Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/370

Rh 356 HASDRUBAL. Cn. Scipio was surrounded by tlieir united armies, his camp taken, and he himself slain, with the greater part of his troops. (Liv. xxv. 32 — 36 ; Appian, Hisp. 16.) This victory appeared to be decisive of the fate of the war in Spain ; and we do not see what now remained to prevent Hasdrubal from setting out on his march to Italy. Yet we hear of no measures tending to this result, and are unable to account for the loss of so valuable an opportunity. But the history of this part of the war has been so effectually disguised, that it is impossible to conjecture the truth. It appears that the remains of the Roman armies had been collected together by a Roman knight, named L. Marcius, who established his camp to the north of the Iberus ; and was able to defend it against the attacks of the enemy ; but the accounts (copied by Livy from Claudius Qua- drigarius and Valerius of Antium) of his great victories over the Carthaginian armies, and his capture of their camps, are among the most glaring exaggerations with which the history of this war has been encumbered by the Roman annalists. Still more palpably absurd is the story that the Roman praetor, Claudius Nero, landing in Spain with a force of 6000 men, found Hasdrubal en- camped in so disadvantageous a position, that his whole army must have fallen into the power of Claudius, had he not deluded that general by a pre- tended negotiation, under cover of which lie drew off his forces. (Liv. xxv. 37 — 39, xxvi. 17 ; comp. Appian, Hisp. 17, and Zonar. ix. 5, 7 ; and see some judicious remarks on this part of Livy's history by a soldier and a statesman in Raleigh's History nf tlie World., book 5, ch. 13, sect. 11.) All that "is certain is, that when the youthful P. Scipio (the son of that Publius who had fallen in the preceding year) landed in Spain in 211, he found the whole country south of the Iberus in the undisputed possession of the Carthaginian generals. Their three armies were, however, separated in dis- tant quarters of the peninsula, probably engaged in establishing their dominion over the native tribes : Avhile the more settled Carthaginian province was comparatively neglected. Of this disposition Scipio ably availed himself, and by a sudden blow, made himself master of New Carthage, the heart of the enemy's dominion, and the place where their principal stores had been collected. (Polyb. x. 7 —20; Liv. xxvi. 20, 41—48; Appian, Hi^. 19—24.) Hasdrubal had been occupied in the siege of a small town of the Carpetanians, at the time that this blow was struck : we know nothing of the measures which either he or his colleagues adopted in consequence ; but we are told that the conquest of New Carthage co-operating with the personal popularity of Scipio, caused the defection of many of the Spanish tribes from the alliance of Carthage, among others that of Indibilis and Mandonius, two of the most influential, and hitherto the most faithful of her supporters. Hasdrubal, alarmed at this increasing disaft'ection, detennined to bring matters to the issue of a decisive battle, with the view of afterwards putting in execution his long- meditated advance to Italy. But while he was still engaged in his preparations for this purpose, and was collecting a supply of money from the rich silver mines of Andalusia, he was attacked by Scipio in his camp at Baecula, and, notwithstanding the strength of his position, was forced from it with HASDRUBAL. heavy loss. The defeat, however, can hardly have been so complete as it is represented by the Roman writers, for it appears that Hasdrubal carried oif his treasure and his elephants in safety, and with- drew unmolested towards the more northern pro- vinces of Spain. Here he held a consultation with the other two generals (his brother Mago and Has- drubal the son of Gisco), at which it was agreed that he himself should proceed to Italy, leaving his two colleagues to make head against Scipio in Spain. (Polyb. x. 34—40 ; Liv. xxvii. 17—20.) Of the expedition of Hasdrubal to Italy, though it is one of the most important events of the war, we have very little real knowledge. The line of his march was necessarily different from that pur- sued by Hannibal, for Scipio was in undisputed possession of the province north of the Iberus, and had secured the passes of the Pyrenees on that side ; hence Hasdrubal, after recruiting his army with fresh troops, levied among the northern Spa- niards, crossed the Pyrenees near their western extremity, and plunged into the heart of Gaul. What were his relations with the Gallic tribes — whether the period spent by him among them was occupied in peace or war — we know not ; but, be- fore he reached the foot of the Alps, many of them had been induced to join him, and the mention among these of the Arvemi shows how deep into the country he had penetrated. The chronology is also very obscure. It is certain that the battle of Baecula was fought in B. c. 209, but whether Has- drubal crossed the Pyrenees the same year we have no evidence : he must, at all events, have spent one winter in Gaul, as it was not till the spring of 207 that he crossed the Alps, and descended into Italy. The passage of the Alps appears to have presented but trifling difficulties, compared with what his brother Hannibal had encountered eleven years before ; and he arrived in Italy so much earlier than he was expected, that the Romans had no army in Cisalpine Gaul ready to oppose him. Unfortunately, instead of taking advantage of this, to push on at once into the heart of Italy, he al- lowed himself to be engaged in the siege of Pla- centia, and lost much precious time in fruitless efforts to reduce that colony. When at length he abandoned the enterprise, he continued his march upon Ariminum, having previously sent messengers to Hannibal to apprise him of his movements, and concert measures for their meeting in Umbria. But his despatches fell into the hands of the» Roman consul, C. Nero, who instantly marched with a light detachment of 7000 men to join his colleague, M. Livius, in his camp at Sena, where his army was now in presence of Hasdrubal. Emboldened by this reinforcement, the two consuls proceeded to offer battle to the Carthaginian general ; but Has- drubal, perceiving their augmented forces, declined the combat, and retreated towards Ariminum. The Romans pursued him, and he found himself com- pelled to give them battle on the right bank of the Metaurus. It is admitted by his enemies that on this occasion Hasdrubal displayed all the qualities of a consummate general^ but his forces were greatly inferior to those of the enemy, and his Gaulish auxiliaries were of little service. The gal- lant resistance of his Spanish and Ligurian troops is attested by the heavy loss of the Romans ; but all was of no avail, and, seeing the battle irretrievably lost, he rushed into the midst of the enemy, and fell sword in hand, in a manner, says Livy, worthy