Ad tres portas in hostes versas Marcellus tripertito exercitum instruxit. . . . Ita instructi intra portas stabant. Hannibali sub signis, id quod per aliquot dies fecerat, ad multum diei in acie stanti primo miraculo esse, quod nec exercitus Romanus {5} porta egrederetur nec armatus quisquam in muris essent. Ratus deinde, prodita colloquia esse, metuque resides factos, partem militum in castra remittit iussos propere apparatum omnem oppugnandae urbis in primam aciem afferre, satis fidens, si cunctantibus {10} instaret, tumultum aliquem in urbe plebem moturam. Dum in sua quisque ministeria discursu trepidat ad prima signa succeditque ad muros acies, patefacta repente porta Marcellus signa canere clamoremque tolli ac pedites primum, deinde equites, quanto {15} maximo possent impetu, in hostem erumpere iubet. Satis terroris tumultusque in aciem mediam intulerant, cum duabus circa portis P. Valerius Flaccus et C. Aurelius in cornua hostium erupere. . . . Ingens victoria eo die res ac nescio an maxima illo bello gesta {20} est; non vinci enim ab Hannibale tunc diffcilius fuit quam postea vincere. LIVY, xxiii. 16. +Context.+ The plebs in Nola (as in Capua) was in favour of joining Hannibal, and it was with difficulty that the nobles (who here, as elsewhere, favoured Rome) delayed the decision, thus gaining time to inform Marcellus, who was then stationed at Casilinum, of the danger of a revolt. Marcellus immediately hastened to Nola, and occupied the town with a strong garrison. [Linenotes: 3-5. +Hannibali ... primo miraculo esse+ = _Hannibal, who ... had his troops under arms till a late hour, was first of all astonished that_. --Church and Brodribb. 7. +colloquia esse+, i.e. his _communications_ (+colloquia+) with the Carthaginian party in Nola. 8. +resĭdes+ = _inactive_, lit. _that remains sitting_ (+re + sedeo+). 10. +si cunctantibus instaret+ = _if he met hesitation with prompt action_. --Church and Brodribb. Lit. _if he pressed upon those hesitating_. 12. +in sua ... ministeria+ = _to their several posts_. 19-21. +Ingens ... gesta est+ = _a great victory, the greatest, perhaps throughout the war, was achieved that day_.] +Nola+, an important town in Campania, S.E. of Capua. It remained faithful to the Romans, even after Cannae, when the other Campanian towns revolted to Hannibal. +Marcellus at Nola.+ ‘It was the merit of Marcellus that he saved Nola from being taken.’ --Ihne. C29 SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C. _Cicero’s Description of Syracuse._