The fighting in the forum commenced with an impetuosity which弊s not .ne was no mazcn for the Roman either in courage or weapons or military training or bodily strength and vigour. They hurled their javelins, and that was all;almost before they came to close quarters they turned and fled through the streets, seeking shelter in their own homes and in their friends' houses. Two of their leaders Nico and Democrates, fell fighting bravely;Philemenus, who had been the prime agent in delivering the city up to Hannibal, rode at full speed out of the battle, but though his riderless horse was recognised soon afterwards whilst straying about the city, his body was nowhere found.It was commonly believed that he had been pitched headlong from his horse down an unprotected well. Carthalo. the commandant of the garrison, had laid down his arms and was going to the consul to remind him of the old tie of hospitality between their fathers when he was killed by a soldier who met him. Those found with arms -and those who had none were massacred indiscriminately, Carthaginians and Tarentines met the same fate. Many even of the Bruttians were killed in different parts of the town, either by mistake or to satisfy an old-standing hate, or to suppress any rumour of its capture through treachery, by making it appear as though it had been taken by storm. After the carnage followed the sack of the city. It is said that 30,000 slaves were captured together with an enormous quantity of silver plate and bullion, 83 pounds' weight of gold and a collection of statues and pictures almost equal to that which had adorned Syracuse. Fabius, however, showed a nobler spirit than Marcellus had exhibited in Sicilv:he kept his hands oft that kind of spoil. When his secretary asked him what he 诫shed to have done with some colossal statues-they were deities, each represented in his appropriate dress and in a fiYhtinLy attitude--he ordered them to be left to the Tarentines who had felt their wrath. The wall which separated the city from the citadel was completely demolished. Hannibal's Futile _4 ttempt to entrap Fabius.-Hannibal had in the meanwhile received the surrender of the force which was investing Caulo. As soon as he heard that Tarentum was beinLy attacked he hurried to its relief, marching night and dav. On receiving the news of its capture, he remarked,”The Romans too have their Hannibal, we have lost Tarentum by the same practices by which we gained it.”To prevent his retirement from appearing like a flight he encamped at a distance of about five miles from the city, and after staying there for a few days he fell back on Metapontum. From this place he sent two of the townsmen with a letter to Fabius at -1-arentum·it was written Dy the civic authorities, ana statea that they were prepared to surrender Metapontum and its Carthaginian garrison if the consul would pledge his word that they should not suffer for their conduct in the past. Fabius believed the letter to be genuine and handed the bearers a ret)ly addressed to their chiefs，fixing the date of his arrival at MetaDontum. This was taken to且anni bal. N aturally delighted to find that even r-abius was not proot against his stratagems, he disposed his force in ambuscade not far from Metapontum. Before leaving Tarentum Fabius consulted the sacred chickens, and on two occasions they an unfavourable omen. He also consulted the gods of sac and after they had inspected the victim the augurs warned h如to be on his guard against plots and‘ambuscades on the part of the enemy. As he did not come at the appointed time, the Metapon t fines were again sent to him to hasten his movements, and were promptly arrested. Terrified at th e prospect of examination under torture, they disclosed the plot.