabius was informed of these insults by his friends, who begged him to wipe away this disgrace by risking a battle, he answered, “If I did so, I should be more cowardly than I am now thought to be, in abandoning the policy which I have determined on because of men’s slanders and sneers.  It is no shame to fear for one’s country, but to regard the opinions and spiteful criticisms of the people would be unworthy of the high office which I hold, and would show me the slave of those whom I ought to govern and restrain when they would fain do wrong.”

VI.  After this, Hannibal made a blunder.  Wishing to move his army further from that of Fabius, and to gain an open part of the country where he could obtain forage, he ordered his guides one night after supper to lead the way at once to Casinatum.  They, misunderstanding him because of his foreign pronunciation, led his forces to the borders of Campania, near the city of Casilinum, through the midst of which flows the river Lothronus, which the Romans call Vulturnus.  This country is full of mountains, except one valley that runs towards the sea-coast, where the river at the end of its course overflows into extensive marshes, with deep beds of sand.  The beach itself is rough and impracticable for shipping.

When Hannibal was marching down this valley, Fabius, by his superior knowledge of the country, came up with him, placed four thousand men to guard the narrow outlet, established the main body in a safe position in the mountains, and with the light-armed troops fell upon and harassed the rear of Hannibal’s army, throwing it all into disorder, and killing about eight hundred men.  Upon this, Hannibal determined to retrace his steps.  Perceiving the mistake which he had made, and the danger he was in, he crucified his guides, but still could not tell how to force his way out through the Roman army which was in possession of the mountain passes.  While all were terrified and disheartened, believing themselves to be beset on all sides by dangers from which there was no escape, Hannibal decided on extricating himself by stratagem.  Taking about two thousand captured oxen, he ordered