134 HANNIBAL. 



It appears strange that Rome should so tamely have 

 allowed the Carthaginians to take Spain. The truth 

 was that the Romans, just then, had enough to do to 

 look after their own affairs. The Gauls of Lombardy 

 had furiously attacked the Italian cities, and had 

 called to their aid the Gauls who lived beyond the 

 Alps. Before the Romans had beaten off the bar- 

 barians, the conquest in Spain had been accomplished. 

 The Romans, therefore, accepted the fact, and con- 

 tented themselves with a treaty by which the govern- 

 ment of Carthage pledged itself not to pass beyond the 

 Ebro. 



But Hannibal cared nothing about treaties made at 

 Carthage. As Hamilcar, without orders, had invaded 

 Spain, so he, without orders, invaded Italy. The ex- 

 pedition of the Gauls had shown him that it was 

 possible to cross the Alps, and he chose that extra- 

 ordinary route. The Roman army was about to 

 embark for Spain, which, it was supposed, would be 

 the seat of war, when the news arrived that Hannibal 

 had alighted in Italy, with elephants and cavalry, like 

 a man descending from the clouds. 



If wars were always decided by individual exploits 

 and pitched battles, Hannibal would have conquered 

 Italy. He defeated the Romans so often and so 

 thoroughly, that at last they found it their best policy 

 not to fight with him at all. He could do nothing 

 then but sweep over the country with his Cossack 

 cavalry, plunder, and destroy. It was impossible 

 for him to take Rome, which was protected by 

 walls strong as rocks, and by rocks steep as walls. 

 "When he did march on Rome, encamping within three 

 miles of the city, and raising a panic during an after- 

 noon, it was done merely as a ruse to draw away the 



