Page:Frontinus - The stratagems, and, the aqueducts of Rome (Bennet et al 1925).djvu/171

 STRATAGEMS, II. iv. 1-3

IV. On Cheating Panic in the Enemy's Hanks

When Papirius Cursor, the son,^ in his consulship failed to win any advantage in his battle against the stubbornly resisting Samnites, he gave no intimation of his purpose to his men, but commanded Spurius Xautius to arrange to have a few auxiliary horsemen and grooms, mounted on mules and trailing branches over the ground, race down in great commotion from a hill running at an angle with the field. As soon as these came in sight, he proclaimed that his colleague - was at hand, crowned with victory, and urged his men to secure for themselves the glory of the present battle before he should arrive. At this the Romans rushed forward, kindling with confidence, while the enemy, disheartened at the sight of the dust, turned and fled.^

Fabius RuUus Maximus, when in Samnium in his fourth consulship, having vainly essayed in every way to break through the line of the enemy, finall}' w ithdrew the hastati * from the ranks and sent them round with his lieutenant Scipio, under instructions to seize a hill from which they could rush down upon the rear of the enemy. When this had been done, the courage of the Romans rose, and the Samnites, fleeing in terror, were cut to pieces.^

The general Minucius Rufus, hard pressed by the Scoi'discans and Dacians, for whom he was no match in numbers, sent his brother and a small squadron of cavalry on ahead, along with a detachment of trumpeters, directing him, as soon as he should see the battle begin, to show himself suddenly from the opposite quarter and to order the trumpeters to blow their horns. Then, when the hill-tops re-echoed with

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