_(Of the World, 3790--Of Rome, 490.)_
[1]After this, a [2]war [3]broke out [4]between the Romans and the
[5]Carthaginians, in the year of the city 490, [6]occasioned by the
[7]ambition and [8]formidable [9]power of each of them. [10]Hiero,
king of Syracuse, and [11]ally of the Carthaginians, [12]made war
against the [13]Mamertini, who had [14]seized upon Messana. They
[15]applied to the Romans for [16]help, who [17]carrying over an
[18]army into [19]Sicily, [20]fell upon Hiero, and the Carthaginians.
The [21]fortune of the war was for a [22]long time very [23]doubtful;
the Carthaginians [24]being successful by [25]sea, and the Romans
by [26]land. The most [27]memorable [28]person in all this war was
[29]Attilius Regulus, who having [30]brought the Carthaginians [31]very
low by two [32]victories [33]obtained over them at sea and land; and
[34]refusing to [35]grant them [36]peace but upon [37]hard terms, he
was [38]vanquished by [39]Xantippus the [40]Lacedæmonian [41]general,
and [42]taken [43]prisoner with 15,000 [44]men, 30,000 being
[45]slain, in the year 498. Being [46]afterwards [47]sent to [48]Rome
by the [49]Carthaginians, to [50]treat with the [51]senate upon an
[52]exchange of [53]prisoners, he [54]interposed to [55]prevent it, and
[56]returning to [57]Carthage, was [58]put to [59]death in the most
[60]cruel [61]manner [62]imaginable, as [63]many [64]authors [65]tell
us. The [66]first among the Romans that [67]obtained a [68]victory
by sea, was C. [69]Duilius, in the first year of this [70]war. C.
[71]Lutatius [72]gained [73]another in the 23rd and [74]last year; in
which he [75]made an end of the war with the Carthaginians, [76]near
the [77]island of the [78]Ægates. A [79]peace was [80]concluded upon
these [81]terms, that they should [82]quit all the islands which
[83]lie between Italy and Africa, and should [84]pay [85]yearly 2,200
[86]talents for [87]twenty years [88]together. This [89]happened in the
year of the city 513, and 241 before [90]Christ.
In the year 519, the [91]temple of [92]Janus was [93]shut, which very
rarely [94]happened in Rome; but upon the [95]breaking out of new
wars, it was [96]soon [97]open again. The [98]Ligures, the Sardi, and
Corsi were [99]subdued; after which the Romans [100]had war with the
[101]Illyrians, and their [102]queen Teuta, which war was [103]ended in
[104]three years time. There [105]happened [106]about this [107]time a
[108]dreadful [109]irruption of the [110]Gauls. The [111]Insubres and
[112]Boii, having [113]first [114]sent for some [115]transalpine Gauls,
[116]fell upon the Romans, [117]on account of the [118]land in Picene,
that had been [119]taken from the Galli [120]Senones, and [121]disposed
of by [122]Flaminius, [123]tribune of the [124]people, by virtue of
the [125]Agrarian law, [126]made in the year of the city 452. They
were [127]several times [128]worsted, and the Insubres [129]entirely
[130]subdued, and king [131]Virdumarus [132]slain by C. [133]Marcellus,
the [134]consul, who was the only person after [135]Romulus that
[136]consecrated [137]Opima Spolia to [138]Jupiter Feretrius. In this
war Hiero, king of Sicily, [139]sent the Romans a [140]vast quantity of
[141]corn, the [142]price of which he [143]received after the war was
[144]ended.
After this, [145]followed a [146]second war with the Carthaginians,
four and twenty years after the [147]end of the [148]former; which
[149]indeed did not [150]last [151]so long, but was [152]so much
more [153]terrible for the [154]dreadful [155]slaughter that was
made in it ([156]says Florus) that if [157]any one [158]compared
the [159]losses on [160]each side, the [161]people that [162]proved
[163]victorious [164]seemed more [165]likely to be [166]conquered. The
first cause of this war was the [167]same with that of the former,
[168]ambition and the [169]impatience of the Carthaginians [170]under
their [171]servitude. The first cause of this [172]combustion was
[173]Hannibal, the son of [174]Hamilcar, who was [175]general of the
[176]Carthaginians in the [177]former [178]war, and had [179]accepted
the [180]conditions of peace [181]with a heavy heart. For after
[182]affairs were [183]settled in Africa, being [184]sent into
[185]Spain, in the year of the city 517, he [186]carried along with
him Hannibal, who [187]was then nine years old, having [188]first
[189]brought him before an [190]altar, and [191]made him [192]swear
that he [193]never would be a [194]friend to the Romans. Hamilcar
being [195]slain about nine years after, Asdrubal, his son-in-law,
was [196]put in his [197]place. He [198]sent for Hannibal, and
being slain himself eight years after, was [199]succeeded by him,
[200]being in the 27th year of his age. [201]As soon as he was made
[202]general, he [203]conquered all Spain within the river [204]Iberus.
