standards carried out from the gates. However, they drew up their
forces so that the right wing of the Carthaginians was extended up the
hill, while the left wing of the Romans was contiguous to the town.
For a long time neither side had any advantage; but the battle having
continued from the third hour till night, and the first lines, which
consisted, on the part of the Romans, of the first legion and the
right wing of the allied infantry, on the part of Hannibal, of the
Spanish soldiers, the Balearic slingers, and the elephants, which
were driven into the field after the commencement of the battle, being
fatigued with fighting, the first legion was relieved by the third,
and the right wing of allied infantry by the left; while on the part
of the enemy fresh troops took up the battle in place of those who
were tired. A new and desperate conflict suddenly arose, instead of
that which was so feebly maintained, their minds and bodies being
unimpaired by fatigue; but night separated the combatants while the
victory was undecided. The following day the Romans stood drawn up
for battle from sun-rise till late in the day; but none of the enemy
coming out against them, they gathered the spoils at their leisure,
and collecting the bodies of their own troops into a heap, burnt them.
The following night Hannibal decamped in silence, and moved on into
Apulia. As soon as daylight discovered the flight of the enemy,
Marcellus, leaving his wounded under the protection of a small
garrison at Numistro, in command of which he placed Lucius Furius
Purpureo, a military tribune, commenced a close pursuit of Hannibal,
and overtook him at Venusia. Here, during several days, parties of
troops sallying from the outposts, battles took place between foot and
horses promiscuously, rather irregular than important, but which for
the most part were favourable to the Romans. The armies were marched
thence through Apulia without any engagement worth recording; for
Hannibal marched by night, seeking an opportunity for ambuscade,