perceiuing the Barbarians to aduaunce and boast them selues also to be proude and arrogant of the former victorie so that they dyd al things vnaduisedly foolishly and without regarde like vndiscrete and harebraine fooles he with his souldiers and a companie of exercised trained Citizens departed from the Citie comming to the fielde Nileum with a quicke and swift progression where he fought a terrible fight along the bankes of the riuer Longanus with the Campanes in which he vanquished them and tooke their capitaine Nowe perceiuing the foolish hardinesse and braynsicke boldnesse of the Barbarians to be repressed in this victorie he returned wyth the Syracusans where with one voice and common cōsent of the people he was proclaimed Kyng The Mamertines first of all as I saide before being destitute of the Romane Legions helpe then greuously afflicted and troubled with this ouerthrow were almost vtterly discoraged the most parte fled to the Carthaginenses yelding themselues and their fortresses into their handes An other company sente Legates to the Romanes notifying them that they wold yelde their fortresse with all the munitiōs belonging into their hands requiring them to assist them as their owne countreymen The Romanes a great tracte of time determined wyth themselues what was best to be done for they iudged it very absurde foolish contrary to reason that they which a little before had so cruelly tormented their owne citizens for betraying Rhegia and falsifying theyr truthe nowe to ayde succoure or helpe the Mamertines which were culpable of the lyke offence But when they considered that the Carthaginenses hadde not only suppressed with violence and force Africa but also the moste parte of Spayne with all the Ilandes of Sardinia and the Sea Tirrhenum they suspected their neighborhode which thing woulde sone be brought to passe vnlesse they sente succoure and helpe to the Mamertines Messana being once taken which by dyuers was offered them as I declared before there was no daunger in recouering the reste of the Siracusans especially bycause all other partes of Scicily were vnder their gouernance and power When the Romanes had throughly pondered these thinges they supposed that of necessitie and constraint they were compelled enforced to ayde relieue and defende Messana not permitting in any case that the Carthaginenses should edifie themselues as it were a bridge by the which they might haue frée passage to enter Italy at their pleasure Yet this matter was long in determining and in conclusion perceyuing it more dishonest than cōmodious the Senatours proroged and dismissed it without any resolute determination The people of Rome being defatigate and wearied with long warre nowe were in rest and quietnesse so that for lacke of their accustomed wages they were sore impouerished so that they shewing to their captaines the profite which should ensue by aiding them incontinently it was concluded to ioyne with the Mamertines whiche decrée was corroborate by the assente of the comminaltie so that Appius Claudius one of the Consuls was elected to con duct an armie into Scicilie in their defence The Campanes being certified of their comming partely with terrour and threatnings partely with subtile sleightes and deceiptes ertruded the Carthaginian captaine out of the citie whiche before they had receiued callyng Appius Claudius vnto them yeldyng the Citie into his tuition The Carthaginenses tormēted the Prefect of the munition hanging hym vpon a gibet bicause thorough his dastardly cowardlynesse they had loste the Citie and incontinentely with all celeritie they leuied an armye rygging theyr nauie along Pelorus pytchyng theyr tentes aboute Messana circumspectly besieging the Citie Hieron supposing at this instant a most fitte occasion to be offered for banishyng the Barbarians out of Scicilie which kept Messana toke truce with the Carthaginenses and then wyth the Syracusans pitched his tentes by the mount Galchidicum berieuing the Mamertines of that issue Now the Consull which with greate trouble and perillous dangers hadde passed the sea by night was arriued at Messana wher seing the enimies with great strength inuading the citie both by water and lande very sharply and vehemently supposing it to be very daungerous and nothyng honorable dismissed certayne Embassadours to either of his enimies campes assaying to deliuer the Mamertines with quietnesse all warre and strife appeased But perceiuing that neither of the aduersaries wold giue eare to the words of the embassage and in the ende being forced to danger himself he determined first to encounter and contend with the Siracusans Then he began to order hys Souldiours imbattayling and placing his forefronts against Hyeron giuing vnto them diuers exhortacions during which time the Siracusan Captaine made no lesse preparaunce This conflicte continued a long time very sharpe and terrible but in continuance the Romanes had the victory where hauing slaine many of their ennimies boldly pursued the kyng into his pauilion then the Consull hauing spoyled and rifled the deade bodies entred the Citie with his hoste Nowe Hyeron mistrusting all thinges in the night folowing departed with the residue of the Scicilian army Appius in the nexte morning perceyuing theyr departure intended to pursue them and musteringe his Souldiours commaunded that they shold looke to their woundes and prouide for the pursuite of their enimies against the next morning so in the dawning of the day he set forward and coaping with his enimies deuoured parte with the sword causing the rest to bestow themselues in villages adiacent Thus hauing raised the siege without interruption he made diuers incursions inuading the groundes of the Siracusans others bordering nigh foraging and ransacking and depopulating their goods and in the ende besieging them This was the first profection that the Romanes made out of Italy for the causes preceding at the which chiefly I toke my beginning bicause I thought it a most apt perfect beginning of this my work repea those things somwhat exactlier which were thought necessary lest I should pretermitte any doubtes in explicatyng the causes For I supposed it necessarie to be reueled how the Romans stode in greate danger and distresse euen in ieopardie of losing their owne citie Also after what maner hauing recouered Italy again they attempted to subdue foraine nations Also I adiudged it very necessary to declare the excellencie and magnificencie of their Empire that the florishing estate which it came to afterward might be that better credited by the true knowledge of their original Wherfore if it chaunce the sequele of this my woorke when I come to speake of famous Cities that I digresse in shewyng any thyng exactlier than the matter is thought to require let no man wonder at it seing I doe it to that ende and purpose that my narration may be such wherby we may precisely knowe and perfectly vnderstande howe and by what meanes euery one came to that state in which they are at this present according as I haue done of the Romans But nowe the time requireth to pretermit these things and that I should returne to
host were foure legions all Romanes by the aides whiche was sente them yearely by their allies euery legion conteinyng foure thousand foote men and thrée hundreth horsemen At the arriuall of the Consulls many Cities bothe of the Carthaginenses and the Syracusanes reuolted vnto them Hieron perceiuing the Scicilians to bée discouraged also the number and power of the Romanes to be augmented supposed that their amitie shoulde be more commodious to hym than the frendship of the Carthaginenses wherfore he dismissed certaine ambassadors to the consuls to intreat for peace the Romans perceyuing the Carthaginenses kept the seas in euery corner beyng afrayd least at any time they shold be destitute of victuals they supposed the the friendshippe of Hieron shoulde be very commodious to them for the preuenting of such casualties so that they concluded peace with the Siracusans on these conditions That the King shold restore the captiues whiche he had in prison to the Romanes withoute raunsome Moreouer that they should pay an hundreth talentes of money and then to be receiued and admitted as friends to the Romans King Hyeron hauing gotten him selfe thus vnder the protection of the Romans ayded and supported them with victuals and other necessaries as oft as necessitie required passing the rest of his life in more happy and fortunate estate than any other of the Grecians so that in mine opinion his life was more honorable renowmed than any of the residue continuing in like estate and happie successe a great tracte of time bothe in publike and priuate affayres As sone as these news were published at Rome they condescended to them liking very well the conditions and peace concluded with Hieron after that daye they thought it not necessary to sende their whole strength and power without Italy supposing two legions to be sufficient bicause they thought the warre not so perillous the king being associate vnto thē also for that of him they should haue plenty of such things as were necessarie to the Army The Carthaginenses perceiuing Hieron to be reuolted and become their enimie and the Romanes to haue the greater part of Italye in possession supposed that they neded greater puissance to withstand their force so that they wrote to the Ligurian Captaines prefectes of the Gallician army also to the Spanish souldiers for ayde Which being arriued in Scicilie and perceiuing the citie of Agrigentine to be a place very fyt for their purpose strong munition against their enimies bordering against them stored it with great plēty of victuals and vsed it as a warlike munition against the Romans The Consuls hauing cōcluded peace wyth Hieron voyded out of the Prouince After their departure Lucius Posthumius Quintus Aemilius being elected in their places came into Italye with the army which hauing diligently considered the preparation of the Carthaginenses made about the Citie of the Agrigentines being of more audacitie than theyr predecessors thought it necessarie earnestly to apply theyr matters in Scicilie Wherefore they mustred all theyr souldiours together inuaded the Citie incamping them selues within eight furlongs of the munition keping their enimies within the Citie Now it was Autumne euery man supposed that the siege would continue very long for which cause the souldiers left their Campes boldly laboring sorer than nede required to get in their haruest The Carthaginenses seing their enimies rouing and wandering abroade here there in the prouince aduēturously without circumspection hadde a good hope that the Romane Legions that daye might be vanquished and easely oppressed so that they rushed out with great violence parte into the tentes and campe and part amongst the reapers and laborers But the diuersitie of maners and orders as they haue ofte tymes preserued many so the Romans this daye especially by them were exempt from dangers for there is a law amongst them that whosoeuer in the time of warre absēteth him selfe out of his appointed station or wandereth out of the Campe for so doing he must receiue Martiall law By the which good order it fortuned that the Carthaginenses being a greater multitude and number of men yet by the noble and valiant resistance of the Romans and with the losse of many souldiers the Africans had the greater foile and in the ende were driuen from the Campe and fled away many of them being spoyled in the pursute and the rest with greate ioy of their enimies driuen within the walles Such feare raigned in bothe armyes by the daunger of this day that afterwarde the Carthaginenses were not bolde so rashely and withoute regarde to enter the campe of their enimies neyther permitted the Romanes their souldiers so vnaduisedly to runne on haruesting Now when the Carthaginenses desisted any more to vrge their enimies with extern skirmishes fighting onely farre off with shaftes and dartes the Consuls deuided their army into two parts laying the one company at the temple of Aesculapius and incamping that other on that side which lyeth toward Heraclea being the iust midst betwixt the two Armies they incompassed with a double ditch eyther side of the Citie making one betwixt them the walles of the holde to defende them from sodaine inuasions there was also a nother diche cast on the outside least the fortresse shoulde be succored as it often times chanceth to cities besieged They fortified the places betwixt the ditches and the hoast with diuers garisons of men victuals and other necessaries for the Campe were brought by the Siracusans into Erbesum from whence the Romans caried them into their tents for the town was not farre distante from them The two Armies laye thus fiue moneths in the which time nothing was done of eyther part worthy of remembrance But in continuance of tyme when hunger famin began to pinch nip the Carthaginenses by reason of the great multitude inclosed in the citie for they amoūted to aboue fifty thousand men then Annibal which was ruler of the Citie altogether mistrusting of his matters sent word to Carthage to certifie them not onely how the Citie was besieged but also to require them of ayde and succour wyth which newes the Carthaginenses being moued they prepared an Army and collected a great number of Elephāts shippes which they sent to Hanno their other captaine in Scicilia who hauing gathered his men togither went to Heraclea where he pondering all things aduisedly tooke the Towne of Erbesum by treason with al the victuals necessaries belonging to the hoaste which vnto that day had ben the greatest storer and chief supporter of the Romans by which losse it came to passe that the Consuls were as fiercely assalted as they did defend and were ofte brought to that staye through penurie and wante of other necessaries that sundry tymes they deliberated of dissoluing theyr camp which vndoutedly hadde chaunced in continuance if that Hyeron King of the Syracusans had not with great diligence prouided and ministred necessary things to the host After this Hanno perceiuing the
Romans to be infected with sicknesse penury for there was a great plague in the camp and seing his souldiers very apt and redy for the battaile gathered together aboue fiftie Elephants making all things in a redynesse and bringing his power out of Heraclea commaunding the Numidian horsmen to marche before and ioyning with their enimies to prouoke their horsemen as much as they could to enter the battayle then they to take their slight without staying vnto such time as they came vnto him The Numidians obeyed the commaundement of their Generall for at the first they so prouoked their enimies that incontinently the Roman horsemen rushed vpon them very rashly the Libians according to the precept of their Captaine without resistance fled vntill they came to him at which sight the Romans turned theyr backs but Hanno with his company handled thē hotly killing many pursuing the rest into their Campe. This broyle being thus finished the Carthaginenses departed with their army incamped on a hill called Torus but. x. furlongs distāt from the army of their enimies wher they lingered two moneths without any enterprise sauing with shooting of arrows and casting of darts In the meane time Annibal made many signes tokens bothe by messēgers beacons in the night to Hanno that the souldiers were not able to susteins the famine any longer how many of his retinue were reuolted to the Romans for want of sustenance Hanno being moued with these newes imbattailed his men set all things in order The Consuls likewise with no lesse diligence prepared them to the conflict being moued with the daungers before declared Bothe the armies were cōducted into an equall place where they coped together with eager and sharpe onsets This conflict continued long very terrible dispitefull at the length the Romans caused the first battayle of the Carthaginenses to recoyle and giue backe who rashly without regarde brast in among the Elephants wyth which the beasts being afraide disquieted and troubled the whole army in which broyle that Romans charged them earnestly compelling the Carthaginenses quite to forsake the field The Africans being proflygate in this maner almost brought to vtter confusion part pauned their liues for stāding by it the remenant fled to Heraclea The Romans hauing gathered the praie of Elephants and other booties gained of the Carthaginenses returned with their retinue into their camps That night the garde of the Roman hostes watch was negligētly kept what for the inspeakable ioy of their prosperous successe as is oft times seene in such braueries for the great trauayle taken in the conflict Annibal desolate abādoned of all help hauing no hope of aide esteming that to be a most couenient time for him his souldiers to escape forth for the causes before remēbred issued out with his army which lay in Agrigentine at midnight thorough the campe of the Romans without daunger or interruption strawing the wayes with chaffe The Romans in the dawning of the next morning perceiuing their enimies to be fled began a pursute but incontinētly retorned to the Citie where their army without interruption or resistance assailyng the gates entred within the walles spoyling raunsacking all things within famous towne seasing taking great praie of goodes and seruāts with other inestimable booties When word was come to Rome how the Carthaginenses were discomforted Agrigentine taken they began to wax insolent and angry and assaying greater