. Thackerayana;. \ Fortunately, there being a high wind, an ardent flame was quicklykindled, until the rock glowed with heat as fiery as the furnace burn-ing round it. Hannibal—if we may credit Titus Livius (for Polybius*does not mention the circumstance)—then caused a great quan-tity of vinegar to be poured upon the heated stone, which ran into * The most improbable part of this narrative, observes the historian, is,that Hannibal, in the very centre of the mountains, should have been able toobtain sufficiently large quantities of vinegar for the operations. ROLLINS ANCIENT HISTORY 35 the fiss
. Thackerayana;. \ Fortunately, there being a high wind, an ardent flame was quicklykindled, until the rock glowed with heat as fiery as the furnace burn-ing round it. Hannibal—if we may credit Titus Livius (for Polybius*does not mention the circumstance)—then caused a great quan-tity of vinegar to be poured upon the heated stone, which ran into * The most improbable part of this narrative, observes the historian, is,that Hannibal, in the very centre of the mountains, should have been able toobtain sufficiently large quantities of vinegar for the operations. ROLLINS ANCIENT HISTORY 35 the fissures of the rocks (already cracked by the heat of the fire),and caused them to soften and calcine to powder. By this con-trivance he prepared a road through the heart of the mountains,giving easy passage to his troops, their baggage, and even theirelephants.—Vol. I. p. *yE BATTLE OF CANNES Battle Cannes.—Vol. I. p. 439. History of the Lydians. 1 Crcesus, wishing to assure himself of the veracity of the dif-ferent oracles, sent deputies to consult the most celebrated sooth-sayers both in Africa and in Greece, with orders to inform them-selves how Crcesus was engaged at a certain hour on a day thatwas pointed out to them. His instructions were exactly carried out. The oracle ofDelphi returned the only correct reply. It was given in verses ofthe hexameter metre, and was in sub-stance : I know the number of grainsof sand in the sea, and the measure ofthe vast deep. I understand the dumb,and those who have not learned tospeak. My senses are saluted with thesavoury odour of a turtle stewed withthe flesh of lambs in a brazier, whichhas copper on all sides, above andbelow !; 1 In fact the king, desiring to selectsome employment which it would beimpossible to divine, had occupied him-self at the hour appointed for the re-velation in preparing a turtle and
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