History of Rome

​In addition to the grain collected from all sides from the devastated fields around, and the supplies brought from Sicily and Italy, Cn. Octavius, the propraetor, brought a huge quantity of grain from Sardinia, from the praetor Ti. Claudius, whose province that was;

​and not only were those granaries which had already been built filled, but new ones were constructed. Clothing was lacking for the army; this task was mandated to Octavius, to treat with the praetor to see if anything could be procured from that province and sent.

​This matter also was managed with no sluggishness; twelve hundred togas and twelve thousand tunics were sent within a short space of time.

​In the same summer in which these things were done in Africa, the consul P. Sempronius, whose province was the Bruttii, clashed with Hannibal in the Crotonian territory during his very march in a tumultuous battle.

​The fight was conducted by marching columns rather than in a regular battle line. The Romans were repulsed, and through confusion rather than a regular battle, up to twelve hundred of the consul’s army were killed;

​they returned to the camp in alarm, yet the enemy did not dare to attack it. But, setting out from there in the silence of the following night, the consul, having sent a messenger ahead to the proconsul P. Licinius to move his legions, joined his forces. Thus two leaders and two armies returned to Hannibal; nor was there any delay in fighting, ​since the doubled strength gave courage to the consul, and the recent victory gave courage to the Carthaginian.

​Sempronius led his own legions into the front line, while the legions of P. Licinius were placed in reserve. At the beginning of the battle, the consul vowed a temple to Fortuna Primigenia if he should rout the enemy on that day;

​and he obtained his vow. The Carthaginians were routed and put to flight, over four thousand armed men were slain, slightly less than three hundred taken alive, along with forty horses and eleven military standards. Hannibal, struck by this adverse battle, withdrew his army to Croton.

​At the same time, the consul M. Cornelius, in another part of Italy, kept Etruria in check not so much by arms as by the terror of trials, since almost the whole of it had turned to Mago, and through him to the hope of a revolution.

​He conducted these inquisitions by decree of the senate with no partiality; and many noble Etruscans, who had either gone themselves or sent messengers to Mago concerning the defection of their peoples, were at first condemned while present;

​afterwards, taking exile upon themselves out of consciousness of guilt, when they were condemned in their absence, having withdrawn their persons, they offered only such of their goods as could be confiscated to be seized for their punishment.