Capua and Petelia
THE people of Capua, in Campania, becoming wealthy
note
through the fertility of their soil, degenerated into
luxury and extravagance surpassing even the common report about Croton and Sybaris. Being
then unable to support their burden of prosperity
they called in Hannibal; and were accordingly treated with great
severity by Rome. But the people of Petelia maintained their
loyalty to Rome and held out so obstinately, when besieged by
Hannibal, that after having eaten all the leather in the town, and
the bark of all the trees in it, and having stood the siege for
eleven months, as no one came to their relief, they surrendered
with the entire approval of the Romans. . . . But Capua by its
influence drew over the other cities to the Carthaginians. . . .