things not being content with those things which they entēded in the beginning to ayde the Mamertines defend Messana for to resist the power of the Carthaginenses in Scicilie But now hoping after greater principalities they purposed to expell them quite out of the prouince supposing by that meanes of their doings shold haue more prosperous successe Through these cogitations they were moued and determinately bent concerning their exploits in Scicilye knowyng that their foote men were of more prowesse worthinesse than their enimies After the expugnation of Agrigentine Lucius Valerius Titus Octacilius elected Consuls and hauing a great army leuied were sent into Scicilye so that nowe their strength was equal for the Carthagineses had domination ouer the seas ruling euery angle at libertie without interruption whych is an euident argument that after the suppression of Agrigentine many of the Mediterrane townes in Scicilie reuolted to the Romanes for dred of their great puissance of footemen But after that the fléete was abroade it is to be thought that many moe situate by the sea coastes yelded themselues for fear to the Carthaginenses Thus Fortune fauoured eyther part equally but Italy was oft times sore molested with the incursions of the Libian Nauie But Africa was nothing troubled with any army or hoste of their enimies which thing being diligently pōdered the Romanes determined to coape with thē by sea Which thyng especially solicitated prouoked me to speake of this warre at large least any should be ignoraunt of this principle how at what time and for what causes the Romanes were enforced to prepare a Nauy to encoūter with their aduersaries When the Romanes perceiued that the war could not otherwise be finished they prepared a Nauy of an hundreth twenty shippes of the which a hundreth were Quinqueremes and the residue Triremes In the preparance of this nauy the Quinqueremes were very comberous hard to be built bicause no such Barkes were vsed in Italy before that time for which cause the excellency magnanimitie of the Romanes is to be maruelled at being men altogether ignorant of the seas which before that time hadde neuer regarded the knowledge therof nowe so couragiously to venter vpon them as though they had already vāquished their enimies with whom they neuer tryed that kinde of combat Also considering how at that present the Africans by the iudgemēt of all men were most expert actiue vpon the waters as a thing left vnto thē by their forefathers for an inheritance which is both a singuler testimo ny a good argument of the worthinesse of the acts which I intend to treate of the hautinesse of the Romanes For at their firste sayling to Messana they had not only no ships of war but scātany little Barke or vessell but borowing ships of the Tarentines Locrines and Neapolitans for the safetie of their army There rode at that present many of the Carthaginēses ships about the coastes of Scicily frō whence one of the quinqueremes houering aloofe frō the rest of the fléet being wracked by chāce came to the hands of the Romans at which thei toke exāple to make theirs whilst the nauy was in furnishing the army was trained in learning to row after this maner Ther wer seats made orderly in the sande in which the Romanes sat were warned by the voice of a general which stode in the midst of them to stretch forth their armes altogither and likewise to drawe them in by the sande so that at a certaine signe
soueraintie and rule of the seas with all diligence employed them selues for to inuade Sardinia The nexte yeare following there was no valiaunt acts done by the Romane armie in Scicilie worthie of remembraunce Caius Sulpitius and Aulus Rutelius afterwarde created Consules were sent to Pauorinus bicause at that presente the power of the Carthaginenses lay there At their arriual immediatly they embatailed their men before the citie but the Carthaginenses being within the walles offered not once to come forth which thing the Romanes perceyuing departed froÌ„ thence to Hippana which they immediatly toke They likewise toke Missistratus which by reason of impregnablenesse had resisted a certaine time TheÌ„ they brought their army against the Camerenenses which a little before had rebelled against them which with terrible continuance warlike weapons and tearing torments they vanquished Atna diuers other townes were taken by them Also Lippara was besieged by them About this time Aulus Tutelius the Consull and captaine of the Nauie lay in the coastes of the Tinderitans where he espied the Carthaginean Nauie sayling by the coaste wherfore he commaunded his men incontinently to make them ready in al hast and follow him Then he accompanied with ten shippes marched forwarde before the rest The Carthaginenses espying this tricke how part of their enimies were but entring into their shippes another sort launching into the déepe and the first company farre distant from all the rest they returned sodainly with an incredible celeritie drowning many of the Romanes shippes and the Pretors shippe with those that were in hir scantly escaped with great rowing and much labour Whilst this broyle was in hand the rest of the Romane nauy marching forward mette with their enimies toke tenne fraughted prises sinking eight the rest fleeing away retyred to Lippara Both the captains departed froÌ„ this conflict eyther of them attributing the victory to himselfe for which cause they more ardently prepared for the Naual war during which time nothing was done amongst the footemen worthy of noting but troubled themselus with trifles In the beginning of the next sommer hauyng furnished them selues of all necessaries they repaired to the warre againe The Romanes met togither at Messana with thrée hundreth and thirtie quinqueremes froÌ„ whence they sailed by the south syde of Scicilie hauing ouercome the countrey of Pachinus to Eâ—nomon where the footemen abode for them The Carthaginenses passed the sea with thrée hundreth and fiftie shippes remaining at Lilybeum The Romanes consulted concernyng a voyage into Africa iudging it requisite to sayle thither with their whole puissance to the ende that the Carthaginenses shoulde not only be disquieted in Scicily but also molested at home in their natiue countreye On the other part the Carthaginenses perceuing how easie a thyng it was to descende into Lybia also howe faynte hearted the people were the ennimie beyng once entred into the Prouince therefore they intended incontinentely to encounter with the Romanes hopyng by that meanes to stoppe their exploite into Africa In this manner the one parte preparing to inuade and the other to resiste foreshewed the greate warres to ensue The Romans hauing prepared all things necessarie to their Nauie elected out of their number of footmen suche as were of most hautie and valyant corage imbarkyng them then they made a quadripartite diuision of their Nauie gyuyng to euery parte a double name sauyng to the last which still reteyned the name of the rearewarde as is accustomed in other battailes There was aboue a hundreth and fortie thousande men in the Romane nauie euery ship had thrée hundreth rowers and sixe score fightyng men The Carthaginenses hauyng prepared theyr Nauie of shyppes béeyng fraughted onely with men amounted at the least to the numbre of a hundreth and fiftie thousand so that not onely the beholders but also they which heard tell of the huge number great abilitie and worthy acts of these two armies may wonder The Romanes perceyuing that this their nauigatioÌ„ of necessitie must be ouertwhart and crooked also calling to minde the expertnes of their enimies in rowing purposed to make their course inuincible placing the two Sepremes in which Marcus Attilius Lucius Manlius were in the forefront with an equal distance after these the first seconde warde followed kéeping like compasse which betwixt euery two was enlarged with their stemmes sticking outwarde The Nauy being protract on a length fronting on the former ships had a triangle on each syde vnto the which was ioyned the thirde Nauy in the maner of a proppe or piller so that the three frontes being disposed thus they resembled a perfect triangle After the third Nauy came the carts and foists in which their horses were traÌ„sported there was cordes which reached out of them into the third nauie after these came the reareward in their order which were disposed that they surmounted and exceded the wing of them which marched before The Romane fléete being sette in order after this maner the first partes which were the two triangles of the sides were voyd in the midst the other that folowed that is to say they which came after the piller or streÌ„gth were more solide so that the whole nauie was sure and indissoluble By this time the Carthaginean Captaines had gathered their strength and exhorted their souldiers that they should be of bolde and stoute corage informing them if they conquered the Romans in this combat afterward they should fight for the regiment and soueraigntie of Scicilye but if the Romans shold suppresse them they should not warre for Scicilie but for their countrey for theyr fréedome and for their childreÌ„ Hauing thus incensed their souldiers they commaunded them to goe a boorde They incontinently obeyed the commaundement of theyr generall shewing them selues very forwarde perceiuing the eminent danger Now when the gouernours of the Carthaginean army had perceiued the order of the Roman fléete they likewise diuided their Army into foure partes of the which thrée be launched into the déepe lay with their right wing extended out in length with the foure partes of their shippes bent towardes their enimies as though they would haue inuironed them The fourth parte which was the left wing remayned as vnder a munition by the shore Hanno and Amilcar were generalls of the Carthaginean nauie Hanno ruled ouer the right wing hauing with him the swifter shippes and Amilcar the left with the slugs This was he which as is before declared escaped so hardly at Tindarides Now Amilcar vsed this pollicie The Consuls at their firste méeting espying the forefront of the Africans to be very thinne brust in through the middest of them with great violence which according as Amilcar had commaunded fained a recoyle to the ende that they might seuer and disioyne the Roman nauie which pursued them now earnestle so that the firste and second warde marching after theyr enimies and the thyrd and fourth comming slowly after caused that the two first wards were seperated from the last Which
seperation being perceiued of the Carthaginenses there was a signe made out of Amilcars shippe as they were agréed before at which sight with a sodayne inuersion they returned inuading the Romans which pursued them The battayle was very terrible and cruell The Carthaginenses farre exceded the Romans in subtill fleights and swift rowing but after that it came to handblowes the shippes were grapled the Romans passed in strength worthinesse According as I haue declared was the beginning of the nauall warres Hanno which as I declared before was captaine of the right wing espying the battaile to be begonne with the forewarde of the Romans set forwarde to inuade the rearewarde where was a terrible perillous conflict during long very douteful Then the fourth warde of the Carthaginenses set towards their enimies incountred with that fléete which had the ferry botes who letting the ropes slippe assailed them very fiercely Thus was the battaile deuided into thrée partes there was thrée nauall conflictes at one tyme euery one farre seperate from another In the which the fightes were alike bicause of their equalitie eche parte encountred other couragiously all things went alyke on bothe sides Then in continuaunce Amilcar with his company were put to flight Lucius Manlius persisted in pursuing hys enimies but Marcus Attilius espying the conflictes in the rearewarde and amongst that Hulkes hasted him to aide them with the second ward the rearewarde which had ben in great perill daunger and almost supprest by Hanno were so incoraged and animated by the Consuls comming that they fought couragiously The Carthaginenses being thus sodainly intrapte with their enimies on euery syde trusting to the celeritie and swiftnesse of their shippes thrust into the déepe and fled away During this time the third nauie of the Romanes which laye by the shore was sore assauted grieuously oppressed by the Carthaginenses but Lucius Manlius and Marcus Attilius hauing set the reareward and the other in safetie toke their course a contrary way to ayde them being in distresse which laye as though they had ben besieged almost ouercome which had chāced in déede but that the Carthaginenses being afraid of theyr crowes durst not graple with thē so that they onely studyed to driue them to the shore But the Roman Consuls hauing at vnwares incompassed them tooke fiftie of theyr fraughted pryses the residue being driuen to the shore fledde away Thus these thrée battayles were foughte seuerally betwixt the Romans and the Carthaginenses on one day according to thys prescript order in which the Romans were conquerours of whose Nauie there was foure and twenty Shippes wracked of the Carthaginenses aboue thyrtie The Romans had no fraughted shippes taken but they tooke to the number of thrée score and moe After this combate hauing repaired theyr taken shippes and ioyned them to theyr armye hauing victualles and other necessaries collected departed towardes Libia There is a place in Africa called the Promentary of Mercury reaching into the sea towards Scicilye ther the Romans arriued first from whence hauing repayred theyr shippes they sayled to Clypia and there not farre from the Citie hauing disbarqued the souldiers begonne to enuironne the Towne with dytches and trenches They had prepared all things redie to besiege the Towne but the defendants yelded them selues willingly to them Now the Carthaginenses which had before fled from the nauall conflict were arriued at Carthage supposing the Roman army after theyr prosperous successe to haue gone immediately thyther for which suspection they leuied a great number of horsemen footemen and shippes to defende the necessarie places of the Citie After all this preparaunce being finished it is to vnderstanded how the Consuls had besieged the Citie of Clipia reiecting all domesticall feare they prepared men redy to their warre both by water and lande pretermitting nothing belonging to the safetie of the prouince or citie In the meane time the Consuls hauing ouercome the Citie of Clipie and put souldiers into it they sent legats to Rome which should certifie the Senate of their affairs bring them word what they should then take in hand Finally they brought their whole army to the Frontiers of Carthage inuading the prouince without interruption pilling forraging and wasting the region before them burning destroying the sumptuous buildings seasing all kinde of praies and booties bringing aboue twentie thousande laborers to their shippes In the meane time the legates sent to Rome were returned making relation how the senate willed one of the Consuls to remaine in Africa with the hoast and the other to repaire to Rome with the nauie The Consuls perceiuing the mindes of the Senate agréed that Marcus Attilius Regulus shold remaine in Africa with fortie shippes fiftene thousande footemen and fiue hundreth horsemen and that Manlius with the residue of the nauie and hoast with all the multitude of captiues should retorne to Rome The Carthaginenses perceiuing by the great preparation of the Romans that this warre shold be of long continuance appointed Asdruball the sonne of Hanno Bostarus captaines of their host Then they sent to Amilcar to Heraclea which immediatly came to Carthage with fiue thousande footemen and fiue hundreth horsemen was associate the thirde captaine to them The thrée generals beganne to consulte amongst them selues concerning the administration of the warrs in which cōsultation they determined to ayde the prouince and not to suffre such hauocke and waste to be made of the Region Then Marcus Attilius within a few dayes after went to the Citie Adis indeuoring him selfe to besiege and conquere it of which the Carthaginenses hauing knowledge employed their whole diligence to receiue and deliuer it from the siege marching forwarde wyth their whole Army towardes the Romans to such tyme as they came to a hyll standing on the right wing of theyr enimyes on the which for certayne considerations they pighte theyr pauilions supposing it to bée a place most expedient and apte for theyr purpose All theyr truste and confidence of victorie were in theyr Horsemen and Elephantes Thus forsaking the playnes and valeys they ascended with theyr Armye into a highe huge and stéepe platte euen as it were teaching theyr enimies what they should doe as without doute it chaunced after for the Romans perceiuing how the Elephāts in the which theyr enimies putte theyr chiefe confidence were altogether vnprofitable for battayle and of no force in the mountaines supposed it to be best not to deferre or prolong the tyme any longer eyther to permit them to descende into the plaines but incontinently pretermitting no oportunitie incompassed the hyll on eyther side by which deuise it came to passe that the power of the Elephantes and Horsemen were of no force and to no purpose so that onely the mercynarie souldiers fought out of the higher places constrayning the Romane souldiers a lyttle to retyre but the other part of the hyll was sodainely vanquished and the Romans ascended The Carthaginenses perceiuing them selues to
