filled with wheat into the river at night and bade them keep their eyes on the current in the darkness.  For a while he thus supplied them with nutriment without being discovered, but eventually a jar was dashed against some obstacle and shattered; then the Carthaginians became aware of what was going on and put chains across the river.  After a number had perished of hunger and of their wounds, they abandoned one half of the city, cut down the bridge, and held out in the other half.  They now threw turnip seed from the wall upon a spot outside, doing this in order to alarm the enemy and make them believe that they were likely to endure for a long time.  Hannibal, indeed, thinking that they must have plenty of food and astonished at their endurance invited them to capitulate and released them for money.  The Romans outside were glad to ransom them, and more than that they showed them honor.

IX, 3.—­While these events took place the messengers returned from Delphi saying that the Pythia admonished them to shake off sloth and devote themselves to the war.  Then they were filled with new strength.  They overtook Hannibal and encamped near him so as to watch his movements.  Junius the dictator ordered the Romans to do exactly as the Carthaginians were commanded to do.  So they took their food and sleep at the same time, visited the sentries in the same manner, and were doing everything else in similar fashion.  When Hannibal understood the situation, he waited for a stormy night and announced to some of his soldiers a skirmish for after nightfall.  Junius did the same thing.  Thereupon Hannibal ordered different detachments to attack him in succession at different times in order that his opponent might be involved in constant labor as a result of sleeplessness and the storm.  He himself rested with the troops not in action.  When day was about to break, he recalled the army, as was expected, and the Romans put away their weapons and retired to rest; then all of a sudden he attacked them, with the result that he killed a number and captured the entrenchments, which were deserted.

Conditions in Sicily and Sardinia grew unsettled but did not receive any consideration at the hands of the Romans. [Sidenote:  B.C. 215 (a.u. 539)] The consuls chosen were Gracchus, previously master of the horse, and Postumius Albinus.  Albinus was ambuscaded and destroyed with his entire army by the Boii as he was traversing a wooded mountain.  The barbarians cut off his head, scooped out the interior and after gilding it used it for a bowl in their sacred ceremonials.—­Portents occurred at this time.  A cow brought forth a horse and fire shone out at sea.  The consuls Gracchus and Fabius encamped and kept watch of Hannibal while he stayed in Capua, to see what he did.  They spent their time in sending scouts in every direction, defending the allies, trying to win back the revolted and injuring their adversaries’ interests.  Hannibal, so long as he obtained a barely sufficient supply of food