but afterwards, when the consuls had the extreme boldness to encamp opposite them at a distance of ten stades, Hannibal retired. He had now collected a large quantity of booty,
but he had given up his hope of taking <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>, and most important of all he reckoned that the time now had elapsed in which he expected, according to his original calculation, that Appius on learning of the danger that threatened <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> would either raise the siege and come with his whole force to save the city, or, leaving a part of it behind, would hasten to the rescue with the greater portion.
In either event he considered that his purpose would have been attained, and he therefore moved his army out of the camp at daybreak.
Publius, who had destroyed the bridges on the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Anio&groupId=331&placeId=642">Anio</a> and compelled Hannibal to take his army across by fording the stream, attacked the Carthaginians as they were crossing and caused them no little distress.
He could strike no decisive blow owing to the numbers of the enemy's cavalry and the ease with which the Numidians rode over any kind of ground; but after recovering a considerable part of the booty and killing about three hundred of the enemy he retired to his camp,
and afterwards thinking that the Carthaginians were retreating so precipitately, he followed them, keeping to the hills.
Hannibal at first marched with great speed, being anxious to attain his object, but when in five days he received the news that Appius was continuing the siege he halted until the part of his army which was following him came up and then attacked the enemy's army by night,
killing a considerable number and driving the rest out of their camp.
When, however, day dawned and he saw that the Romans had retired to a strong position on a hill,
he gave up any thought of further molesting them, and marching through <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Daunia&groupId=531&placeId=1002">Daunia</a> and Bruttium descended on <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rhegium&groupId=927&placeId=1659">Rhegium</a> so suddenly that he came very near taking the town itself, and did cut off from it all the inhabitants who had gone out to the country, making a number of Rhegians prisoners by this sudden appearance.
Walbank Commentary