After that he [205]fell upon the [206]town of [207]Saguntum with
all his [208]forces, and [209]took it, after a [210]siege of seven
[211]months. The [212]Saguntines having [213]in vain [214]waited for
[215]assistance from the Romans, [216]were all destroyed [217]partly by
the [218]enemy’s [219]sword, and [220]partly by their own [221]hands.
This war [222]broke out in the year of the city 536; and [223]lasted
seventeen years.
Upon the first [224]coming of Hannibal into Italy, both the
[225]consuls were [226]defeated, P. [227]Cornelius at [228]Ticinum, and
[229]Sempronius at Trebia. They [230]received a greater [231]overthrow
the [232]following year near the [233]Thrasymene [234]lake. [235]In
the mean time, Q. [236]Fabius Maximus being made [237]dictator by
the [238]people, [239]recovered in some [240]measure the Roman
[241]affairs. But the most [242]fatal [243]stroke was that of Cannæ, in
the year of the city 538, [244]occasioned by the [245]rashness of one
of the [246]consuls, [247]Terentius Varro. [248]Forty thousand Romans
were [249]killed in that [250]battle: [251]however, their [252]courage
was not [253]cast down by this [254]overthrow; [255]for they would
not [256]redeem those that had been [257]taken [258]prisoners, in
the battle of Cannæ. In the year 540, the [259]consul [260]Marcellus
[261]besieged [262]Syracuse, which had [263]declared for the
Carthaginians; it was [264]wonderfully [265]defended a long time by
the [266]contrivance of [267]Archimedes, who was an [268]excellent
[269]astronomer, but more [270]famous for the [271]invention of
[272]military [273]engines. It was [274]taken [275]at last with
[276]much [277]difficulty, after a [278]siege of three years. We are
[279]told that Archimedes being very [280]intent upon his [281]study
at that time, and not [282]minding the [283]hurry, and [284]noise of
the [285]army, when they [286]broke into the [287]town, was [288]killed
by a [289]soldier; that Marcellus was much [290]concerned for his
[291]death, having [292]given [293]strict [294]charge to his [295]men
to [296]spare his [297]life.
[298]In the mean time, [299]Lævinus the [300]prætor [301]stopt
[302]Philip king of [303]Macedon, who having made an [304]alliance
with Hannibal, was [305]ready to [306]come into Italy, and [307]forced
him to [308]burn his [309]fleet, and [310]retreat into Macedon,
in the year of the city 542. But in Spain, the two [311]brothers
P. and C. [312]Scipio, who had [313]till then [314]prevented
Hasdrubal’s [315]passage into Italy to his brother Hannibal, and had
[316]performed a great many [317]gallant actions, were both slain,
and their [318]armies [319]destroyed. L. Marcus, a Roman knight,
being [320]chosen general, by the [321]votes of the [322]soldiers,
[323]upheld their [324]tottering [325]cause; by whose [326]conduct
in one [327]day, and a [328]night, two [329]camps of the [330]enemy
were [331]taken by [332]assault, and about [333]thirty-seven thousand
[334]men [335]slain. The [336]same year [337]Tarentum, [338]except
the [339]citadel, was taken by Hannibal; and Capua [340]besieged
by the Romans; and Hannibal [341]marched to Rome to [342]draw them
from it. But a [343]sudden [344]storm [345]arising, [346]forced
him from the [347]walls, and the [348]sight of it. Capua was after
that [349]surrendered to the Romans, the [350]grandees of which
[351]poisoned themselves; the [352]senators were [353]beheaded, and the
city [354]deprived of its [355]liberty.
