and straight, forming, with the forehead, a perfect profile. The
expression of the mouth was kind but firm. His beard was short.
The whole contour of the face was noble in the extreme.

In battle he wore a helmet of bronze closely fitting the head,
behind which projected a curved metal plate covering his neck.
A band of gold surrounded the helmet; in front were five laurel
leaves in steel; at the temples two leaves of the lotus of the
same metal. On the crest, rising from an ornament enriched with
pearls, was a large plume of feathers, sometimes red and sometimes
white. A tuft of white horsehair fell from the plate behind. A
coat of mail, made of a triple tissue of chains of gold, covered
his body. Above this he wore a shirt of the finest white linen,
covered to the waist by a jerkin of leather overlaid with gold
plates. A large mantle of purple embroidered with gold hung from
his shoulders. He wore sandals and leggings of red morocco leather.

But it was only on special occasions that Hannibal was thus
magnificently clad. On the march he dressed generally in a simple
blouse like that worn by his soldiers. His arms were borne behind
him by an esquire. These consisted of his shield, of Galatian
manufacture. Its material was bronze, its shape circular. In the
centre was a conical, sharply pointed boss. The face of the shield
was ornamented with subjects taken from the history of Carthage
in relief. The offensive arms were a sword, a lance, and a bow with
arrows. But it was not to the splendour of his appearance that
Hannibal owed the enthusiasm by which he was regarded by his
troops. His strength and skill were far superior to those of any
man in his army. His food was as simple as that of his soldiers,
he was capable of going for days without eating, and it was seldom