be inuironed on euery side with theyr enimies immediatly they fledde and left theyr tentes standing flying downe by the shoote banke The Romans a certaine space pursued the footemen then hauing spoyled the tents making diuerse recourses through the whole prouince spoyled the fields and rifled the Townes Shortly after they inuaded and toke Tunis perceiuing that it was a very fit place for the warres lying against Carthage the prouince incamped there The Carthaginenses being a lyttle before ouercome by sea were now likewise suppressed by land of the Romans in diuers battailes not for lacke of men or strength but of pollicie experte captaines Thus they were disquieted with diuerse afflictions and in desperation of theyr health After this combate wherein they were so dispersed foyled there arose a great route of the Numidians against them hoping to get some gaines of whome they had almost as much hurt as of the Romans for they being a gredy couetous pilling snatching and rauenous nation depopulated and wasted all things before them The Carthaginenses quaking for feare of the Numidians fledde out of the prouince into the citie where as they were greatly discoraged prognosticating the furyous famine lyke to ensue as well for the multitude of people inclosed within the Citie as for feare of the long siege Now Marcus Attilius perfectely vnderstanding the great daunger that the Carthaginenses were in both by sea and by land so that the citie within a small tracte of time wold reuolte and yelde vnto him yet fearing least the new Consul then redy to come into Africa shold ascribe the facinorous worthy actes done by him to his owne glory praise thought it best to cōclude peace with the Carthaginenses which gratefully and with ioyful mindes accepted it dismissing the chiefe men of theyr citie to intreate with the Consul concerning the conclusion of the league This matter being thus brought to passe yet were the demaundes so vnreasonable that they refused to take truce with them yea they were so farre out of measure that they could not suffer the Consul to speake to them for Marcus Attilius hauing the victory and dominion ouer all things thought whatsoeuer hée offered to the Carthaginenses that they should accepte it as a gifte or rewarde but they on the contrary parte thought there could be nothing more rigorous sharpe cruell or byting than the wordes of the Consul were vnto them being driuen to the last pinch Wherefore they departed not onely enimies and peace vnconcluded but also abhorring and detesting the aunswere of Attilius as too greuous displeasant paynefull and harde also as to magnificke stately and arrogante When they hadde shewed these things in the senate house at Carthage though long before they were in dispaire and hadde no hope of prosperous successe neuerthelesse yet hearing the vnreasonable requestes of the Consul with a great disdayne they did animate them selues reuiuing theyr pristinate corages determining rather to abide extreme daunger and calamities yea and death it selfe than to suffre any reproche infamie or disworshippe eyther of their good name or of the worthie and famous actes done and atchieued by them At that same present a certaine Carthaginean by chaunce which was sent into Grecia at the beginning to hyer souldiours returned home with a greate troupe and multitude of men amongst whome there was one Zantippus a Lacedemonian who was a passing expert and cunning Souldier had ben much exercised trained in the warres which hearing tell of the conflict and ouerthrow of the Carthaginenses also perceiuing how it was fought and being enformed of the time and place wher further considering their preparance with horse and Elephants turned him to his companions sayde The Carthaginenses toke not this ouerthrow of the Romans but through their euill guiding and ignorance of their vnexpert captaines These wordes of Zantippus immediatly were bruted thorough the whole citie and came to the eares of the rulers which made him to be called before them minding to trie his counsayle Now when Zantippus was come to them had shewed the reason of his wordes and the causes why the Romans made such hauocke of their men he promised if they would be counsailed by him afterwards leauing the hills and high places keping the plaines that he would instructe them how to saue them selues and a redy way to ouercome their enimies The Carthaginean Captaines being moued with these words of Zantippus incontinently auctorized him generall ouer the whole armie and there was a great rumour noised abrode through the whole host of Zantippus wordes so that there was nothing but plesant noyse and merye talke thorough the whole armie When he had broughte the souldiers out of the citie and imbattailed them there appeared suche manifeste difference betwixte them and the other vntrayned Captaines that all the people cried oute wyth a clamorous shout they desired nothing so much as warre they had such a good hope Zantippus being their guider These things beyng thus broughte to passe the Carthaginean Captaines perceiuing the ardent zeale feruent desire of the souldiers exhorted them as the tyme permitted then wythin a fewe dayes after brought them forth against their enimies There was in the Carthaginean armie aboue twelue thousande footemen foure thousande horsemen and nygh a hundreth Elephants Marcus Attllius hauing knowledge of his enimies though he were somewhat astonnyed to see them contrary to their accustomed rate keepe in the plaines and place their tents in them yet being very desirous of battaile hée marched forwarde to méete them placing his tentes within two hundreth paces of his ennimies The next day folowyng the African Capitains tooke counsell amongest themselues what was best to be done The whole multitude turned to Zantippus callyng hym by name and sayde that they were redie and prepared to venter them selues what daunger soeuer there were desiring him to make forward to the battaile The Carthaginean captaines perceyuyng the valiaunt courage of their souldiers and the desire they had to encoūtre with their enimies cōsidering also the presence of Zantippus thought that this was a moste conuenient time to set vpon their enimies wherfore cōmanding the souldiers to prepare them selues they granted Zantippus the regiment of the army to rule at his pleasure He hauyng receiued of the captains authoritie ouer the host set towards his aduersaries in araying his armie placed the elephants euery one in his order before the forefront of the battaile a litle space after thē he placed a legiō of the Carthaginenses appointing the stipendarie souldiers to kepe the right and left corner then he appointed them of moste agilitie to fight betwixte the two wings of the horssmen The Romanes perceiuyng their ennimies in a readynesse prepared and made readye theyr armie settyng the moste valyaunt and actiue Souldiours that coulde bée pycked oute of the whole companie agaynst the Elephantes After them they fortified theyr forefront with diuers and sundry munitions pointing their horsmen in either wing
iourney first into the countrey of Scicilie and from thence vnto Carthage but sodaynly not looked for by the promontorie of Mercurie they did méete wyth the Lybian Nauie whych as I haue shewed before was sette there to stoppe theyr voyage and violently rushed vpon them immediatly seasing a hundreth fourtene fraughted prises thence saylyng to Clipea they receiued the Romane Souldiers and remained a while in Africa and then returned to Scicilie When they had prosperously passed ouer the sea betwixt Africa and Scicilie and were not farre distant from the citie Camerina there chaunced such a great calamitie and shypwracke to them as can not be well expressed for of sixe hundreth fortie and foure shippes scante foure score were saued all the rest being either drenched or rent with rockes goared vp the shore with carkases and other trafike There was neuer greater spoyle at one time before these oure dayes yet chaunced it not so muche by fortune as thorough the foolyshe boldenesse of the Consuls for mariners and lodes mē warned them oft to eschue from the out costs of Scicilie being withoute portes and very daungerous especially at that time of the yeare betwixt Orion and the can icular signes but they reiected and dyd sette light the Counsell of the Maryners and puffed vp in pride with their former victories also beyng desirous of a fewe holdes of litle value belonging to their enimies so that their glorious and triumphant victorie whiche they had obtained before was blemyshed wyth this myserable calamitie suffering seuere punishment for their vnbridled boldenesse and as they are in dede valiant so they suppose that al such exploites as they purpose to take in hand must of necessitie be finished iudging nothyng impossible for them as diuers times in this their vnaduised rashenesse they had fortunate successe so many times they erre slyde into great and manifest dangers and especially in combates on the sea for though in conflictes on the lande matching onely with men they often tymes haue the preeminēce but not alwayes yet on the seas they so harebrainely hasard them selues that ofte tymes they are pestred with great perilles as they are at this present and sundry other times and shall be hereafter except they represse and bridle their vntamed rashenesse When the Carthaginenses had knowledge of thys vnluckie chaunce happened to the Romanes they earnestly employed their whole diligence to the Nauall warre on the sea supposyng them selues nothing inferiour to the Romanes by water for this their infortunate chance and equall with them by land bicause they had ouercome the host of Marcus Attilius Wherfore immediately they sent Asdrubal with all their olde souldiers with a Nauie of two hundreth shippes parte newe made parte hauing their stemmes and tackeling refreshed also a hundreth and fortie Elephantes with a supplement of new Souldiers into Scicilie whiche hauing his armie safely conducted to Lilybeum daily exercised his Souldiers and Elephantes continually molesting the friendes of the Romanes thoroughout all Scicilie Althoughe the calamitie of the great shipwracke had discouraged and appalled the heartes of the Romanes yet they disdained to giue place to the Carthaginenses Wherefore they prepared a new nauie of two hūndreth and twentie shyppes which was finished with suche celeritie that within thrée monethes they were vndockte and sette on the water which may be thoughte a thing almoste incredible Aulus Aquilius and Caius Cornelius being Consuls were appointed to sayle into Scicilie with that Nauie and to make warre with the Carthaginenses whiche incontinentely takyng theyr iourney came to Messana where as they did receiue the remnaunt of the Shippewracke whiche made in the whole a nauie of thrée hundreth saile From thence they did passe onwarde to Panormus the chiefe Citie of the Carthaginenses assailyng it with great power and violēce and besieged it on both sides so the within few days with their torments brakes slings they battered downe the Toure entryng in with greate violence and woon the base towne called Neapolis which being once taken the Citizens sore discouraged yelded the other partes cōmonly called the olde towne When Panormus was taken the Consuls left certain souldiers there and returned to Rome The next Caius Seruilius and Cneius Sempronius beyng chosen in their places toke the nauie and passed the seas into Scicilie from thence into Africa where ariuing in the prouince they set their armie on land in diuers places making greate hauocke euery where yet they dyd nothyng worthie writing At length they ariued in the Isle of the Lotophagians called Mirmix not farre distant from the little Syrtes or quickesandes where not knowing the places through which they shoulde sayle chaunced in a straighte angle where their shippes were grounded by the ebbing of the sea during which time they stoode in a maruellous perplexitie almost drownde in dispaire vntyll the water by flowing set them on foote againe yet could their not scape scotfrée but of constraint were compelled to emptie their ships and cast their ballesse ouer borde After that daye the Romans being pinched with so many perills made their voyages by sea as though the enimies had ben in their tailes After this they returning into Scicilye vanquished Lilybium remained at Panormus front whence as they passed towards Italye there arose such a sodayn tempest that aboue a hundreth and fiftie shippes of their nauie were dispersed by the rage of the Seas which after long tossing from post to piller were wracked and lost The Romans being daunted with these hurtes and calamities though they estemed the maiestie honour of their Empire aboue all other things yet being oppressed with these miseryes determined vtterly to forsake the seas Then they only prepared an Army on the lande which were sent into Scicilye vnder the tuition of Lucius Cacilius and Caius Curius being Consuls to whome they deliuered onely thrée score shippes for the transporting of their corne and victualls by which it came to passe that the Carthaginenses hadde the superioritie againe for the Roman nauie taken away they only ruled ouer the waters hauing also great confidence in their army and Elephantes on the land The Romans being aduertised of the battaile fought in Africa and the driuing backe of their armye onely thorough the multitude and strength of the Elephants which brake their battaile and disturbed their orders making great confusion in the host after that time they were so pauled with the feare of the beastes that for the space of two yeares next ensuing when they should haue coped with their enimies either in Africa or in other places they neuer durst encounter with them or pitche theyr Tentes in the valeyes but continually kept in the hilles and high places for no other cause but onely to shielde them selues from the Elephantes The Romans perceiuing their hoste to be thus discoraged without lingering prepared a new Nauie and hauing an election of officers Caius Attilius and Lucius Manlius were appointed Consuls Thus furnishing fiftie newe shippes
and repayring the olde Nauie they leuied a freshe Armye Asdruball Captaine of the Carthaginenses perceiuing the fearfulnesse of the Romans also hauing knowledge by the fugitiues of the Romans preparation also hearing how one of the Consuls was determined to repaire into Italye with part of the Armye that only Metellus with scant half of the army shold remaine at Panormus now Autumne drawing nye he remoued from Lilybeum and brought his armie to that territories of Panormus Metellus perceiuing his enimies to be at hand seing Asdrubal desirous of battaile restrained his men within the walles which thing much more incensed the Carthaginean captaine in so much that hauing spoiled and burned the fieldes on euery side he marched toward Panormus The Consul kept his men so long within that he ministred the enimies occasion to passe the riuer which fronted on the walles The Consul perceiuing the Elephants and mayne army to approche he sent out his most actiue souldiers to solicitate and prouoke his aduersaries that they might come to the hands of the rest and perceiuing that all things chanced according to his minde he appointed such as were of most agilitie to stande as it were a rampier aboue a ditch from whence they should fight with their enimies a farre of with their dartes and other rouing weapons commanding them that if at any tyme the beastes began to rage they shold skip into the ditches and from thēce hurle at them againe he made a great company of dartes or pykes to be conueied out of the Citie which he placed in the pits Then he with all that standarts stoode at a nother cōtrary angle of the Citie butting on the left wing of hys enimies As soone as the battaile was begon the maister of the Elephants being very desirous of honour and the name of a conquerour nothing esteming Asdrubals commaūdement sturred vp the beastes againste the light souldiers which according to that Consuls commaundement gaue back and seing the beasts pursue them very hastely skipped into the ditches Now when the Elephāts were come to the pitte side they were so galled what with shaftes shot out of the Towne the souldiers pikes in the trenches that they could passe no further but were compelled to recoyle and burst in among their owne Armie perturbing their order and making great slaughter amongst them While this broyle was in hande in came Metellus with his crew from an other part of the Citie and girded in amongst his enimies so hautely that being troubled with the Elephantes before and now so sharpely assayled by the Consul they were easely suppressed part being slaine the rest sauing them selues by taking them to their héeles There were ten Elephantes taken with ten Indians the rest which had cast downe their riders after the conflict were taken by the Consuls After this prosperous triumphe no small praise was attribute to Metellus the which by the confession of euery man was the onely cause that the Roman souldiers peaked not in mountaynes and hilles but durst in any plaine place skirmish with the Carthaginenses When the rumor of this victory was noysed at Rome the whole Citie was impleate with inexplicable gladnesse not onely bicause the Elephantes being taken the enimies were much theyr inferiors but bicause theyr souldiers were animated and imboldened Therefore as they had decréed in the beinning they prepared an other nauie and sent it into