Flaminius cum pridie solis occasu ad lacum pervenisset, inexplorato postero die vixdum satis certa luce angustiis superatis, postquam in patentiorem campum pandi agmen coepit, id tantum hostium, quod ex adverso erat, conspexit; ab tergo ac super { 5} caput _haud[29] detectae_ insidiae. Poenus ubi, id quod petierat, clausum lacu ac montibus et circumfusum suis copiis habuit hostem, signum omnibus dat simul invadendi. Qui ubi, qua cuique proximum fuit, decucurrerunt, eo magis Romanis subita atque improvisa { 10} res fuit, quod orta ex lacu nebula campo quam montibus densior sederat, agminaque hostium ex pluribus collibus ipsa inter se satis conspecta eoque magis pariter decucurrerant. Romanus clamore prius undique orto, quam satis cerneret, se circumventum { 15} esse sensit, et ante in frontem lateraque pugnari coeptum est, quam satis instrueretur acies aut expediri arma stringique gladii possent. Consul perculsis omnibus ipse satis, ut[30] in re trepida, impavidus turbatos ordines, vertente se quoque ad dissonos { 20} clamores, instruit, ut tempus locusque patitur, et, quacunque adire audirique potest, adhortatur ac stare ac pugnare iubet. { 25}
[Footnote 30: For this qualifying use of _ut_ cf. p. 42, iii. (b) and p. 83 line 1.] [[Demonstration IV.iii and Selection D24]]
[Linenotes: 1. +Flaminius+ (Gaius), the chief of the popular party at Rome. Consul 223 B.C., conquered the Insubrian Gauls, Censor 220 B.C. Connected Picenum with Rome by the Via Flaminia. Consul (a second time) 217 B.C., defeated and killed at Trasimene. 2. +inexplorato+ = _without reconnoitring_. ‘This word expresses the whole blame attaching to Flaminius, and it is great.’ --Dimsdale. 4. +pandi+ (= _se pandere_) = _to deploy_. 13. +ipsa ... conspecta+ = _were sufficiently visible to each other_. 15. +prius quam satis cerneret+ = _before he could clearly distinguish anything_. --D. 19. +ut in re trepida+ = _considering the confusion of the moment_. --D.]
+The Scene of the Battle.+ At the N.W. end of the Lake the mountains of Cortona come right down to the lake, but a little further E. the pass expands and forms between the mountains and the lake a narrow plain from ½ to 1½ miles in width and about 4 miles in length. At the E. end of the plain the mountains again close down upon the lake. Here Hannibal encamped with his Africans and Spaniards; posted his light-armed troops behind the crests of the hills which bounded the plain on the N., and his cavalry at the entrance to the pass on the W. to cut off the Roman retreat.