EXAMPLE 10. Of the Women of Salmantica.
When Hannibal, the son of Barca, besieged the great
city Salmantica in Spain, before he fought against the
Romans, at the first assault the besieged citizens were
[p. 353]
surprised with fear, insomuch that they consented to grant him
his demands, and to give him three hundred talents of silver and three hundred hostages. Upon which he raised his
siege; when they changed their minds, and would not perform any thing that they had promised. Wherefore returning again to his siege, he gave command to his soldiers to
take the city by storm, and fall to the plundering their
goods. At this the barbarians, struck universally into a
panic fear, came to terms of composition, for the free citizens to depart the city with their clothes to their backs,
but to leave their weapons, goods, slaves, and city behind
them. Now the women supposed that, although the enemies would strictly search every man as he departed, yet
the women would go untouched. Accordingly, taking scimitars and hiding them under their coats, they fell in with
the men as they marched out. When they were all gone
out of the city, Hannibal sets a guard of Masaesylian soldiers, fixing their post without the gate, but the rest of his
army fell promiscuously into the city to plunder. But the
Masaesylians, seeing them busy in carrying away much
spoil, were not able any longer to refrain or to mind the
charge of their watch, taking it heinously that that was
their lot, and therefore left their post and went to take their
share of the booty. Upon this the women raised a shout
to animate their husbands, and delivered the scimitars
into their hands, and they themselves some of them fell
upon the sentinels; insomuch that one of them, snatching
away the spear of Banon the interpreter, smote him with
it, though he was armed with a breastplate. And as for
the rest, the men routed and put some to flight and slew
others, making their escape by charging through them in
a great body together with the women. Hannibal, being
made acquainted with these things, pursued them, and those
he took he slew; but some betaking themselves to the
mountains easily made their escape, and afterwards, sending
[p. 354]
in their humble supplications, were admitted by him
into the city, obtaining indemnity and civil usage.
