THE

LIFE OF MARCELLUS.

SUMMARY.

Manners of Marcellus. His courage, and first appointments. The Gauls declare war against the Romans. The first generals sent against them are recalled. Respect entertained by the Romans for their religious rites. Marcellus is elected consul, and marches against the Gauls : engages, and kills their king. His triumph. Consecrates the spolia opima to Jupiter. Annibal invades Italy. After the fatal day at Canna, Marcellus is one of the principal supports of Rome. He marches to the relief of Naples and Nola: attaches Bandius to the Roman party gains some advantages over Annibal : is again elected consul, and obtains fresh successes. His third consulship. Severe proceedings of the senate against the soldiers who fled at Cannæ. Marcellus takes Leontius in Sicily, and besieges Syracuse. Genius of Archimedes. Problem, which he solves for Hiero. Terrible havock made by his engines. Marcellus fruitlessly endeavours to guard his forces from their effects. Archimedes' passion for geometry. Marcellus gains several advantages in Sicily; gets possession of Syracuse, and reluctantly gives it up to pillage. Archimedes slain: Marcellus' concern upon the occasion. His humanity. He pardons the city of Enguium: carries to Rome the pictures and statues of Syracuse; and receives the honour of an Ovation. Origin of that term. Charge brought against him by the Syracusans. His defence, and gene

rous behaviour upon his acquittal. He marches against Annibal; and engages him with success. Fresh advantages over him. He receives a check however near Cunusium. He defeats Annibal; is again impeached, and acquitted. Is chosen a fifth time consul. Unfavourable presages against him. He marches against Annibal, falls into an ambuscade, and is killed. nours paid to him by the Carthaginian general. Public ornaments dedicated by Marcellus. His posterity.

Ho

MARCUS Claudius, who was five times consul, was the son of Marcus, and (according to Posidonius) the first of his family that bore the surname of Marcellus, that is, 'Martial. He had indeed great military experience, a muscular frame, a. powerful arm, and a natural inclination to war. But, though impetuous and lofty in the combat, upon other occasions he was modest and humane. He was so far a lover of the Grecian learning and eloquence, as to honour and admire those who excelled in them, though his employments prevented his studying or attaining them to the degree he desired. For if Heaven ever designed that any men in war's rude lists should combat,

From youth to age,

as Homer expresses it, it was certainly the principal Romans of those times. In their youth they had to contend with the Carthaginians for the island of Sicily, in their middle age with the Gauls for Italy itself, and in their old age again with the Carthaginians and Annibal 3. Thus they had not, even in advanced life, the

1 The Romans were fond of having names derived from their tutelar deity. Hence the appellations of Marcus, Marcius, Mamers, Mamercus, &c.*

2 Il. xiv. 86.

3 The military age of the Romans, by Servius Tullius' regulation, extended from seventeen to forty-six, after which they were exempted from all farther service, except in the case of a Gallic war (as stated below). So that, literally to justify Plutarch's observation, if that indeed

common relaxation and repose, but were called forth by their birth and merit to accept of military commands.

As for Marcellus, there was no kind of fighting in which he was not trained and expert; but in single combat he excelled himself. He therefore never refused a challenge, or failed of killing the challenger. In Sicily, seeing his brother Otacilius in great danger, he covered him with his shield, slew those who attacked him, and saved his life. For these things, he received from the generals crowns and other military honours, while yet but a youth; and, his reputation increasing every day, the people appointed him to the office of Curule Ædile 4, and the priests to that of Augur. This is a kind of priesthood, to which the law assigns the inspection and observing of the divination taken from the flight of birds.

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After the first Carthaginian war, which had lasted twenty-two years, Rome was soon engaged in a new war with the Gauls. The Insubrians, a Celtic nation, who inhabit that part of Italy which lies at the foot of the Alps, though very powerful in themselves, called in the assistance of the Gesatæ a people of Gaul, who fight

were necessary, we must suppose him to refer to the conclusion of the, first and the commencement of the second Punic war. The Lacedæmonians served till near sixty; the Athenians, who entered at eighteen (and were retained the first two years to defend the city, and garrison the forts of Attica) till only forty years of age.*

4 See Life of Camillus, vol. I.`

1.5 Plutarch is a little mistaken here in his chronology. The first Punic war lasted twenty-three years, for it began A. U. C. 490, and ended A. U. C. 512. During the whole of that period the Gauls continued quiet, and did not begin to stir till four years afterward. They then advanced to Ariminum; but the Boii, mutinying against their leaders, slew the kings Ates and Galates: after which the Gauls fell upon each other, and numbers were killed; they that survived returned home. Five years after this, they began to prepare for a new war, on account of the division which Flaminius had made of the lands of the Picentines taken from the Senones of Cisalpine Gaul. These preparations were carrying on a long time; and it was eight years after that division, before the war began in earnest under their chiefs Congolitanus and Anerostes, when L. Æmilius Papus and C. Atilius Regulus were consuls, A. U. C. 529. (See Polyb. ii. 9., and Suppl. Liv. xx. 35.)

