y, however, must have been scarcely in any condition to undertake a long forced march. The troops had just won a very hard-fought battle against an enemy who heavily outnumbered them. The number of wounded, though unreported, must have been very large; especially among the Spanish and Gallic troops who had borne the brunt of the Roman advance in the earlier stages of the infantry action. To the seriously wounded who could not march at all must be added a large number of walking wounded. Many would have been only lightly wounded, and would be ready for renewed action in a couple of days, but some rest would be needed for them to recover their strength. Overexertion at this point might well hamper their recovery, rendering them less battleworthy than otherwise and slowing the army's march.
Moreover, on the evening of the battle, the victory itself was not yet complete. Some fifteen thousand Romans remained in the two Roman camps, and about ten thousand more scattered through the countryside nearby. Were Hannibal simply to leave his more severely wounded in his own camp, marching immed
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