Meanwhile Fabius with his main army had remained inactive.

The Roman general had seen with astonishment the numerous lights making their way up the mountain side, but he feared that this was some device on the part of Hannibal to entrap him into an ambush, as he had entrapped Flaminius on Lake Trasimene.

He therefore held his army in readiness for whatever might occur until morning broke.
Then he saw that he had been outwitted.

The rear of the Carthaginian army was just entering the defile, and in a short time Fabius saw the Gauls and Spaniards scaling the heights to the assistance of their comrades, who were maintaining an unequal fight with the Romans.
The latter were soon driven with slaughter into the plain, and the Carthaginian troops descended into the defile and followed their retreating army.

Hannibal now came down into the fertile country of Apulia, and determined to winter there.