# 20. A Single Act of Common Humanity made a Greater Impression on the Falisci than did all the Forces of Rome66

When Camillus and his army lay before the Faliscan city, which he was besieging, a schoolmaster who taught the most noble youths in the city, thinking to ingratiate himself with Camillus and the Roman people, went with his pupils outside the town ostensibly to give them exercise, led them to where Camillus was encamped, and offered to hand them over, saying that, if they were used as a lever, the town would place itself in his hands. Camillus not only rejected the offer, but had the teacher stripped, his hands tied behind his back, and to each of the boys gave a rod with which to beat him often and hard on his way back to the town. When the citizens saw this, they were so pleased with the humanity and integrity of Camillus that they no longer wanted to go on with the defence, but decided to hand over the town. This authentic incident affords us an excellent example of how a humane and kindly act sometimes makes a much greater impression than an act of ferocity or violence; and how districts and cities into which neither arms nor the accoutrements of war, nor any other kind of human force would have been able to obtain entry, it has been possible to enter by displaying common humanity and kindness, continence or generosity.

Of this there are in history many other examples besides the above. One sees, for instance, how Roman forces failed to drive Pyrrhus from Italy, which he quitted, none the less, owing to the generosity of Fabricius who told him of an offer which had been made to the Romans by one of his servants, to poison him. One sees, too, how Scipio Africanus did not gain so much renown in Spain for taking New Carthage as he did by the continence he showed in sending back to her husband his young and beautiful wife, inviolate. The repute he gained by this action made the whole of Spain his friend.

We see, again, how keen peoples are on their great men doing this kind of thing, and how much it is praised by writers, both by the biographers of princes and by those who have laid down rules for their behaviour. Xenophon, for instance, is at considerable pains to show what great honours, what great victories, and how much good repute Cyrus gained by his humanity and his affability, and how entirely free he was from pride, cruelty, licentiousness and other vices by which the lives of men are marred. Since, however, Hannibal gained great fame and great victories by the opposite method, it is fitting that in the next chapter I should inquire how this came about.