Then Hannibal, in haste to set out for Italy but suspicious of the more direct roads, turned aside from them and followed another, on which he underwent bitter hardships.  The mountains there are exceedingly precipitous and the snow falling in great quantities was driven by the winds and filled the chasms, and the ice was frozen to a great thickness.  These things conspired to cause them fearful suffering, and many of his soldiers perished through the winter cold and lack of food; many also returned home.  There is a story to the effect that he himself would also have turned back but for the fact that the road already traversed was longer and more difficult than the portion left before him.  For this reason he did not retrace his steps, but suddenly appearing south of the Alps spread astonishment and terror among the Romans.

So he advanced taking possession of whatever lay before him.  Scipio sent his brother Gaius[29] Scipio, who was serving as a lieutenant under him, into Spain to either seize and hold it or bring Hannibal back, but he himself marched against Hannibal.  They waited a few days; then both moved into action. [Sidenote:  FRAG. 56^4] BEFORE BEGINNING OPERATIONS, HANNIBAL CALLED TOGETHER THE SOLDIERS AND BROUGHT IN THE CAPTIVES WHOM HE HAD TAKEN BY THE WAY:  HE ASKED THE LATTER WHETHER THEY CHOSE TO UNDERGO IMPRISONMENT AND TO ENDURE A GRIEVOUS SLAVERY, OR TO FIGHT IN SINGLE COMBAT WITH ONE ANOTHER ON CONDITION THAT THE VICTORS SHOULD BE RELEASED WITHOUT RANSOM.  WHEN THEY ACCEPTED THE SECOND ALTERNATIVE, HE SET THEM TO FIGHTING.  AND AT THE END OF THE CONFLICT HE ADDRESSED his own soldiers, encouraging them and whetting their eagerness for war.  Scipio also did this on the Roman side.  Then the contest began and looked at the outset as if it would involve the entire armies:  but Scipio in a preliminary cavalry skirmish was defeated, lost many men, was wounded and would have been killed, had not his son Scipio, though only seventeen years old, come to his aid; he was consequently alarmed lest his infantry should similarly meet with a reverse, and he at once fell back and that night withdrew from the field.

[Footnote 29:  Gnaeus Scipio is meant whenever Zonaras writes this form.]

VIII, 24.—­Hannibal did not learn of his withdrawal till daybreak and then went to the Po, and finding there neither rafts nor boats,—­for they had been burned by Scipio,—­he ordered his brother Mago to swim across with the cavalry and pursue the Romans, whereas he himself marched up toward the sources of the river and commanded that the elephants cross where the tributary streams converged.  In this manner, while the water was temporarily dammed and torn piecemeal by the animals’ bulk, he effected a crossing more easily below them.  Scipio overtaken stood his ground and would have offered battle but for the fact that by night the Gauls in his army deserted.  Embarrassed by this occurrence and still suffering from his wound he once more broke up at night and located his entrenchments on high ground.  He was not pursued, but subsequently the Carthaginians came up and encamped, with the river between the two forces.