1The consuls, having reconnoitred the routes well enough as they followed the Carthaginian, when they reached Cannae and had the Carthaginian in sight, fortify two camps at about the same distance apart as at Gereonium, dividing their forces as before. 2The river Aufidus, flowing past both camps, gave access to the water-carriers as suited each side, though not without fighting; 3from the smaller camp, however, which had been placed across the Aufidus, the Romans fetched water more freely, because the farther bank had no enemy guard. 4Hannibal, having gained hope that the consuls would give him the chance of a fight on ground made for a cavalry battle, the part of his strength in which he was unbeaten, draws up his line and provokes the enemy with sallies of the Numidians.
5Then the Roman camp began again to be troubled by mutiny among the soldiers and by the discord of the consuls, since Paulus cast up at Varro the rashness of Sempronius and Flaminius, and Varro held up Fabius to Paulus as a fine-sounding model for timid and sluggish generals, and called gods and men to witness, he for his part, that no blame lay with him that Hannibal had now, as it were, acquired Italy by long possession: he was held bound by his colleague; 6sword and arms were being taken from soldiers who were angry and eager to fight; 7the other said that if anything happened to the legions, flung out and betrayed into an ill-considered and improvident battle, he would be free of all blame but would share in every outcome: let Varro see to it that those whose tongues were ready and reckless had hands equally vigorous in battle.