Scicilye being very desirous to finish the warres Thus hauing prepared viands and other necessaries they passed the seas into Scicilye with two hundreth ships This was the fourtenth yeare of this warre After their arriuall in the wished Porte the Consuls tooke suche footemen as were in the prouince and went to besiege Lilybeum for that Citie being subuerted they hoped soone after to passe into Africae But the Carthaginenses being moued also with the same reasons did purpose in any case to preserue and kepe their munition from taking knowledging them selues to haue no tytle to any thing in Scicilie that being lost for all the residue of the prouince sauing Drapanum was in subiection to the Romans But least those things which I determine to intreate of in Scicilye shold séeme difficult or obscure to any vnacquainted with the places I purpose briefly and in few words to declare the situation of the Iland Scicylie bordereth for the most parte vpon Italye and the frontiers thereof as Peloponesus doeth vpon Grecia and this is the chiefe difference betwixt them Scicilye is seperate from Italye by an arme or créeke of the Sea Peloponesus from Grecia by a dry march or plot of ground so that one may passe on foote from it into Grecia but not from Scicilye into Italye except they passe by water in forme it resembleth a triangle hauing at euery corner a promentary of the which that bordering towards the southerne clyme ioineth to the sea of Scicilye and is called Pachinus that which extēdeth toward the North is lykewise an ende or corner of the sea is distant from Italye but a myle and and a halfe and is called Pelorus the third which declyneth towards Africa and Carthage is but a mile halfe a shoote seuen and twenty pases distaunte from the coastes of Africa and the inhabitants call it Lilybeum it seperateth the Sardinian and Scicilyan sea In this promētarie there is a hill of the same name at that instante besieged of the Romanes fortifted with strong walles déepe ditches perilous puddels and many standing waters by which the porte is made very daungerous and perilous to be entered except the Pilottes be very cunning and expert The Romanes besieging this Citie enuironed it on eyther side with two campes making many ditches rampers erecting sundry munitions placing their engins pretermitting nothing thought requisite to the expugnation of a holde first they assaulted a towne which stoode in the hyll side bending towardes the African Sea by all meanes that coulde be inuented dayly inuenting new tormentes continually setting them in places most conuenient In continuaunce they ouerthrew sixe Townes standing nygh to yt as with theyr whole power they were assayling the walles This siege was very sharpe and mortall the Citizens were sore discoraged oppressed with great feare and dread for many of their towers and bulwarckes were very ruinous being sore rent and torne and diuers turned ouer and cast to the grounde by theire Enimies and the Engins damaged them dayly more and more The number besieged amounted to aboue ten thousand beside the greate multitude of inhabitantes In thys theyr greuous distresse Imilcon ruler of the Citie valyantly defended them from their enimies continually réedifying and making vp newe walles within the Cytie where the Romans brake them with rammes and brakes circumspectly watching wher his enimies made trenches and by making other disapointed them of their purpose so that the subtil and slye slyghts of his aduersaries were frustrate and of no effecte oftentimes he issued out setting on them bothe by night and day
inuente some way by the which he might passe into Africa with his armie and at the leÌ„gth vsed this pollicie vnderstanding how the heads of this for named riuer were so stopte with certaine windes that the vaste profoundnesse thereof was turned to shalow at which time he supposed best to conueie his armie Making no man priuie to this his deuise he houered to espie oportunitie which once offered he set forwarde in the night time with his souldiers vndescried and conueyed them ouer that riuer In the morning not only his enimies but the Citizens were astonyed at his wonderfull passage Then he marched foreward to them which kept Sephira But Spendius perceiuing that he had conueyed ouer his Armie with all his retinue immediatly set forwarde to aide his coÌ„panions There were at Sephira x. thousand men at Vtica about xv thousaÌ„d so they supposed that they might at pleasure impale the Carthaginenses if they both marched forward at one time incountered with them the one company before the other behind wherfore incouraging their company they set forward towards Amilcar which failed not of his iorney placing his Elephants in the first fronte then his horsemen lightest footemen setting the legion souldiers in the rearewarde perceiuing his enimies to be very earnest coÌ„manded that incoÌ„tineÌ„tly the whole order of the battaile should be changed so they which stode in the fore warde should returne as though they would flée and come into the hinmost part likewise they which were in the rearewarde trauersing about should enter into the for most rampire at which sight the Libeans being redy to inuade them on bothe partes supposing them to be afraide and redy to runne away incontinently brake their order and came hurling vpon them and to handy strokes but perceiuing the horsemen redy to resist and the residue of the armie to assaile them in warlike order they were so astonyed with the rarenesse thereof that scattering them selues abroade they were compelled to flée many were slayne of the legion souldiers while they inuaded the sides of the battayle and diuers were ouerrunne by the Elephantes horsemen so that there was sixe thousande Libians slaine and two thousande taken in this combate the rest fled some to Sephira and many to the Campe by Vâ—â—ca Amilcar after this triumph pursued those which escaped into Sephira winning the Towne at the first assalte all the Souldiers fled to Tunes from thence he passed through the prouince receiuing many of the townes which reuolted fauorably expugnate many by force of armes which caused the Carthaginenses which of late hadde no hope of good fortune or libertie to receiue their pristinate courage boldnesse Matho in this time besieged Hippona perswading Spendius and Autoricus Captaines of the Frenchmen to pursue their Enimies counselling them to eschew the plaines for feare of the Elephantes and kepe them selues continually in the sides of the mountaines and in addible wayes and neuer to kepe farre distant from him for many inconueniences that might ensue he also solicitated the Numidians Libians to rebellion intising theÌ„ with many sugred wordes to assist him and not to pertermit such an oportunitie in which they might dyliuer Africa from bondage and seruitude Then Spendius with vj. thousand olde seruitours picked from amongst the whole hoste at Tunes incamped by the hil sides not farre distant from his enimies he had also vnder his conduct two thousand FreÌ„chmen belonging to Antoricus for the reste were reuolted to the Romans at the siege of Erix in Scicilie At this present Amilcar with his Armie remained in a plaine inuironed with mountaines on euery side there repaired to Spendius great crewes of the Numidians troupes of the Africans so that the Carthaginenses were hemmed in with thrée great hostes of their enimies on the fore side with the Africans in the diametre with the Numidians on the other side which Spendius which brought Amilcar into a great perplexitie as one desolute abaÌ„doned of al libertie There was at that present amongst the Numidians one Nerua a man disceÌ„ded of a honorable noble progenie both worthy and valiant in battayle which had always intierly affected the Carthaginenses then especially rapte with the noblenesse of Amilcar which supposing that a time most expedient to obtaine his fauor approched to his tentes hauing in his company aboute a hundreth Numidians and being approched nighe his pauilion stayed boldly beckning with his hande signifying that he would speake with him Amilcar wondering at his audacitie sent one forth vnto him whome Nerua aduertised that he would commen with his captaine Amilcar yet in dout and not rashely crediting his wordes stoode stil but Nerua incontinently deliuering his horse and speare to a Numidian that stode by approched to Amilcar The whole armie wondered to sée such boldenesse in one man and beginning to disclose his minde shewed how earnestly he had ben always affected toward the Carthaginenses that aboue all things he required the amitie of Amilcar for which causes he came at that present to submit him selfe promising that he would be prest and redy to ayde him without all deceipte or guile to the vttermost of his power Amilcar perceiuing his entier affection towardes him reioised wonderfully as well for the hautie courage that he saw in the young man by comming to him so stoutly as for the simplicitie and plainnesse of his words not mixte with fraude or guile not onely admitting him to his frendeship but affirming if he would persist faithfull and true towarde the Carthaginenses that he should haue his Daughter in mariage After their communication was finished Nerua returned to his souldiers and in the nexte morning came to Amilcar with two thousand Numidians which were vnder his retinue so that this crue of men being reuolted to the Carthaginenses Amilcar thought him selfe able to match with his enimies Spendius likewise hauing his army streÌ„gthned by the comming of the Numidians and Africanes conducted them into a plaine place and immediatly encountred his ennimies where was a terrible and cruell fight but after long contention by the multitude of their elephants and the prowesse of Nerua the Carthaginenses obteined the victorie Then Antoricus and Spendius beyng desolate and abandoned of all comfort fled away There were slaine in that combate aboute ten thousande men and foure thousand taken After this victorie Amilcar granted pardon and fréedom to all those which woulde remayne and be his souldiers deliuering them the armour of those which were slaine the reste he called vnto him persuading them neither to rebell or moue warre against the Carthaginenses remitting al such offences as they had coÌ„mitted vntill that time without punishement licencing them that woulde to returne to their countreys About this time the hired souldiours that kepte Sardinia imitating Matho and Spendius inuaded all the Carthaginenses inhabiting the I le and soone after leading Bostarus and the other into a hold beheaded them Then was Hanno sent to
them that were at Delphos before being vanquished and fled into Asia Now the Romanes hauing tamed the Tuscanes subdued the Samuits and driuen the Frenchmen to flight in sundry skermishes began to enuie the other partes of Italye not thinking that they trauailed to subdue any foraine nation but that which of right was theyr inheritance patrimonie nutritiue soyle Now the Romanes hauing obteined a perfect habite in the warrs through daily experiēce vsed in their exploits and conquests vpon the Samnits and Frēchmen for which causes they earnestely continued in this broyle to such time as they had expelled Pirrhus with his cōfederats garrisons out of Italy then they pursued turned theyr whole strength against these which had condiscended to him Now euen at an vnwares sodenly vnhoped for they were becom lords regentes ouer all the inhabitantes of Italye except the French men After this they began to besiege the Romanes which kept Rhegia A lyke chance happened at that same instaunte to two cities situate in the straightes of that Sea Rhegia and Messana For the Campanes warring vnder Agathocles in Scicilia wondering at the excellēcy worthinesse also at the riches plētifulnesse of Messana espying oportunitie to accomplish their pretēsed purpose being once receiued within the walles vnder the cloake of frendship violated the couenant of truce inuading the Citie thrusting out the Citizens and inhabitants cruelly murdering them seasing theyr wyues and children euery man as he chaunced in the conflict and tumult then they rysled and deuided the ryches and treasures with the pleasant pastures and fertil soyle amongst them Thus they obtayned a most excellente rich and worthy Citie impleate with inestimable treasure abounding in plenteousnesse and store of all things also within a small tracte of tyme and imitatours of this theyr peruerse enterprise For at that time when Pirrhus King of Epirotes sayled with his army into Italie the inhabitantes of Rhegia being dismaide and set in a perplexity with his sodayne arryuall required ayde and assistaunce of the Romanes bicause the Carthaginenses theyr enimies ruled the seas which sent them succoure that defended theyr Cytie for a certayne time They were in number foure thousand men ouer whome Decius and Campanus were Prefects rulers But in continuance being moued and incitate by the example of the Mamertines or Samuites hauing them also confederates of theyr facinorous and wicked conspiracie vyolated and falsefied theyr othe made to the Cytizens of Rhegia being prouoked and allured partly with the opportunitie of tyme partly wyth the great riches substance and abundance of the inhabitans they detruded and expulsed the Citizens afflicting tormenting diuers of them and according as the Mamertines had done before semblably dyd they now deteining and inhabiting the Cytie The Romanes althoughe they were sore greued and inwardly vexed with the calamyties chaunced to the Rhegians yet they could not ayde or helpe them presently being troubled wyth other warres the which being finished they went besieged the citie of Rhegia which in continuance of tyme was expugnate and wonne by force The defendants had so hautely withstoode the assault that the most part were slaine for they perfectly vnderstoode if they eyther yelded or were taken by force that they should not auoid cruell Tortors so that onely thirtie were taken aliue which incontinently were conueyed to Rome where as the Consuls were led into the market place there tormented with rods and then according to the order of the cuntrey were cut shorter by the length of their heades both that they might be punished for committing such a hainous offense and for renuing of their amitie with the Rhegians restoring vnto thē their citie pastures and other things that were left The Mamertines for so the Campanes called thē selues when they had taken Messana duryng the time that the Romane Legion deteined Rhegia beyng mainteined with their aide not only defended kepte safe their own boundes and precinctes but also displeasured and put in ieopardy diuers of the Cities adiacent as well of the Carthaginēses as of the Siracusans They had also made tributary vnto them sundry cities of Scicilie But nowe the Rhegians hauing their citie restored and they being destitute of the Romane Legions helpe were enuironed besieged of the Siracusans for certain causes which afterwards shal be declared Not long before that time there was a sedition sprong vp betwene the Scicilian souldiers the gouernours of the Weale publike in so much that they constituted captains ouer them of the Artemidans and him which afterward was their king one named Hyeron a very yong man being but a stripling and of yong yeares but so furnished and indued with all the giftes of nature as knowledge vertue and wisedome that he wanted nothing appertayning or necessary to a king except onely a kingdome When he had obteyned the authoritie and regiment of the Souldiours at the length being enuironed with a great troupe company of his friends he entred the citie and toke diuers of the Citizens which were confederats of the rebellion the which victory he vsed so moderately mercifully that all the Siracusans with one voyce and consente which was a rare thing almost neuer séene before that time proclaimed him the seconde time gouernour and ruler ouer them Then Hyeron as he shewed by manifest arguments deliberated and determined to be of greater and hygher estimation than a Captaine But first of all he weyed considered with him selfe how the Siracusans were eftsones accustomed immediately after the departure of the Captaine and the army from the Citie to kindle vprores and seditions therefore perceyuing the honesty and fidelitie of Leptinus also of what authoritie credence and estimation hee was of amongest the Syracusans and of howe much reputacion and power amongst the inferior sorte he thought it not incongruent to ioyne himself vnto him by affinitie that he mighte haue on to liue in the citie when he with his armie shoulde bée occupied in other affaires Thus hauing maried the daughter of Leptimus and knit friendshyp with Hyminian knots perceyuing howe the olde Syracusan seruiters which were hirelings and conduct souldiers wer very vnstable fickle ful of mutabilitie cōmonly desirous of newe thyngs and changes he prepared an armie against the Barbarians which kept Messana pitching his tents and pauilions placing the front of his battaile along the ryuer of the Ciamossians Then he tooke both the horsemen and footemen of the Syracusans as though he would assault his enimies at some other place retiring an other waye with all his power conducting them safe and without damage into the Citie suffering the rascall and hired souldiers to bée enuironned and inclosed wyth their enimies so that they were broughte to ruine and vtter confusion When he had by this meanes dispatched the olde seruiters out of the Citie he prepared waged souldiers of more credence and stabilitie Thus hauing set all things in a good and reasonable estate and