6 Hod. The Milanese.*

7 So called probably from their weapons, gesa. See Prop. El. IV. xi 42., Virg. Æn. viii. 662., and Varro quoted by Nonius xviii.*

for pay upon such occasions. It was a wonderful and most fortunate thing for the Roman people, that the Gallic war did not break out at the same time with the Punic; and that the Gauls, observing an exact neutrality all that time, as if they had waited to take up the conqueror, did not attack the Romans till they were victorious, and at leisure to receive them. This war however was still not a little alarming to the Romans, as well on account of the vicinity of the Gauls, as of their old military renown. They were indeed the enemy whom they most dreaded, for they had made themselves masters of Rome; and from that time it had been provided by law, that the priests should be exempted from bearing arms, except in the event of a fresh invasion by the Gauls .

The vast preparations which they made, were farther proofs of their fears (for it is said that so many thousands of Romans were never seen in arms, either before or since), and so were the new and extraordinary sacrifices which they offered. Upon other occasions, they had not adopted the rites of barbarous and savage nations, but their religious customs had been agreeable to the mild and merciful ceremonies of the Greeks: on the appearance of this war, however, they were forced to comply with certain oracles found in the books of the Sibyls; and accordingly they buried two Greeks, a man and a woman, and likewise two Gauls, alive in the beast-market. Hence originated certain mysterious and horrid rites, which still continue to be performed in the month of November.

8 At this period (1806) the emphatic clause in the Roman military code, entitled De Vacatione," NISI BELLUM GALLICUM EXORIATUR," demands an Englishman's particular attention. To the same purport Cicero: Ut oportet bello Gallico, ut majorum jura moresque præscribunt, nemo est civis Romanus, qui sibi ullâ excusatione utendum putet. Fonteio. § 16.)

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The numbers alluded to below are computed by Polybius at seven hundred and seventy, and by the writer of the Livian Supplement at eight hundred thousand men. This included however, of course, their Italian allies.*

9 They, subsequently, offered the same sacrifice in the second Punic war. See Liv. xxii. 57. who there refers to this preceding instance of barbarity, as minimè Romanum sacrum.

In the beginning of the war, the Romans sometimes gained great advantages, and sometimes were no less signally defeated; but there was no decisive action, till the consulship of Flaminius and Furius, who led a very powerful army against the Insubrians. Then (we are told) the river which runs through the Picentine territory was seen flowing with blood, and three moons appeared over the city of Ariminum". The priests likewise, who were to observe the flight of birds at the time of choosing consuls, affirmed that the election was faulty and inauspicious. The senate therefore immediately sent letters to the camp to recall the consuls, insisting that they should return without loss of time and resign their office, and forbidding them to act at all against the enemy in consequence of their late appointment.

Flaminius, having received these letters, deferred opening them till he had engaged and routed the barbarians", and over-run their country. When he returned therefore loaded with spoils, the people did not go out to meet him; and because he had not directly obeyed

10" Lunæ quoque trina ut Cn. Domitio, Caio Fannio Coss. appa ruere, quos plerique appellaverunt soles nocturnos." (Plin. H. N. ii. 32.) This circumstance is likewise mentioned by Jul. Obsequens, xcii. The former writer states that never more than three suns had been seen once before his time. Gassendi says that, A. D. 1625, six were seen toge ther in Poland; and Schenerus informs us that, on March 20, 1629, five were observed at Rome, and seven on Jan. 24. of the following year: adding, that there is no reason, why eleven might not be seep at the same instant!*

11 See Liv. xxi, 63. Flaminius was not entitled to this success by his conduct. He gave battle with a river behind him, where there was not room for his men to rally or retreat, if they had been broken. But possibly he might make such a disposition of his forces, to show them that they must either conquer or die; for he knew that he was acting against the intentions of the senate, and that nothing but success could bring him off. (Polyb.i.) He was naturally, indeed, rash and daring.

It was the skill and management of the legionary tribunes, which made amends for the consul's imprudence. They distributed among the soldiers of the first line the pikes of the triarii, to prevent the enemy from making use of their swords: and, when the first ardour of the Gauls was over, ordered the Romans to shorten their swords, close with the enemy so as to leave them no room to lift up their arms, and stab them; which they did without running any hazard themselves, the swords of the Gauls having no points.

This same Flaminius was subsequently defeated by Annibal at Trebia, A. U. C. 536.