Some years after the entrance of Hannibal into Italy, the Tarentines,
an inconstant, fickle people, believing Rome without resources, opened
their gates to the Carthaginians; but they could not force the citadel,
which was held by a Roman garrison. These soldiers kept the enemy
at bay for a length of time. Rome, having regained its superiority,
turned its attention to Tarentum, and resolved to punish it for its
infidelity. The consul Q. Fabius laid siege to it, and found means to
terminate his important enterprise very speedily. Hannibal had placed
in the city a body of Brutians, the commander of whom was passionately
in love with a woman whose brother served in the army of the consul.
This brother, with the consent of his general, threw himself into
Tarentum, and, aided by the caresses of his sister, gained the
confidence of the officer. In a party of pleasure, he prevailed upon
him to deliver up to the Romans the quarter of the city intrusted to
his guard. When measures were ready, the soldier made his escape and
informed Fabius of his success. The consul gave the concerted signal to
the Romans who defended the citadel, and to the Brutians, and placed
himself, with a chosen body of troops, immediately opposite the place
agreed upon. The noise of trumpets and of loud cries issued at the
same moment from the citadel, the port, and the vessels at anchor.
The consul, concealed at his post, maintained a profound silence. The
general officer who guarded the quarter of the city near which Fabius
was in ambush, seeing all quiet, thought he had nothing to fear, and
flew towards the side whence the tumult came. The consul perceiving
this, planted his ladders against that part of the wall where the
Brutian cohorts were posted, and entered quietly into the city. He
broke down the nearest gate, which gave access to more troops, and
advanced towards the public place. The besieged defended themselves
there for some time; but, overwhelmed by numbers, they were obliged
to disperse. A great carnage ensued. Tarentum was pillaged; and, it
is said, eighty-seven thousand pounds weight of gold rewarded the
victors. Fabius had the wisdom to be satisfied with the money and
rich moveables; with the exception of a single brazen statue from the
hand of Lysippus, he let the statues and pictures remain, using this
memorable expression: “Let us leave the voluptuous Tarentines their
angry gods, whom they have so ill served.” Had all Roman generals
followed the example of Fabius, and left objects of luxury and
indulgence to the peoples they had corrupted, Rome would not, in its
turn, have fallen a victim to sensuality and the corruption employed to
support it.