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 upon Hannibal near Canusium.  Hannibal frequently shifted his camp, and tried to avoid a battle, but Marcellus was not to be shaken off, and at length attacked his position, and by skirmishing provoked him to fight.  Marcellus sustained his attack, and the battle was put an end to by night.  Next morning his troops were again beheld under arms, so that Hannibal in great anxiety called together the Carthaginians and besought them to fight as they had never done before.  “You see,” said he, “that even after our great victories, we cannot rest in peace, unless we drive away this fellow.”  The armies met; and Marcellus seems to have lost the day by an unseasonable manoeuvre.  His right wing was suffering, and he ordered up one of the legions to support it; but this change produced confusion in the ranks, and gave the victory to the enemy, with a loss of two thousand seven hundred men to the Romans.  Marcellus, after retiring to his fortified camp, called together his soldiers, and reproached them, saying that he saw before him the arms and bodies of many Romans, but not one true Roman.  They begged forgiveness, but he answered that he could not forgive them when defeated, but would forgive them if victorious.  On the morrow he said that he would renew the battle, in order that the Romans might hear of their victory before they heard of their defeat.  After these words he gave orders that the troops which had given way should be supplied with rations of barley instead of corn; which had such an effect upon them, that although many were suffering from the hurts in the battle, yet, there was not one who did not suffer more from the reproaches of Marcellus than from his wounds.

XXVI.  At daybreak the scarlet robe, the well known signal of battle, was displayed from the general’s tent.  The disgraced troops, at their own request, were placed in the first rank; the rest of the army followed under their officers.  Hannibal hearing of this exclaimed:  “Hercules!  What can one do with a man who knows not how to bear either good or bad fortune.  This is the only general who, when victorious allows his foe no rest, and when defeated takes none himself.  We shall always, it seems, have to be fighting this man, who is equally excited to attack by his confidence when victor, and his shame when vanquished.”