they all began and lefte of togither Accordyng to this rate they lerned to rowe then the shippes being finished they entred the sea within a fewe dayes after made a true trial in the waters Gaius Cornelius the Consul which not long before was made generall of the Nauy hauing brought all the shippes into the déepe passed the seas to Messana with seuentene sayle leauing the residue about the coastes of Italy Whē he had prepared all things necessary to his Fleete at Messana spying a conuenient time he passed wyth the same shippes to the Ilands Hyparides About that time Hanniball the Carthaginean capitaine was ariued at Pauormus He hearing tell of the Consuls arriuall sent one Boodius a Senatour of Carthage thither with twenty ships which comming vpon them sodainly in the night finding the Romanes ships in the Hauen enuironed them The Consull thus being preuented at vnawares wist not what way was the best to take but in the ende yelded himselfe as ouercome to his enimies which incontinently conueyed him the prises to Hannibal Within a few days after this ouerthrowe of Cornelius Hannibal vpō whom fortune as yet through hir benignitie had smiled not oppressing him with any sinister chance hearing tell that the Romane Nauie rode in the coastes of Italy not farre distant from Scicily earnestly desired to beholde the multitude order and buylding of his ennimies Nauie for the which purpose he elected fiftie shippes and passed into Italy but in stede of the Italian coastes Fortune now turning hir tippet he was driuen amongest the fléete of his enimies which being well prepared and ready at all points assailed him immediatly so that loosing the most part of his shippes he escaped away very hardly yet better than he did hope for After this the Romanes setting towarde Scicilie were aduertised by the captiues of the misfortune chaunced to the Consul wherfore they sent a poste to Caius Duellius his companion and capitaine of the footemen But whilst thei houered for him word came that the power of their enimies was at hand therfore they dressed thēselues towards the naual conflict But considering how their ships were very slowe and nothing apt to celeritie they inuented certain munitions and defences for euery one of them afterward called Crowes The munition was founde in this sorte There was a piller of wood erected in the sterne of the ship four elles in length and thrée hands in bredth hauing in the toppe a pulley with stayres made of planckes adioyning to it which were four foote in breadth and six elles in length the stayres were made hollowe hauing munitions in fashion of battlements vp to the toppe of the cannes and knée plates in the ende of the piller was a sharpe instrument of iron tyed to the stayres wyth a rope in a ryng and it was in fashion much like to a mattock so that this engine resembled much those with the which corne is hoysted out of shippes with the which inuention as sone as they ioyned with their enimies slacking the rope and letting it downe it fastned insolubly in theyr aduer aries Barke by the heauinesse of the weight so that if the forepartes met two men descended together by the staires the two formoste always bearing targets with which they defended the rest If they met crosspath or ouerthwartes they easily skipped out at all parts After this preparance to the Nauall warre Caius Duellius hauing knowledge of the infortunate chaunce happened to hys companion captaine of the nauie left his hoste with the Tribunes hasting hym selfe towardes the fleete and hearing saye that the Carthaginenses were not verie farre from Mylis with great spéede made thyther wyth hys whole power The Africanes as soone as they heard tell of theyr enimies comming were in hope to haue good successe supposing the Romanes to be vnskilfull in gouerning a Nauie wherefore they prepared thirty ships putting them forth to maete their enimies without al feare as though they had gone forth to fetch home some wonne booty their captain was Hanniball which as I haue shewed a litle before conducted his army out of Agrigentine in the night time through his enimies campe He had a Septireme which in time past belonged to Pirrhus king of Epirotes Nowe when the Nauies were within prospect one of the other and that the engins were espied in euery ship sterne the Carthaginenses were sore discouraged at the aspect of such a rare sight but at the length reiecting all fearfull and dastardly cowardnesse little esteeming the newe inuented engines set vpon their enimies with a bolde courage The shippes being grapled togither the Romanes assayled their enimyes descending out of their owne shippes into theirs by their newe inuented engins Many of the Carthaginenses were slayne the rest amazed at the pollicy of their aduersaries yelded to them This conflict resembled much the conflicts and skirmishes made on the lande and not much vnlike in danger Thus were the thirty shippes taken which assayled the Romanes wyth the Pretors which as I shewed before bēlonged to king Pirrhus Hannibal séeing all things chaunce contrary to his expectatiō with hard shift in this troublesome tumult slipping into a skiffe or shippe bote fled away The residue of the Carthagenean Nauye entred accordingly vpon their enimies but perceiuing how the former company wer entrapped with their enimies engins began to practise their fraudulent fetches deceitful wiles not entring according to the accustomed guyse but ouerthwartly vsing the celerity of their shippes supposing therby to escape the daunger But the inuentions were so aptly disposed and placed that they easily clasped them which waye so euer they entred with which strange sight the Carthaginenses beyng amazed toke their flight hauing lost fiftie ships in that conflict The Romanes hauing thus obtained the domination of the seas persisted in their warres and earnestlier employed their busines sailing into the coastes of Segestana deliuering the towne there from besieging then setting from them they wonne the citie Macella After these warres on the sea Amilcar captaine ouer the Carthaginean army which then lay in Scicilie hearing tell how there was a contention sprong betwixt the Romane souldiers and the aydes sent from their confederates contending of their prowesse and worthie acts insomuch that the forainers their adiutours beyng vanquished were incamped by them selues Wherfore Hanno with al diligence hasted towardes them so that sodaynly ere they were aware he destroyed about foure thousande After these factes thus finished Annibal with the remnant whiche were escaped from the conflict came to Carthage from whence soone after accompanied with certaine noble captaines a nauie of triremes he was sente in to Sardinia where within a fewe days after being inclosed in a certaine porterangle by the Romanes lost the most part of his shippes him selfe escapyng the hands of his enimies but shortly after being taken of the Carthaginenses he was hanged for his euill doings on the gallows The Romanes as soone as they had obteined the
placing their standerds not in the beginning but in the strength of the battail their order was very slender in the breast and strengthned with many aydes in the backe to withstand the force of the elephants But as it was wel prouided of the Romanes to kéepe backe the beasts so it was very daungerous for being ingired for the Carthaginenses hauing the greater troupe of horsses might easilier enuiron thē disposed so straightly Now both the companions beyng prest to ioyne battaile either of them looked to be assailed of other As sone as Zantippus had commanded the elephantes to be put towarde the enimies the horsemen of both wings braste in egerly The Romanes according to the custome of their countrey sounding their trumpets commanded their souldiers to girde valiantly into the thickest of the armie The syghte was very sharp and terrible amongst them but the Romane souldiers dreading the multitude of the Carthaginenses fled incontinētly from both wings the footemen of the left wing hauyng inclined the force of the elephantes estéemed nothyng the multitude of the hired souldiers but rushed in valiantly on the right wing of the Carthaginenses putting them to flight and pursuyng them sharply to their tents but those whiche were placed next to the Elephants were hurled down ouerthrowne on heapes by the filthy beastes The fortune of victorie depended doubtful the resistants defended them selues so worthily but after the rerewarde of the Romanes was compassed in with the Carthaginean horsemen wer cōpelled to encounter with them those which as I shewed were placed in the midst to resist the elephāts driuen on the strongest companie of their ennimies by whome they were suppressed and quite ouerthrowne the Romanes began to languishe and faynt on euery part some being trodē down with the multitude of that cruell fierce beastes other slaine by the horssemen in the same place where they stode in the beginning so that a small handful remained to the latter end which perceyuing there was no hope of recouerie fled away to saue them selues but they also the place being very plaine were ouerrunne with horsemen and elephants other fiue hundreth flying away with Marcus Attilius were intrapped and taken by their enimies In the Carthaginean armie were slayn eight hundreth hired souldiers which fought in the left wing against the Romanes Of the other parte escaped only two thousande with their ensignes and standerdes which as you heard a litle before chased the Carthaginenses to their tents all the rest sauing Marcus Attilius and a few which were taken with him wer slaine The Carthaginenses hauyng made spoyle of the bodies of their ennimies returned into the Citie wyth greate ioye and gladnesse leadyng with them the Consul and the rest of their Captiues If there be any man that pondreth and wayeth this according to veritie he shall fynde diuers thyngs included herein verye necessarie and passyng profitable to the amendement right gouernement of our lyues Fyrst yf he reuolue and intentiuely consider in hys minde how friuolous vn constant and vaine a thing it is to put any hope or trust in Fortune bicause of prosperitie or other famous facts done according to oure mindes Marcus Attilius may bée a singular example to euerie one whiche of late flouryshyng wyth so many famous triumphes and adorned with so many glorious victories and in hys chiefe pompe and glorie would by no meanes possible nor by any intercessions bée mercifull or fauourable to the Carthaginenses beyng at the last caste and in extreme danger nowe hymselfe was forced humblye to request mercie and peace at their hāds which with tedious exorations low obeisance had required it of him not lōg before so that the worthie saying of Euripides was at thys time verified that the counsell of one wise man counteruaileth the strength of many souldiers for one man by his politike prudence ouercame and vtterly destroyed a multitude before inuincible restoring the citie greuously afflicted and oppressed to the pristinat state relieuing the Citizens myndes which were in vtter despaire I haue voluntarily remembred these things knowing the fruite conteined in them to belong muche to the correction and amendment of mens liues For there are two ways laid before men by exāple of which they may be reformed to a better trade of lyfe the one is by his owne calamities the other by example of other mens harmes of whiche the former without doubte is of more efficacie but it chāceth not without the great detrimēt of him which suffreth it the second though it be not so efficacious yet it is good bicause it is expert and voyde of all daunger or damage Wherfore very fewe choose the fyrste willingly by reason of his collaterals whiche are affliction oppression and trouble but the other is well accepted of all men bicause it is exempte from all detriment griefe and vexation so that a man of vnderstanding may wel perceyue experience to be the beste guide and conducter to the right institution and amendement of life which chiefly consisteth in the commemoration of other mens facts for they with out trouble hurt or damage giue best instructions to wise men but for thys matter let these suffise The Carthaginenses hauing all things chaunced prosperously and according to their desire pretermitted no kynde of braueries pompe and gladnesse whether it were in praysing their Gods or in offeryng sacrifice to them other rights neither in makyng and settyng forth of playes ne yet in giuing and receuing giftes according to the custome of the countrey Zantippus hauyng restored the Carthaginenses to their pristinate estate soone after returned to his own countrey hauing vigilantly foreséens all daungers For it oft tymes chaunceth that he which doeth worthily is mortally hated and enuied therefore but being defended with his Citizens allies and friendes he may easily flée and eschue the same where strangers and forayners are quickly dispatched There is also an other cause alleaged for his departure as I shal shew more at large in his place When relation was made at Rome of the ouerthrowe of their host and the Consuls taking also howe the rest of their armie were besieged in Clipia they prepared to ayde them leuying a populous armie whiche they sent into Africa In thys meane tyme the Carthaginenses besieged Clipia labouryng earnestly to ouer com it hoping to take those which escaped the battaile But the Romane souldiers defended them selues so couragiously that the Carthaginenses laboured in vaine who perceiuing their trauayle to bée of none effecte raysed their campe Nowe they heard worde howe the Romanes had prepared a nauie whyche shoulde come into Africa with which rumours the Carthaginenses being moued beganne to repaire their olde Nauie also to prepare a newe so that hauing two hundreth well appointed shippes they determined to staye their passage into Africa The Romanes hauyng also furnyshed thrée hundreth and fiftie sayle sente Marcus Aemilius and Seruilius Fuluius Consules wyth an armie into Africa the which didde determine their
so that greater slaughter was made in those byckerings than in playne combate At that tyme certayne of the conducted Souldiers being lieutenaunts and sergeants ouer the Carthaginean hoast made a conspiracie intending to batray the Citie to the Romans and being ayded with the consente of theyr coparteners skipped ouer the walles in the night and came into the Romanes Campe and declared theyr whole intent to the Consul There was at that tyme there preseÌ„t an Achaean named Alexon which before had saued the Citie of Agrigentine from betraying when the Siracusans kept it This Alexon hauing knowledge of the conspyracie immediatly bewrayed their counsayle to Imilcon which without lingering congregated all the Captaines and officers of the army except those that fled out by night to the Romans reuealing vnto them all that he knew of the treason earnestly requesting and beseching them that they woulde persist stedfast and stable and not with infamie and obloquie yelde them selues and the Citie into the handes of their enimies promising vnto them large rewardes if they would kepe theyr fayth and promise Vnto whome they all aunswered that ther was nothing which they more estemed than their truth promise Then he sent with theÌ„ to pacifie the Gallicean army Annibal his sonne whome the Carthaginenses strangled in Sardinia after he had lost the nauie as I shewed before supposing that he would be most acceptable to them bicause he had warred vnder his Father in their company He appointed Alexon to go to the other hired souldiers bicause they had great affiance in him Immediatly after he called the whole multitude before him giuing parte of them faire and friendly words promising to other ample large rewardes by which meanes he brought to passe that they promised to be stable faithfull towardes the Carthaginenses So that they which wrought the treason returning and desiring them to giue eare till they had shewed such things as they hadde talked with the Romans were not only diuided of their speach but driuen from the wals with dartes and stones Thus were the Carthaginenses brought by treasoÌ„ into extréeme daunger and almost into the hands of their enimies but Alexon which before by his truth and stedfastnesse to the Agrigentines had not onely delyuered the Citie but the whole prouince with their lawes and liberties now also saued the Carthaginenses from vtter distruction The Citizens of Carthage though they could not heare tell how all things fared at Lilybeum yet suspecting them to be in distresse bicause of the long siege prepared fiftie shippes fraighted with ten thousand men ouer which Nauie they constituted Annibal sonne of Amilcar Captaine giuing him certayne exhortations as the time permitted commaunding that in any case with all celeritie he should sayle to Lilybeum and ayde his countrie men Annibal with his Souldiers landed first at Egusa situate in the midst betwixte Carthage and Lilybeum from thence with a prosperous gaile he entred the porte of the besieged Citie with hoysted sayles hauing all his men in a redinesse and prepared on the decke The Consuls being somewhat abashed with theyr sodaine arryuall and partely afrayde to encounter with them least he should bée dryuen into the Hauen with the boysterous and windie blastes then raging determined not to stop theyr entraunce but onely to ascende the shore in theyr Armour and looke if by that meanes they coulde feare them The multitude which were on the walles perceiuing