Scipiothoughtitmuchbettertogoandattackhisenemy’sterritoriesinAfricathantostayathometodefendhisownandtofighthiminItaly，anditsucceededwellwithhim。But，onthecontrary，Hannibalinthesamewarruinedhimselfbyabandoningtheconquestofaforeigncountrytogoanddefendhisown。TheAthenianshavinglefttheenemyintheirowndominionstogooverintoSicily，werenotfavouredbyfortuneintheirdesign;butAgathocles，kingofSyracuse，foundherfavourabletohimwhenhewentoverintoAfricaandleftthewarathome。
Bywhichexampleswearewonttoconclude，andwithsomereason，thatevents，especiallyinwar，forthemostpartdependuponfortune，whowillnotbegovernedbynorsubmituntohumanreasonsandprudence，accordingtothepoet:
\"Etmaleconsultispretiumest:prudentiafallitNecfortuneprobatcausas，sequiturquemerentes，Sedvagapercunctosnullodiscriminefertur。
Scilicetestaliud，quodnoscogatqueregatqueMajus，etinpropriasducatmortalialeges。\"
[\"Andthereisvalueinillcounsel:prudencedeceives:nordoesfortuneinquireintocauses，noraidthemostdeserving，butturnshitherandthitherwithoutdiscrimination。Indeedthereisagreaterpowerwhichdirectsandrulesus，andbringsmortalaffairsunderitsownlaws。\"——Manilius，iv。95。]