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For since he had sent a message to those in Salapia, supposedly by a deserter, how Marcellus was approaching the walls by night, using the Latin language along with others who 2.275 knew it, so that they might seem to be Romans. But the Salapians, having learned his trick, devised a counter-trick of pretending that they truly believed Marcellus was approaching, and having raised the portcullis, they let in as many as seemed to them a sufficient number to be overcome by them, and they killed them all. And Hannibal departed immediately, having learned that the Locrians were being besieged by Romans who had sailed over from Sicily. And Publius Sulpicius with the Aetolians and other allies ravaged much of Achaia. But when Philip the Macedonian allied himself with the Achaeans, the Romans would have been driven out of Greece completely, if Philip's helmet had not slipped off and the Aetolians had gotten it, and a rumor reached the Macedonians that he was dead, and a revolt arose there and he feared he might be deprived of his kingdom, and so he hurried to Macedonia. As a result, the Romans remained in Greece and took control of some cities. In the following year, when Hasdrubal was reported to be approaching, those in Rome both gathered their forces and sent for their allies, having chosen Claudius Nero and Livius Marcus as consuls. And they sent Nero against Hannibal, and Livius against Hasdrubal. He met him near the city of Sena; however, they did not immediately come to blows. For many days he remained in his position; but Hasdrubal did not hasten the battle either, but kept quiet, waiting for his brother. Now Nero and Hannibal were encamped in Lucania, and neither rushed into a pitched battle, but otherwise they came to blows with each other. And Hannibal frequently changed his position, and Nero watched him closely. 2.276 Therefore, always getting the better of him, and having captured the letters sent to him by Hasdrubal, he looked down on Hannibal, but fearing that Hasdrubal might overwhelm Livius by his numbers, he dared a great deed. And he left behind there a portion sufficient to check Hannibal, if he should move anywhere, giving orders to do everything so that he himself might be thought to be present, and selecting the very best of his army he set out as if to attack some neighboring city, and no one knew his plan. And he hurried against Hasdrubal, and arrived by night at his colleague's camp, and pitched his tents within his trench. And both prepared so that they might attack him together by surprise. But they did not escape notice, but Hasdrubal inferred what had happened from the commands being given twice; for each of the consuls was giving some order privately to his own men. Suspecting, therefore, that Hannibal had been defeated and had perished (for he reasoned that Nero would not have set out against him while that one was still alive), he decided to withdraw to the Gauls and there to ascertain the facts about his brother and thus to make war at his leisure. And so, having ordered his army to break camp, he departed by night, but the consuls suspected what was happening from the noise, but did not move immediately because of the darkness. But at dawn they sent the cavalry ahead to pursue them, and they themselves followed. And when Hasdrubal drew up his cavalry against them as if they were alone, the consuls came up and put him to flight, and following the fugitives they killed many. And not even the elephants helped them; for since some of them, being wounded, were doing more harm to their own handlers than the enemy did, Hasdrubal ordered 2.277 those riding on them to kill the wounded beasts at once; and they were most easily killed by being stabbed with a sort of iron tool under the ear. And those were being destroyed by the Carthaginians, while the men were being destroyed by the Romans. And so many fell that the Romans, having become sated with slaughter, did not wish to pursue the rest. And having destroyed many others and Hasdrubal, and having taken very much booty, and having found Roman captives to the number of four thousand in the camp, sufficiently the disaster of Cannae