the presence of their countrymen trembled and quaked for very ioye exhorting them with plausible wordes and clamorous noyses to enter in boldely Annibal being of an incredyble audacitie and hautie courage pushed into the porte valyantly and withoute daunger or perill landed his men Now when they were within the Towne there was maruellous tryumphing not so much for the arryuall of the freshe Souldiers as bycause the Romanes durst not trye to stoppe theyr passage Imilcon perceiuing all the army desirous of battaile the olde souldiers being incoraged by the arriuall of the new suppliment the new souldiers bicause the thornes as yet had neuer pricked them supposing it best not to pretermit that oportunitie indeuored him self by all meanes possible to get the engines of his enimies destroyed Then he gathered all the army togither and exhorted them with a long oration imboldning theyr corages promising great giftes to euery one that behaued him selfe valyantly shewing the Carthaginenses that they should not be vnrewarded The Souldiers were maruellously moued with his faire and pleasaunt words promising him that they wold be redy to theyr power earnestly desiring him to lynger no longer but euen at that instante to issue out against his enimies The Captaine thancking them for their good wylles immediately dismissed them commaunding that they shold go and prepare them selues and incontinently to retourne and giue attendaunce on their Captaines to doe suche things as shold be appointed them After that he called together the generalls shewed them hys purpose distributyng the armie amongst them appoynting euery one his place and commaunded that they before all other in the fyrst watche shoulde be readie in their statioÌ„s which without grudging obeyed the commaundement of their graund captain Imilcon hauing brought forth his power in the dawning sette vpon the ordinance of his enimies in diuers places The Romanes coÌ„iecturing their intent were nothyng slouthfull but armed them selues and set all things in a redinesse and issued vpon the Africans newly come out of the citie the tumult was very gret about the walles The Carthaginenses were aboute twentie thousande men and the Romanes mo which caused them rudelier and without order to enter vpoÌ„ them by whiche their foolishnesse they were in more danger for amongst a great companie of souldiers one man fought against an other as though it had ben in a particular combate But the fiercest and cruellest fight was about the ordinaunce for they of bothe partes which were appointed to that warde endeuored themselues myghtily the one part to ouerthrow the other to defende vntill such time that the bataâ—le was so fierce and mortall that with valiant and hautie courage they died withoute giuyng one foote from theyr appointed places The Carthaginenses that day behaued them selues so valiantly fieryng their engins shiuering them with their swordes other weapons that the Romans wer not able to resist seing almost their ending daye After long contention Imilcon perceiuing the great and despiteous slaughter with the effusioÌ„ of bloud that was made and his purpose neuer nigher an ende coÌ„maunded a retreate to be blowen The Romanes though that days they were in greate daunger of losing their ordinance yet they resisted their enimies with such incredible corage that they preserued them and al other things in safetie After this Anniball departed with his puissance from Lilybeum aboute the dead of the night his enimies not knowyng and passed to Adherball the other Carthaginean capitaine which laye at Drepanum for which Citie they toke speciall care to kéepe it from the
ship The Souldiers were very iocund and glad of this iourney not only bicause it was nyghe hande but also for the greate booties which they hoped for Thus all things being prepared they disankred and sayled towarde Drepanum about midnight vnware to their enimies so that in the dawning they drew nigh the Citie Adherball though at their first apperance he was somewhat daunted with sodaine feare yet being recouered and receiuyng byâ— pristinate boldenesse he purposed to trie the brittle destiny and fickle state of Fortune by gyuyng them battaile rather than to bée inclosed in an Angle and shamefully besieged of hys ennimies And therefore immediately hée gathered together a greate companie of rowers called the mercinarie or hired Souldiers oute of the Citie and gaue vnto them dyuers admonitions shewyng them also that yf â–ª they dydde fyght couragiousely they shoulde be sure of victorie but if they fled like dastardly cowardes and would not venter them selues he vnbuckled to them the budget of mischeues that they shoulde suffer being besieged After he had ended his oration they all promised to shewe their valiantnesse exhorting him with a clamorous noyse to deferre the time no longer but immediately to set towardes his ennimies Adherball praysing the valiant courage of his souldiers warned them to imbarke incontinentely commaunding them diligentely and with vigilant eyes to marke his shyp and folow him merily then withoute lingring he marched forward leading the ring him self according as he promised to encountre with the Romanes The Consul espying his enimies not according as he hoped readie to runne awaye and saue them selues but rather ardently desiring battaile commanded all his fléete to retire for part were entred diuers euen in the entrance and many coÌ„ming far behind wheÌ„ the formost indeuored theÌ„ selues at the commaundement of the general to returne there was such a hurly burly with beating dashing betwixt them that came backe and the other that were entring that the whole nauie was in greate perill and many of them sore forfrushed At the last being brought in order with great paine and trauaile the generals set them in aray along the banke with their stemmes towardes the enimies Then the Consull which folowed in the rearewarde launching into the déepe kept the lefte wyng Whilest the Romanes were in this trouble Adherball wyth other fiue shippes incompassed aboue their left wyng turning the stemmes of his ships towardes them kéepyng hym selfe at large on the sea makyng signes that the other foure shyppes whych folowed hym shoulde doe likewise so they hauyng prepared them selues hoysed vp their streamers and rushed in among the Romans which kept a long the banke side for to suppresse the Carthaginenses as they should haue issued but afterwarde it was a great hinderance and let to them selues for certaine causes whiche I shall shewe As soone as the two Nauies wer met the Pretor making signes oute of hys shippe to the other the Romanes were impaled on eyther side the skirmishe continued long and terrible withoute any inequalitie for there were the worthiest souldiers of both the armies yet the Carthaginenses preuailed not onely bicause their shippes were swifter and their rowers more skilfull but by kéepyng at large on the seas where they myghte scoure abroade at their pleasure or if it chaunced any of them to be intrapped with their ennimies immediately launching into the déepe they were at libertie where yf the Romanes dyd pursue them incontinentely they were agayne coaped wyth an other companie to their gret daungers and oft times the losing of their shippes If any of their fellowes were in daunger they easily rescued them ploddyng wyth theyr pumpes forward Now the banke was a maruellous hinderaunce to the Romanes being caught vp in such a straicte corner that they coulde neyther retyre when néede did require nor yet ayde those whiche were in daunger whiche are chief impediments in a conflict on the sea For it was impossible that they shoulde passe thorough the chiefe troupe of their ennimies and resiste their force their shyppes beyng suche slugges and theyr rowers so vnexperte The Consull perceyuyng that he was like to take the foyle and also seyng parte of hys shyppes sore beaten by the shore and dyuers drowned broughte to vtter despaire fledde awaye before all the reste and other thirtie shyppes the whiche stoode next vnto him folowed after All the rest of the numbre of foure score thirtene were taken by the Carthaginenses sauing those which were perished Adherbal was greatly praised of the Carthaginenses for this noble and worthy act which through his hautie courage and singular wisedome had ouerthrowen his enimies But Appius Claudius was greately dispraised with many opprobrious words for behauyng him selfe so imprudently and bringing the Romanes in suche daunger Finally being reiected from his Consulship was with greate ignominie reproche and dishonor iudged to death The Romans although they acknowledged this their simple cutte and sore repulse yet nothing obliuious of their pristinate valiantnesse incontinently prepared a newe nauie and freshe souldiers sending them into Scicilieâ— vnder the gouernaunce of Lucius Iunâ—us then Consull commaundyng hym to supporte those which besieged Lilybeum with victuals and other necessaries Iunius the new Consul departed to Messana with the thrée score beackte shippes where he gathered all the Galleys which were in Scicilye sauing those that laye at Lilybeum which made a Nauie of an hundreth and twenty sayle beside the hulkes and cartes prepared for cariage amounting nighe to foure score of which he delyuered almost halfe with certaine other beakt vessels to the Questor commaunding him to conuey the victualls to the camp remayning still him selfe to receyue the others which were coÌ„ming from Messana and the graine out of the Countrey About this tyme Adherbal sent the Romane captiues the prises which he had taken to Carthage appointed Carthalon ruler ouer thirtie sayle making him set towardes his enimies and warning his to take all such shippes as he could take whole vnbroken and to burne the remnant He him selfe folowed after with thrée score shippes Carthalon departing at night very spedely sodainly entred on the Roman nauie which lay in that hauen of Lilybeum and put them to their pinch for the watch making a sodaine out cry and great vprore Imilcon perceiued the noise and in the dawning espying them present called all his souldiers out of the citie and inuaded his enimies The Romanes being thus circumuented on euery side were in great peril but that Carthagmean captain taking part of their shippes and setting the rest on fire departed from thence and sayled towardes Heraclia to stop the viands which were comming that waye to the Campe. As he was in this exployte his scoutes made relation to him that there was great store of shippes at hande He hearing these newes made no delayes but set forwarde to méete them contemning the Romans for the great ouerthrow which he had lately giuen them The Romans also hauing knowledge of the Carthagienses
ouerthrowes and considering with him selfe of what effecte and force it was to be experte on the water with the great emolumente thereof he spente not the time slouthfully neither in luskish loytering but continually exercised his rowers and Mariners suffering none to lye ydle by which their diligence it came to passe that within small tract of time they were very expert and apt for the naual warre The Carthaginenses hauing knowledge of their presence made ready their fleete fraighting it with corne and other necessaries to the sustentation of them which besieged Erix Hanno was appointed Captaine of these shippes and departed immediately to Hiâ—ronâ—sum from thence to the tentes of Amilcar vndiscryed of his enimies preparing there to disloade and deliuer the victualls Lutacius hauing knowledge of their comming misdeeming their couÌ„sayle for it was not harde to coniecture picked out the most hardy felowes of the whole Armye and went to Egusa being not farre distaunt from Lilybeum where he exhorted and incoraged his Souldiers as the tyme permitted commaunding them to make readie againste the nexte morning to giue battayle to the Enymies The nexte daye in the morning Lutacius very well perceiuing howe the winde serued his Enimies at will and was contrary to him also seing the Sea stormy and boisterous douted what was best to doe Yet afterwarde considering if he coped with them whilst the storme indured that he shold onely match with Hanno and the shippes pestered with traficke but if he prolonged and taryed vntyll the sea were calme the ships discharged that he should not onely haue to doe with a coÌ„pany of quicke light souldiers chosen out of the whole armie but also with Amilcar who was greatly feared at that preseÌ„t considering these things though the waters were bothe boysterous against him he determined to encounter with his Enimies comming with full sayles against the Carthaginenses ready to assayle them They perceiuing theyr entrance to be stopped by the Romans hauing likewise their fléete ready for battayle let downe their sayles and set towardes their Enimies encountering either other with valiant courages but as this conflict differed in all points from that at Drepanum so likewise there chanced a contrary ende The Romane fléete was passing swift they had vnloded all things sauing necessaries for the warres their rowers had ben long exercised which made them plyant agreable to battayle they had also the chosen and best Souldiers of theyr whole armie But the Carthaginenses were troubled otherwise their ships were fraighted which made them vnfit for the battaile their rowers were vnpicked fellowes altogether rude without knowledge in the warres their souldiers were new and not acquainted with daungers for they had not regarde to the waters so much as they were accustomed supposing the Romanes would neuer haue meddled with the Seas through which theyr sluggishnesse and secure lyuing as sone as they encountred they hadde the foyle fiftie of their shippes were frushed and souncke seuentie taken full fraughted the rest by a sodayne chaunge of winde laued them selues by flying to Hieronesum After this battayle the Consul with all his Nauie returned to Lilibeum where he deuided the spoyle and captiues amongst his souldiers Ther were taken aboue ten thousande Carthaginenses beside those which perished in the conflicte The Africans though they were very prompt and giuen to the warres yet after this terrible ouerthrow they were vtterly discoraged for diuerse causes for they were not able toayde those in Scicilie with necessaries their nauie being loste and the Romanes ruling euery corner of the seas yet they toke it for a haynous offeÌ„ce to forsake their worthy Souldiers they had no worthy Captaines to sende againste their Enimies Waying these things they dispatched an ambassador with al conuenient spéede to Amilcar auctorysing him to doe what he thought best for the preseruation of their country Amilcar perfourmed the office of a politike worthie captaine for as long as there was any hope of recouering their honour he neuer eschewed any trauayle or danger but with great industry labour sought it forth he neuer ceased more than his aduersaries to restore their worship wheÌ„ he perceiued ther was no more hope of recouering the same like a moderate wise man he gaue place for the time sending ambassadors to the Consul to intreate for peace And verely it is no lesse the tokeÌ„ of a good expert general as wel to marke the time in which he must forbeare his Enimies as to know what time is expedient to assaile them Neither did Lutacius the Consul coÌ„temne or reiect their request acknowledging that trouble peril dauÌ„ger that the Romans were vexed with all by reason of the continuall warres So at the lengthe peace was taken vpon these conditions First if it pleased the Senate and people of Rome Secondaryly that the Carthaginenses should depart quite out of Scicilye and neuer after that to war against Hyeron neither to molest the Syracusans or any of their friendes Thirdly that they should dismisse and sende home all the captiues without raunsome Fourthly that they should paye within twenty yeares space to the Romans two thousande and two hundreth talentes of tryed and pure money When these conditions and agréements were sent to Rome they wold not ratifie them but sent ten Commissioners with the common consent which comming into Scicilie chaunged the former pactions in maner nothing at all but taking shorter dayes for paying of the money adding thereunto a thousande talents Also that they should not only depart quite out of Scicilye but out of all the Ilands betwixte it and Italye According to this prescript order was the firste warre finished that the Romans hadde with the Carthaginenses for the principalitie of Scicilie It endured foure and twentie yere without intermissioÌ„ or peace It was the loÌ„gest warre and greatest that euer I hearde of in whiche they foughte at one méeting with the number of fiue huÌ„dreth Quinqueremes aboue of either syde Another tyme with few baiting of seueÌ„ hundreth by diuers other noble conflicts worthy to be written of whiche I passe by and leaue vntouched The Romanes lost in that warre seuen hundreth Quinqueremes biside those which were drowned and broken the Carthaginenses about fiue huÌ„dreth So that they which before wondred at the armies fléetes and naual warrs of Antigonus Ptolomeus after this betwixt the Romans and the Carthaginenses couÌ„ted them as trifles and nothyng For if any consisider the gret difference betwixt Quinqueremes those Trieremes which the Persians vsed against the Grecians and the Lacedemoniâ—ns against the Atheninans verily he shal wel vnderstaÌ„d that there was neuer sorer conflictes nor greater armies on the seas which is a manifest probation of those thinges that I spake of in the beginnyng that the Romanes neyther by fortune nor chance as the Grecians suppose obtained such honour and ample dominions that in continuance they enioyed the moste parte of the worlde but by their propre vertue
