The Tarantines Blockade the Romans
But when he had already completed the preparation
Hannibal's arrangements for storming the citadel frustrated. |
of the necessary engines for the assault, the
Romans received some slight encouragement
on a reinforcement throwing itself into the
citadel by sea from Metapontium; and consequently they sallied out by night and attacked the works, and
destroyed all Hannibal's apparatus and engines.
After this Hannibal abandoned the idea of a
storm: but as the new wall was now completed,
he summoned a meeting of the Tarentines and pointed out to
them that the most imperative necessity, in view of the present
state of things, was to get command of the sea. For as the citadel
commanded the entrance to the harbour, the Tarentines could
not use their ships nor sail out of it; while the Romans could
get supplies conveyed to them by sea without danger: and as
long as that was the case, it was impossible that the city should
have any security for its freedom.
New plans for cutting off the |
Hannibal
saw this clearly, and explained to the Tarentines
that, if the enemy on the citadel were
deprived of hope of succour by sea, they
would at once give way, and abandon it of their own accord,
without attempting to defend the place.
The Tarentines were
fully convinced by his words: but how it was to be brought
about in the present state of affairs they could form no idea,
unless a fleet should appear from
Carthage; which at that
time of the year was impossible. They therefore said that they
could not understand what Hannibal was aiming at in these
remarks to them. When he replied that it was plain that,
even without the Carthaginians, they were all but in command
of the sea, they were still more puzzled, and could not guess
his meaning. The truth was that Hannibal had noticed that the
broad street, which was at once within the wall separating the
town from the citadel, and led from the harbour into the open
sea, was well suited for the purpose; and he had conceived the
idea of dragging the ships out of the harbour to the sea on
the southern side of the town. Upon his disclosing his idea to
the Tarentines, they not only expressed their agreement with
the proposal, but the greatest admiration for himself; and made
up their minds that there was nothing which his acuteness and
daring could not accomplish. Trucks on wheels were quickly
constructed: and it was scarcely sooner said than done, owing
to the zeal of the people and the numbers who helped to work
at it. In this way the Tarentines dragged their ships across
into the open sea, and were enabled without danger to themselves to blockade the Romans on the citadel, having deprived
them of their supplies from without.
But Hannibal himself,
leaving a garrison for the city, started with his
army, and returned in a three day's march to his
original camp; and there remained without further movements
for the rest of the winter. . . .