File:The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century - a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and (14578786399).jpg

Identifier: storyofgreatestn02elli (find matches)
Title: The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century : a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and a pronouncing vocabulary of each nation
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916 Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis), 1870-1942
Subjects: World history
Publisher: New York : F.R. Niglutsch
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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vyith flaring torches tied to their horns, thus distracting the attention of theenemy and opening the way for the escape of his army. The success of this ingenious trick exhausted the patience of the Romanswith the dilatory tactics of Fabius, who was replaced by two consuls, Paulus.^milius, who was inclined to the policy of Fabius, and Terentius Varro, whorepresented the headlong impatience of the people. The two were placed atthe head of an army of 80,000 men and 6,000 horse, each alternating dailywith the other in the command. With the chiefs holding diametrically oppo-site views and continually exchanging places, it is impossible to conceive of amore absurd and inevitably fatal arrangement. Hannibal was followed to the field of Cannae, on the borders of Apulia^where he had chosen his own position, which could not have been more favor-able. On the day of the battle (b. c. 216), Varro was in command. Althoughthe Roman army was double in numbers to the Carthaginian, yet the cavalry of
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Rome—Hannibal Threatens the City 335 the latter were the superior, and the broad plain gave admirable scope for theiroperations. In the midst of the fighting, a strong detachment of HannibalsNumidian horse galloped to the enemy, as if to join them, and were welcomedas recruits; but the movement was a trick of Hannibal, who had sent them for-ward to attack the Romans in the rear, and at the right moment they did so.Blindly confident, Varro attempted to surround the enemy, and soon awoke tothe astounding fact that his own army was surrounded. The defeat of theRomans was of the most crushing nature, and the loss due to the furious energyof the cavalry was appalling. The Roman historians admit it was 45,000,while Polybius gave the total at 70,000. Among the slain were the consul/Emilius, twenty-one tribunes, eighty senators, and knights beyond estimate.The defeat of Cannae seemed to sound the death-knell of Rome, for nothinglike it had ever occurred. But the battle-field was two hundred

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