sustained by husbādrie accustomed to stuffe their treasury with the tributs gathered in Africa also to defende them selues with hiered Souldiers now were not onely destytute of these patrons but greatly infested with them so that being suppressed with so many sundry calamities at one time they were in dout which way to turne thē they were so much the greuouser chauncing at vnwares for after they had ben vexed with long warres in Scicilie concluded a league with the Romans they hoped to soommer and keepe holydaie thinking them selues mortized in a firme rocke but it chaunced cleane cōtrary for there pushed out an other plague more cruell and mortall than the other They fought with the Romans for the domination of Scicilie but now they were compelled to plye the boxe for their owne safegarde their children country and natiue soile to which they neither had armour weapons nauie or other preparance they were brought to such an ebbe by the Romans Now they loked for no trybute neither hoped for any ayde or succour from theyr friendes fautors or allyes Then they perceiued what difference there was betwixte extreme hostilitie and intestine dissention of which domestical discorde they them selues were the source spring for in the former warre supposing thē to haue iuste causes they were too proude and insolent exacting much of the Africans bereuing them of halfe their corne doubling their tributes neither would they redresse any of these faultes which they committed through ignoraunce bragging them selues of their mastershippes not bicause they hadde behaued them selues honestly and dealt mercifully in their offices but for exaggerating and heaping vp great mowes of money in the treasure house for which they had sore pilled the cōminaltie imitating Hanno which I spake of before which were causes that the people of Africa not onely with small intreating but at a becke agréed to the rebellion for the womē which before time had sene their husbands children kept in seruitute bondage bicause the tributes were vnpayed gathered together in euery citie concealing nothing of the goods which was left them willingly brought their attire and other ornamēts a thing which might be thought incredible to paie the Souldiers by which meanes Matho and Spendius had such foison and plentie that not onely they discharged all such things as they promised in the beginning of the conspiracie but also reserued plentie for afterclaps by which we may learne to prouide not onely for tyme present but also for the time to come The Carthaginenses though they were hemmed in on euery syde with these great calamyties yet were they not altogether drowned in dispaire but as the time permitted hiered new souldiers and made Hanno Captaine ouer them Then the youth of the Citie began to arme them selues and exercise riding the Citizens began to réedifie and botch vp their olde barkes In the meane time Matho and Spendius with thrée score and ten thousande armed men which were come to them out of Africa hauing the Army deuided as I shewed before besieged Hippona Yet they had not brought all their Army from the tents at Tunes for which cause the Carthaginenses were cleane excluded out of Africa Carthage is situate on a promontarie stretching towards the sea resembleth an Iland sauing that it ioyneth to Africa by land on the one side the Citie it self is inuironed partly with the sea partly with motes the piece of ground that ioyneth it to Africa is thrée miles in bredth Vtica is not farre distant from that angle which vergeth into the sea on the other parte beyond the ditches standeth Tunes so that the souldiers hauing one parte of their army there an other at Vtica excluded the Carthaginenses out of Africa and issued oft times bothe by night and day setting the Citie in great daunger While they were in doing these thinges Hanno prepared diligently al things appertaining to the warre for he was a very witty man and full of pollicies in such deuises sone after he set towardes his Enimies where by the euil descerning of time he shewed a point of an vnexpert Captayne After his comming to Vtica at the first onset he put his enimies to flight being afraide of the Elephantes but shortly after he brought them which he came to ayde into greater daunger than euer they were tofore for when he hadde placed his ordinaunce and other engins belonging to warre as dartes quarelcasters brakes in his tentes before Vtica he encountred with his Enimies which being vnable to resist the Elephantes after great slaughter fledde into a hill adiacent which was full of Trées and other bwilde Then Hanno which had ben only accustomed before that time to warre against the Numidians who once beginning to flye neuer stay or loke backe for the space of three dayes left to pursue his Enimies as though he had woon the field where he regarding nothing lyued riottously But his aduersaries trained vp vnder Amilcar in Scicilie where they ofte times had both fled and pursued their enimies in one day perceiuing him to be entred into the Citie lye there vncircumspectly as though he had conquered them inuaded his tents where they killed many of his Souldiers chasing the rest with great ignominie slander into the towne carying away his engins munitions without cōtradiction But the incircumspectnesse of Hanno hindred not the Carthaginenses onely at this time but also within a few dayes after when his enimies pitched their Tentes at Sorza where hauing good oportunitie and sitte time in which he might haue vanquished them for twice after they were imbattayled they fell at contention amongst them selues yet he through his sluggish idlenesse pretermitted bothe those occasions The Carthaginenses perceiuing the imprudencie of Hanno about such affaires chose Amilcar Captaine of their armie againe deliuering vnto him thrée score and ten Elephantes with the hired souldiers vagabonds also the horsemen and footemen of the Citie so that the whole number amounted to ten thousande men Amilcar incontinently setting forewarde with his worthy prowesse at one time both discoraged his enimies and deliuered Vtica shewing him selfe worthy of the praises giuen to him for his former actes and acquiting him self very wel of the expection which the people conceiued of him His worthinesse and policie was knowne first in this manner The Promontarie in which Carthage is situate ioyneth to the rest of Africa with a very sharpe ridge full of holes and bushes so that the passage is very difficill and made with handy laboure Matho kept all the hills aboue the passage very circumspectly and the riuer Machera being of profounde vastnesse and swifte course runneth by it and can not be passed but ouer one bridge on which bridge there standeth a towne called Sephira likewise vnder the regimēt of Matho so that the passage into Africa was not onely stopped to the Carthaginean Army but to euery priuat man Amilcar pondering these things circumspectly indeuored him selfe by all meanes to
be a captain there with a freshe bande of men which immediatly after conspired against hym with the olde souldiers and made him commense in a Tyburne tippet After that fearyng to suffer condigne punishment for their facinorous facts murdred all the Carthaginenses within the I le taking the townes and cities into their owne handes inhabityng them vntil such tyme as there arose a contention betwixte the Sardinians and them at which time they wer expelled and fledde into Italie After this maner was Sardinia alienate from the Carthaginenses well replenished with men abounding in foison and plentie of graine of the which bicause many haue written before me I supposed it not necessary to renouate them being knowne to all men Matho and Spendius wyth Antoricus capitaine of the Frenchemen fearynge least the clemencie of Amilcar in dismissing the captiues shoulde preuaile and intice the Libians with the other hired souldiers from them endeuoured them selues to inuent some facinorous and detestable act by which they might alienate and withdraw the myndes of the multitude from the Carthaginenses commaundyng a common conuent and generall méetyng to be proclaymed As soone as the multitude was gathered together they called a pursiuant wyth letters as though he had ben presently sent oute of Sardinia to them The tenure of the letters was that Gesto and the other Captiues should be kept circumspectely bicause there were dyuers in the host whiche for to obteyne the Carthaginenses fauour intended to delyuer them Spendius hauyng fayned this occasion dydde exhorte the Souldioures not to haue muche confidence in the fayned elemencie of Amilcar for dismissyng the captiues without punishmēt saying he set them not at libertie to saue them but by that policie to obtein the residue reuenge hym on the whole multitude he also exhorted them that they should giue vigilāt watch to kepe Gesto and the other captiues for if they once escaped he declared how the enimies would haue them in derision and contempt with many other inconueniences that woulde ensue saying they might be wel assured if that such an excellent and worthy captaine being so expert in the warres should escape from them thorough their negligence and misdemeanor that he wold be their mortal enimie As he was yet speaking these wordes there came an other poast from Tunes with letters conteinyng semblable matter which being red in the multitude Antoricus captaine of the Frenchemen arose vp declaring how he had inuented a policie by which they should be sure from their enimies and it was that all the confidence they had in the Carthaginenses should be vtterly extinguished ratifying that so long as they trusted to their gentlenesse and mercie there coulde be no trustie souldiours in the armie for which cause he thoughte it most expedient that they shold be best credited and onely heard which inuented most cruell tormentes against the Carthaginenses who soeuer persuaded them otherwise he thought to be iudged enimies and traitours When he had spoken these wordes he exhorted persuaded that Gesto and the other captiues with all the reste of the Carthaginenses which should be taken after that day might be put to moste villanous and cruell death This his oration was of great effecte amongst the multitude bicause the most parte vnderstode him for he was of such continuance in the warres that he spake the Africanes language in which most part had knowledge by continuance of this warre so that the Souldiers commended his doyng maruellously Then flocked out many plumpes of euery Nation and consulting amongst themselues thought it best that these cruell punishementes should be put in practise especially vpon Gesto whiche had bene very beneficiall to them before that time Ther was such a cacklyng amongest them blabberyng in straunge language that none vnderstode it but being bruted once in the host how they intended to canuaise the Carthaginenses so cruelly a certain sedi tious person called Geta beyng there present cried out alowde Cast At which word the whole armie made the stones to rattle about them and drew out their owne countrey men kinsfolks and neighbours all to scorched as thoughe they had bene torne wyth wylde beastes Thus they broughte forth Gesto with the other Captiues to the number of seuen hundreth beginnyng with him whiche a little before they chose to bée their arbiter as one to whome they were most bound cutting of their handes tearyng their membres and in the end their thighes beyng all forfrushed cast them into a bushie plot not altogether dead The Carthaginenses hauyng knowledge of the crueltie shewed to their Citizens wist not what they shoulde doe but with great grief and pensiuenesse bewailed the despituous death and cruel torments thei susteined Then they sent ambassadors to Amilcar and Hanno desiring them not to suffer the crueltie shewed then to their Citizens to be vnreuenged willing them to sende a Harolde to their malicious enimies for to obtain their bodies to be enterred but their carcases were not only denyed but also warnyng gyuen to sende no moe Haroldes for if they dydde they shoulde also drynke of the same whippe saying they had decréed by the common consente and also woulde ratifye it that as manye of the Carthaginenses as they coulde catch should be cruelly put to deathe and that of their confederates and mates they woulde cut of and kepe the hands for good abearaunce and so dismisse them to Carthage whiche order they obserued diligently afterwards so that if any consider these things attentiuely he may boldly affirme that not only in the bodies of men are certaine maladies incurable but also in their myndes For as a botche if you laye any healyng medicine to cure it when it begynneth to féele the operation vertue of the medicine encreaseth likewise if you neglect and take no regard of it it augmenteth muche more of the propre nature neither desisteth it til such time as the whole bodie be corrupt semblable restauration and corruptions chance to the minde so that no other brute beaste is made more cruel fierce or outragious neyther more wilde or bestial than a man if you grant him libertie and fréedom if you handle hym beningly or gently he thinketh you goe aboute to deceiue him so that you are worse trusted for your benefite bestowed contrarywise if you take agaynst him there is nothing so hurtfull or noysome which he wyll not assay supposyng it to turne to his great praise while he slides into suche brutishenesse that he cleane forsaketh the Nature of a man which hath the beginning of corrupte manners and sinistre education in the nonage To this also there chaunceth many augmentations afterward but the especiall captaines are couetousnesse and crueltie which vices flourished plentifully at that present bothe in the multitude and generals While this brewing was yet in tapping Amilcar sente for Hanno the other Carthaginean captain supposing that armies being knit together to end the warre sooner and all the prisoners which he had either there
or caughte afterwardes he cast to be deuoured of the Elephantes perceiuyng the rebellion shoulde onely be extinguished by vtter subuersion of his enimies Now the Carthaginenses were in good hope and feared not the warrs but fortune altered sodainely and tourned their matters quite contrarie for as soone as the two capitaines were associate there ingendred such a rancor and debate betwixt them that they not onely omitted to inuade their ennimies but offered occasions that their aduersaries might assaile them The Carthaginenses being moued with this dissention commanded that one of them shoulde returne into the Citie and the other which the Souldiers woulde to remaine with the hoste To amplifie this mischiefe the moste parte of their hulkes which conueyed victuals and other necessaries into the caÌ„pe wer lost in a sodain teÌ„pest also Sardinia as I sayd before was reuolted from them whence they were accustomed to haue much aide succor in their warres lest they shold lack miserie Hippona Vtica which only amoÌ„gst al the cities in Africa not onely in that troublesome time but in their warrs against Agathocles and the Romanes had remained their especiall faithful friends were now become their enimies and al the Carthaginenses with their captaines to aide them wer cruelly murdered neither could they obtaine their bodies of the cruel Creons Matho Spendius being very proude and lofty for these occasions marched forwarde to besiege Carthage Then was Annibal associate to Amilcar for after that Hanno was forsaken of the souldiers by the election in the vprore they sent him forth Then Amilcar with Annibal Nerua scoured through the prouince preuenting stoppyng the victuals of their enimies continually endeuoring him self to those things that wer most necessary but being enuironed compassed on euery part with his ennimies hée was gladde to retire to the Cities adioyning of their friends aides Hieron Kyng of Scicilie supported the Carthaginenses very plentifully with all necessaries considering that theyr prosperitie should be very coÌ„modious to him both for the defence of Scicilie and obseruing his amitie with the Romanes least the Carthaginenses beyng cleane vanquished and suppressed the Italians might at their pleasure and without contradiction doe what pleased them which surely was a politike and subtil inuention for it is good to take héede suffer no prince to come to such estate that in manifest wroÌ„gs he must be winked at The Romanes also being in league with the Carthaginenses at that time forlet him not to aide them But there was a breache betwixt them for this cause The Carthaginenses when their Citie was first besieged taking fiue hundreth Romans which commyng from Italy supported the vagaboÌ„ds with victuals cast them in prison which the Romanes toke greuously and as an outrage to them Wherfore shortly after they sent ambassadors to the Carthaginenses for the same matter to whome they gently dismissed those which were in bondes whiche doing was so acceptable and gratefull to the Romanes that incontinently they sent home without raunsom al the Carthaginean souldiers that they toke in Scicilie continually after that daye aydynge the Carthaginenses with such things as wer requisite permitting their marchant men to transport corne to Carthage straitely commaunding that none should ayde their enimies neither woulde they accepte the legates of