While Hannibal was thus attempting to cross the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pyrenees&groupId=921&placeId=1650">Pyrenees</a>, in great fear of the Celts owing to the natural strength of the passes,
the Romans, having received from the envoys they had sent to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> an account of the decision arrived at, and the speeches made there, and on news reaching them sooner than they had expected that Hannibal had crossed the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Ebro&groupId=549&placeId=1031">Ebro</a> with his army, determined to send, with their legions, the Consuls Publius Cornelius Scipio to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a> and Tiberius Sempronius Longus to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a>.
While occupied in enrolling the legions and making other preparations they were pushing on the project of establishing in Cisalpine <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Gaul&groupId=598&placeId=1108">Gaul</a> the colonies on which they had decided.
They took active steps to fortify the towns, and ordered the colonists, who were about six thousand in number for either city, to be on the spot within thirty days.
The one city they founded on this side of the Po, calling it <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Placentia&groupId=907&placeId=1630">Placentia</a>, the other, which they named <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cremona&groupId=502&placeId=945">Cremona</a>, on the far side.
Scarce had both these colonies been established when the Boii Gauls, who had been for long as it were lying in wait to throw off their allegiance to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>, but had hitherto found no opportunity,
elated now by the messages they received assuring them of the near arrival of the Carthaginians, revolted from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>, abandoning the hostages they gave at end of the former war which I described in my last Book.
Calling on the Insubres to join them, whose support they easily gained owing to their long-standing rancour against <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>, they overran the lands which the Romans had allotted to their colonies and on the settlers taking to flight, pursued them to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Mutina&groupId=776&placeId=1406">Mutina</a>, a Roman colony, and there besieged them.
Among those shut up there were three men of high rank who had been sent to carry out the partitionment of the country, Gaius Lutatius, a former Consul, and two former Praetors.
On these three requesting a parley with the Boii, the latter consented, but when they came out for the purpose they treacherously made them prisoners, hoping by means of them to get back their own hostages.
When the Praetor Lucius Manlius, who with his troops was occupying an advanced position in the neighbourhood, heard of this, he hastened up to give help.
The Boii had heard of his approach, and posting ambuscades in a certain forest attacked him from all sides at once as soon as he reached the wooded country, and killed many of the Romans.
The remainder at first took to flight, but on getting to higher ground rallied just enough to give their retreat an appearance of order. The Boii following at their heels shut this force too up in the place called Vicus <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Tannetis&groupId=1002&placeId=1765">Tannetis</a>.<note place="end" resp="tr" id="note6"><emph rend="bold">place called Vicus <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Tannetis&groupId=1002&placeId=1765">Tannetis</a>:</emph>Near Parma.</note>
When the news reached <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> that the fourth legion was surrounded by the Boii and besieged, they instantly sent off the legions destined for Publius under the command of a Praetor to its assistance, ordering Publius to enrol other legions from the allies.
Walbank Commentary