Page:Frontinus - The stratagems, and, the aqueducts of Rome (Bennet et al 1925).djvu/301

 STRATAGEMS, III. xvi. 1-3

revolt, as a favour to Hannibal, by whose kindness he had been tended when wounded among those engaged at Cannae, and by whom he had been sent back from captivity to his own people. Claudius Marcellus, learning of his purpose and not daring to put him to death, for fear that by his punishment he would stir up the rest of the people of Nola, summoned Bantius and talked with him, pronouncing him a very valiant soldier (a fact which Marcellus admitted he had not previously known), and urging him to remain with him. Besides these compli- ments, he presented him also with a horse. By such kindness he secured the loj-alty, not only of Bantius, but also of his townspeople, since their allegiance hinged on his.^

When the Gallic auxiliaries of Hamilcar, the Carthaginian general, were in the habit of crossing over to the Romans and were regularly received by them as allies, Hamilcar engaged his most loyal men to pretend desertion, while actually they slew the Romans who came out to welcome them. This device was not merely of present aid to Hamilcar, but caused real deserters to be regarded in future as objects of suspicion in the eyes of the Romans.-

Hanno, commander of the Carthaginians in Sicilv, learned on one occasion that about four thousand Gallic inercenaries had conspired to desert to the Romans, because for several months they had received no pay. Not daring to punish them, for fear of mutiny, he promised to make good the deferred payment by increasing their wages. When the Gauls i*endered thanks for this, Hanno, pi-omising that they should be permitted to go out foraging at a suitable time, sent to the consul Otacilius an

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