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12 12 Imaginary Conversation. to them in the war with Pyrrhus, and must have expected more service from them against the barbarians of the two Gauls, against the Insubres and Taurini, than against our legions. He knew that the Romans had on more than one occasion made them detrimental to their masters. Having with him a large body of troops collected by force from various nations, and kept together with difficulty, he should have placed the elephants where they would have been a terror to these soldiers, not without a threat that they were to trample down such of them as attempted to fly or declined to fight. SCIPIO. Now what think you, Panetius? PANETIUS. It is well, O Emilianus, when soldiers would be phi- losophers; but it is ill when philosophers would be soldiers. Do you and Polybius agree on the point ? if you do, the question need be asked of none other. SCIPIO. Truly, O Panetius, I would rather hear the thing from him than that Hannibal should have heard it : for a wise man will say many things which even a wiser may not have thought of. Let me tell you both however, what Polybius may perhaps know already, that combustibles were placed by Africanus both in flank and rear, at equal distances, with archers from among the light horsemen, whose arrows had liquid fire attached to them, and whose movements would have irritated, distracted, and wearied down the elephants, even if the wounds and scorchings had been ineffectual. J3ut come, Polybius, you must talk now as others talk ; we all do sometimes. POLYBIUS. I am the last to admitt the authority of the vulgar ; but here we all meet and unite. Without asserting or believing that the general opinion is of any weight against a captain like Hannibal; agreeing on the contrary with Panetius, and firmly persuaded that myriads of little men can no more compensate a great one than they can make him ; you will listen to me if I adduce the authority of Lelius.