The Chautauquan, Vol. 04, June 1884, No. 9

The Chautauquan, Vol. 04, June 1884, No. 9

Next we will give a picture, a partial picture it must be, of an action occurring a little more than half a century later in Roman history. Dr. Arnold shall be our painter: Hannibal was on the summit of the Alps about the end of October; the first winter snows had already fallen; but two hundred years before the Christian era, when all Germany was one vast forest, the climate of the Alps was far colder than at present, and the snow lay on the passes all through the year. Thus the soldiers were in dreary quarters; they remained two days on the summit, resting from their fatigues, and giving opportunity to many of the stragglers, and of the horses and cattle, to rejoin them by following their track; but they were cold and worn and disheartened; and mountains still rose before them, through which, as they knew too well, even their descent might be perilous and painful. But their great general, who felt that he now stood victorious on the ramparts of Italy, and that the torrent which rolled before him was carrying its waters to the rich plains of Cisalpine Gaul, endeavored to kindle his soldiers with his own spirit of hope. He called them together; he pointed out the valley beneath, to which the descent seemed the work of a moment. That valley, he said, is Italy; it leads us to the country of our friends, the Gauls, and yonder is our way to Rome. His eyes were eagerly fixed on that point of the horizon; and as he gazed, the distance between seemed to vanish, till he could almost fancy that he was crossing the Tiber, and assailing the Capitol. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 55194
Author: Chautauqua Institution
Release Date: Jul 24, 2017
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Contributor (Author): Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Editor: Flood, Theodore L., 1842-