Marcellus   

consul, the other as proconsul, against the enemy. Posidonius writes,
that Fabius was called the buckler, Marcellus the sword of Rome. Certainly,
Hannibal himself confessed that he feared Fabius as a schoolmaster,
Marcellus as an adversary: the former, lest he should be hindered
from doing mischief; the latter, lest he should receive harm himself.
And first, when among Hannibal's soldiers, proud of their victory,
carelessness and boldness had grown to a great height, Marcellus,
attacking all their stragglers and plundering parties, cut them off,
and by little and little diminished their forces. Then carrying aid
to the Neopolitans and Nolans, he confirmed the minds of the former,
who, indeed, were of their own accord faithful enough to the Romans;
but in Nola he found a state of discord, the senate not being able
to rule and keep in the common people, who were generally favourers
of Hannibal. There was in the town one Bantius, a man renowned for
his high birth and courage. This man, after he had fought most fiercely
at Cannae, and had killed many of the enemies, at last was found lying
in a heap of dead bodies, covered with darts, and was brought to Hannibal,
who so honoured him, that he not only dismissed him without ransom,
but also contracted friendship with him, and made him his guest. In
gratitude for this great favour, he became one of the strongest partisans
of Hannibal, and urged the people to revolt. Marcellus could not be
induced to put to death a man of such eminence, and who had endured
such dangers in fighting on the Roman side; but, knowing himself able,
by the general kindliness of his disposition, and in particular by
the attractiveness of his address, to gain over a character whose
passion was for honour, one day when Bantius saluted him, he asked
him who he was; not that he knew him not before, but seeking an occasion
of further conference. When Bantius had told who he was, Marcellus,
seeming surprised with joy and wonder, replied: "Are you that Bantius
whom the Romans commend above the rest that fought at Cannae, and
praise as the one man that not only did not forsake the consul Paulus
Aemilius, but received in his own body many darts thrown at him?"
Bantius owning himself to be that very man, and showing his scars:
"Why, then," said Marcellus, "did not you, having such proofs to show
of your affection to us, come to me at my first arrival here? Do you
think that we are unwilling to requite with favour those who have
well deserved, and who are honoured even by our enemies?" He followed
up his courtesies by a present of a war-horse and five hundred drachmas
in money. From that time Bantius became the most faithful assistant
and ally of Marcellus, and a most keen discoverer of those that attempted
innovation and sedition.
These were many, and had entered into a conspiracy to plunder the
baggage of the Romans, when they should make an irruption against
the enemy. Marcellus, therefore, having marshalled his army within
the city, placed the baggage near to the gates, and, by an edict,
forbade the Nolans to go to the walls. Thus, outside the city, no
arms could be seen; by which prudent device he allured Hannibal to
move with his army in some disorder to the city, thinking that things
were in a tumult there. Then Marcellus, the nearest gate being, as
he had commanded, thrown open, issuing forth with the flower of his
horse in front, charged the enemy. By and by the foot, sallying out
of another gate, with a loud shout joined in the battle. And while
Hannibal opposes part of his forces to these, the third gate also
is opened, out of which the rest break forth, and on all quarters
fall upon the enemies, who were dismayed at this unexpected encounter,
and did but feebly resist those with whom they had been first engaged,
because of their attack by these others who sallied out later. Here
Hannibal's soldiers, with much bloodshed and many wounds, were beaten
back to their camp, and for the first time turned their backs to the
Romans. There fell in this action, as it is related, more than five
thousand of them; of the Romans, not above five hundred. Livy does
not affirm that either the victory or the slaughter of the enemy was
so great; but certain it is that the adventure brought great glory
to Marcellus, and to the Romans, after their calamities, a great revival