the olde souldiers inhabiting Sardinia offring to yeld the I le vnto them Incontinently after the citizens of Vtica which had rebelled against the Carthaginenses gaue vp both them selues and their Citie into the Romanes hands whome they likewise forsooke intendyng by no meanes to falsifie their promisse The Carthaginenses being thus relieued with succor of their friends suffered the siege pacientely so that Matho and Spendius were as sore besieged as they did besiege for Amilcar kept al victuals and other necessaries so straightly froÌ„ theÌ„ that they were glad to dissolue theyr campe Within few days after they chose out the valiauntest souldiers of their whole armie so that with fiftie thousand men they incontineÌ„tly marched towards Amilcar eschuing the plaines for feare of the Elephants horsmen of Nerua kéeping in the hilles and byways scant passable at which tyme though they were nothing inferior to their enimies in boldnesse yet for lack of knowledge they wer ouercome by the Carthaginenses There a maÌ„ might haue well discerned the difference betwixt a cunning and expert captain the rude multitude for as they fought dayly Amilcar dyd nothing vncircumspectly or foolishe hardily which soone dauÌ„ted the corage of Spendius but coÌ„tinually finding wayes to intrap hys ennimies and other times bringyng them in daunger with sodaine inuasions casting all those which he caught on liue to be deuoured of the elephaÌ„ts and at the laste closed them in a perillous place very fitte for hys purpose where he set them in suche a perplexitie that they durste not fight for feare of the Elephants and horsemen neyther coulde they escape by runnyng away they were so incompassed wyth ditches where they wer so languished with penurie and wante of foode that one was constrained to eate an other suffering iust vengeance for the crueltie they vsed to their friends and couÌ„trey men Thus they remained not daring encountre with their enimies perceiuing them to haue obtained victorie alredie and presently beholding that terrible tortours prouided for them They thought it vayne to aske peace perceiuyng no hope of mercie to remayne considering the greate crueltie whiche they had vsed before but remayned in myserie contynually loking for aide from Tunes After they had deuoured the bodies of their captiues and seruants for of long tyme they had none other repaste they remained with great grief of huÌ„ger and feare of punishment at the last decreing to speake with the Carthaginenses to intreate for peace they sent a pursâ—uant to desire that their Legates might talke with Amilcar When they had obteyned this requeste the ambassadours were sente with whom Amilcar made this paction that he woulde choose fréely tenne of hys ennimies which he pleased and let all the reste depart with bagge and baggage without damage or hurt WheÌ„ these couenantes were established Amilcar weÌ„t to receiue those for whom he had concluded peace so that Spendius Antoricus and diuers other chief doers in the host and beginners of the vprore wer deliuered hym The Lybians perceyuing the deliueraÌ„ce of their captains and being ignoraunte of the pactions that were determined supposed the Carthaginenses to haue betrayed them wherefore incontinently they armed them thinking to defend them selues in an angle of their tentes but Amilcar marching againste them with his Elephants and other of his host quickly dispatched and killed them euery one being in nuÌ„ber aboue forty thousaÌ„d nigh to a place called Serra taking the denomination of the Carpenters instrument called a Saw Thus the Carthaginenses which a lyttle before were in dispaire of their safegard and helth began to receiue a good courage hoping to be reduced to their pristinat estate Amilcar with Nerua and Annibal ceased not
to wander and forage abrode in the countrey so that many of the Africans reuolted to thē diuers Cities yelded willingly Then they brought their hoste to Tunes intēding to besiege Matho and his accomplices Annibal pitched his tents on that side of the towne which is towards Carthage and Amilcar on the opposite They brought with them Spendius and the other which they had taken and hanged them all in the sight of their enimies When Amilcar was departed to his station Matho perceiuing Annibal to come into his tentes with his souldiers verie rashly thought it not best to pretermit such an oportunitie but issued out against the Carthaginenses toke many of them compelling the rest to returne sacking their tentes carying away their stuffe In this cōbate Annibal the Carthaginean captain was taken aliue incōtinently led to the gallowes of Spendius where they toke and hanged vp Annibal murdered thirtie noble men of Carthage about the dead corps of Spendius so that fortune declined equally to both partes giuing them time to be reuenged of their enimies Amilcar being warned to late of this vnhappie chaunce could not helpe them the plot was so impassible wherfore he remoued from Tunes and brought his armie to the riuer Machera where he encamped along the banke The Carthaginenses hearing tell of the wretched chance happened to their men begon to dispaire but incontinently recouering theyr spirites they studied diligently to preserue the state of their Citie Then they sent their Senatours legates to Amilcar which led with them Hanno and a new crew of men commaunding that in any case they should take vp the olde rancor debate that was betwixt him and Amilcar which being vnited together shoulde with one minde indeuour them selues to conquer theyr ennimies willing them to way the cruelty of that time wyth the necessitie and apparaunt daunger the Citie was in The Senatours called the captains together then after many and sundry exhortatiōs smothered repressed the cankered sedition reconcyling making thē obedient to the Carthaginenses Then afterwardes all things were ruled by the two captaines so that warring against Matho after many chances both at Leptis other places they appointed to pitch a fielde and fight it out with their enimies to which both parts came coragiously gathering the friends allies out of euery corner sending for them which were appointed to defend the cities knowing that in this battaile one parte should win the spurres After that bothe armies had prepared all things belonging to the battaile and were ready they orderly inuaded on the other the battaile was maruellous cruell rigorous and mortall but the Carthaginenses in the ende obtained the victorie The moste part of their Enimies were slaine in fight the rest fled to a little Citie adiacent which yelded immediatly So that onely Vtica and Hippona perseuered in their obstinacie acknowledging their wickednesse hoping of no mercy for their facinorous crime by which we may learne a modest meane to be of much efficacie and that it is better to pill straws than to worke such curious geare and crafty conueyaunces that in the ende the same is intollerable But at the laste Amilcar Hanno incamping about them they were forced to yelde agree to all such things as pleased the Carthaginenses According to this maner was the African warre ended in which the Carthaginenses had such prosperous successe that they not onely obtained all Africa but also executed condign punishment vpon the rebelles Matho his copes mates were led about the towne with the youth of the Citie for a triumph then put to paines worthy of their wickednesse This war endured thrée yeares and foure monethes far exceding all other in crueltie and wickednesse that euer I heard of About that time the Romans were allured by the persuasions of the souldiers that fled out of Sardinia to transfrete into the Iland which thing the Carthaginenses somewhat stomaked bicause the Ilād belonged rather vnto them and therefore prepared an army to send into it The Romans hauing gotten that occasion commaunded them to desist from their purpose affirming their preparaunce not to be so much againste the Sardinians as against them The Carthaginenses perceiuing how they were not able at that presēt to match with the Romans louted for the time and eschuing al occasions of battaile did not onely graunt them the Iland but also sent them a thousand two hundreth talents least they should assaile them at that present Thus orderly according to this prescripte maner were these things done Nihil est dulcius bene impensi temporis Memoria Contra vero his molestius nihill Thus endeth the first booke of histories written by the most famous and worthy Grecian Chronographer Polybius intreating in the first part of the warres betwixt the Romans and the Carthaginenses for the domination of Scicilie in the second parte of that warrs betwixt the Carthaginenses and their mercinarie souldiers a rich worthie worke containing holsome counsailes and wonderful deuises against the incombraunce of fickle fortune and comfortable consolations for them that are depressed by hir a worke much profitable to all the Reders thereof but especially to the diligent digesters of the same To the Questioners Those which are desirous to know the causes why I ioyned this abridgement of King Henry the fift his life to this foraine History let them reade the Epistle folowing IF any couet to know why I toke in hande to renouate the triumphante reigne and victorious actes of this Arabical Phoenix and famous conquerour either how I was bolde to coarct them so compendiously whereby his martial prowes may be thought to be appalled or diminished to the reasonable requeste and trusting to their humanitie thus I aunswere them imploying my diligēce and studie in the obscure workes and intricate engins of the famous Aristotle prince of Philosophers to attaine some knowledge continued in that sage Sophye my wittes were so cloyed yea almost dased that of necessitie and constrainte I was forced to seke some recreation Then incontinently came to my memory a sentence of the diuine golden Plato containing these wordes When thou arte fatigate vvith studie recreate and repose thy selfe vvith reuoluing vvorthy Histories Then I be gan to excogitate what Histories of al other were most famous Peragons in the comparison of the rest being desirous to practise some presēt remedy But then tumbled an other thought in my braine which persuaded me to thinke if the varietie of studie reuiued and set on edge an obtuse or blunt wit that the alteration of the language should be of some effycacie force So I raught to our English Chronacles compiled by Edvvard Hall which by fortune behelde the fountaine and effycient of my translation and all the rest lay open at that present in the life of King Henry the fift where was noted in the margent the Oration of Henry Chickley Archbishop of Canterbury which Oration I red ouer and
enimies as well for the goodlinesse of the towne as for the commodiousnesse of the port and it is distant from Lilybeum but fiftene myles Now the captains were wonderfull desirous to know howe all things fared with their companions but the entraunce was so narrowly watched since Annibals departure that it was impossible for any man either to enter in or issue out of the citie At that time there was a certaine Rhodian named Annibal a man surely very famous which perceyuyng the minds of the Carthaginenses promised to take vpon him in spite of all the Romanes to enter in to Lilybeum where hauing viewed all things and knowyng their state he wold returne and certifie them The Carthaginenses thoughe they were iocunde to heare hym talke of this enterprise yet they thoughte it impossible bicause the Romanes compassed the entrance of the porte But the Rhodian without feare went aboorde and set forwarde arriuing in the next I le ouer against Lilybeum from whence the day folowing he sayled towardes the Citie in the sighte of all his ennimies whiche employed theyr whole diligence to lette his entrance but he obtained the hauen fulfillyng his former promise The other Consul wondering greatly at his bold enterprise prepared ten of the swiftest shippes to watche in the hauen all nyght in the whiche he him selfe remained for his departure commaundyng all the rest of the Nauie to do accordingly Then al the ships that were in the entrance along both the sides lay with rowers stretched out looking for his forth cōming supposing verily that he should not escape them But the Rhodian picked not out by night neyther at a corner but at middaye and through the thicke of his enimies so well prepared escaping without all daunger by his boldnesse and the swiftnesse of hys Barke and hauing passed them a litle he was not content to escape frée but turned his stemme and began to brag neither durst any of the companie vēter vpon him his Galey was so wonderfull swift The Rhodian as it were triūphing ouer his enimies with one poore boate cam to Carthage declaring in the Senate al things that he had either heard or séene after that many being incouraged through his example toke the same enterprise in hande so that nothyng was done at Lilybeum but incontinently it was knowne at Carthage The Romanes maruellously grieued that they shold stiil be thus deluded with their enimies assayed to stoy vp the entraunce of the port fyrst casting in many of theyr hulkes and cartes fraught with sande into the mouth of the same with infinite other matters but al was in vayne for the profoūd déepenesse therof glutted vp the bubblyng of the water dispersed it into sundry places yet in continuance with great labour there stode a great péece of their munition vpon whiche one of the swiftest ships belonging to the Carthaginenses lyght with a great violence and being taken by the Romanes and made ready at all pointes was retained in the porte watchyng for the comming of the rest but specially of the Rhodian which by chaunce came thither by night and entred the hauen with accustomed celeritie but when he purposed to depart the taken shippe pursued him so sharply that he was almost taken first he maruelled at hys swiftenesse but viewyng hir well and perceiuyng that she was one of the Carthaginean Quadriremes taken by the Romans he trusted no more to the swiftnesse of his shippe but began to encounter with hys enimies after that it came to handstrokes the Romanes being bothe more in number and valianter men prised hir without labour and toke the Rhodian The Romanes hauing gained this prise ioyned hir to the Quadrireme bothe well furnished of all necessaries kept them continnally in the entraunce prohibiting withoute any difficultie the easie entrance of their enimies into Lilybeum During this time thei besieged the town very sharply ouerthrowing the walles of their ordinaunce so that Imilcon hadde no more hope to réedifie them or to barre the engins of his enimies After these things had continued in this estate a good while there arose sodainly such a tēpestuous winde that al the ordināce other thyngs were beatē dashed together with the violēce thereof and one of the highe bourded toures blowne ouer A certain Grecian a souldiour of those which were in the Citie supposing this a time moste expedient to destroy the instruments of their aduersaries went and declared his deuise to the Captaine who allowing it very well immediatly hauing all things prepared issued out of the Citie commaunding them to fire their enimies ordinaunce in thrée sundrie places The Soundiours hauyng wrought their feate immediately the fire caught such hold with the violēce of the windes for the engines were very drte and had stoode long against the Sun that they were soone consumed for as long as the winde blew it was impossible that any man should rescue them The Romanes were wonderfully agast with this sodain chaunce and wist not what to doe being desolate and abandoned of al good fortune many of them were driuen to the ground with góbbets and trunchions of tymber that fell downe many were blinded and almoste smothered with the smoake when they preased to rescue the ordinance The harder that the Romanes were bestead with their myschaunces the more commodious was it for the Carthaginenses purpose for they not onely behelde their enimies and the ordinaunce flaming aloft but what soeuer they hurled at them the winde caried it with maine violence to their great damage and hurt At the length the fire waxed so outragious that the pillers and foundations of the Toures were set on fire and the heades of the rammes were melted After this the Consuls neuer intended to réedifie their engins but enuironed the towne with ditches and hilles purposing to take their enimies with a slowe siege and not to remoue their tents before they had ouercome the holde The inhabitants hauing repaired their walles shifted well wyth this their lingering off When relation was made at Rome of these things ther was a Senate summoued in which they decréed to send a supplement of ten thousande men bicause many were destroyed at the siege the nauy almost desolate This crew arriued first at Messana from thence went by land to the campe at Lilybeū Now was Appius Claudius entred into the Consulship and the other returned to Rome so that he ruled the hoste at Lilybeum and perceiuing the vacant places to be supplied called the Captains together and shewyng thē that be thought that a very expedient time to sayle to Drepanum and at an vnwares to set vpon Adherball suspecting no such thing for not knowyng of the new supplement ariued in Scicilie he supposed that the Romanes wer not able to conduct their fléete for lack of men After that the Consul had disclosed his minde they allowed it very well and picked oute the moste actius Souldiers that were in the whole armie and put them in the swiftest