There was a [356]son of that P. Scipio, who, as we have said was
[357]killed in [358]Spain, [359]named [360]likewise P. Scipio, who
after the [361]death of his [362]father and [363]uncle, was [364]sent
into Spain, [365]being but twenty-four years old. There having
[366]performed very great [367]things, and [368]vanquished Hasdrubal,
the son of [369]Gisco and [370]Mago, [371]he drove the Carthaginians
out of Spain, in five years after he [372]came there; from thence
[373]passing over into Africa, he [374]made an [375]alliance with
[376]Syphax, king of the [377]Masylians, and after that with Masanissa,
king of the [378]Masasulians. These things [379]were done in the
year 548, and the [380]third from the [381]death of [382]Marcellus;
who having been [383]successful in [384]several [385]battles with
Hannibal, was [386]at last, [387]trepanned by an [388]ambuscade, and
slain. In the [389]following year, Hasdrubal was [390]cut off, with his
[391]army [392]before he could [393]join his [394]brother, by the two
[395]consuls, [396]Claudius Nero and [397]Livius Salinator. Hannibal
was [398]then in Apulia, [399]opposed by Nero the consul. [400]Livy
was [401]encamped in [402]Cisalpine Gaul [403]against Hasdrubal, Nero
[404]marched [405]through Italy [406]privately, in six [407]days time,
[408]came to the [409]camp of his [410]colleague with a [411]part of
his [412]army, and having [413]conquered the [414]enemy, [415]returned
to his camp before Hannibal [416]perceived that he was [417]gone.
There are [418]said to have been 56,000 of the [419]enemy [420]slain
in the [421]battle, and 5,400 [422]taken [423]prisoners. The head
[424]of Hasdrubal was [425]thrown before the [426]advanced guard of the
Carthaginians by Nero.
P. Scipio [427]resolved to [428]carry the [429]war into Africa, that
he might [430]draw Hannibal out of Italy; but [431]at first that being
[432]looked upon as a [433]rash [434]design, he had neither [435]money
nor [436]men from the [437]government. [438]Wherefore, having
[439]raised none but [440]volunteers, and [441]borrowed money, he first
[442]went to [443]Sicily, and [444]from thence to Africa, in the year
550; [445]when the [446]image of the [447]Idæan mother was [448]brought
from [449]Pessinus in [450]Phrygia, to Rome, [451]according to the
[452]advice of [453]the oracle.
The general [454]employed [455]against him by the [456]Carthaginians
was Hasdrubal, the son of Gisco, who had [457]contracted his daughter
[458]Sophonisba to Masanissa. But the Carthaginians had [459]given
her to [460]Syphax, (who being [461]in love with the [462]young
lady, [463]laid waste their [464]country in the [465]absence of her
[466]father and [467]husband) to [468]take him off from the Roman
[469]alliance: at which [470]usage Masanissa being [471]incensed, he
[472]gave himself up [473]entirely to the Roman [474]interest, and was
very [475]serviceable to them in [476]reducing the Carthaginians.
[477]After a great many [478]overthrows, the Carthaginians [479]found
themselves [480]obliged to [481]recall Hannibal out of Italy, to
the [482]defence of their country, where, after a [483]fruitless
[484]overture of [485]peace, he was [486]vanquished by Scipio, and an
[487]end was put to the [488]war, after it had [489]lasted seven years.
The second [490]Punic war was [491]followed by the [492]Macedonian,
[493]against king Philip. That which put the Romans upon it was the
[494]former injuries [495]Philip had done them, [496]as likewise the
late [497]vexation he had given their [498]allies, [499]especially
the Athenians, who being [500]harassed by the king, [501]fled to the
Romans. [502]At length [503]Titus Quinctius Flaminius [504]put an end
to the war, four years after it [505]began, by the [506]conquest of
Philip at [507]Cynoscephalæ, in [508]Thessaly.
After this [509]followed the war with [510]Antiochus, king of Asia, who
having [511]recovered Syria, and [512]conquered Scopas, the general
of [513]Ptolemæus Epiphanes, [514]began now to be [515]formidable to
the Romans, [516]against whom Hannibal did not a little [517]inflame
him; who, for [518]fear of the same [519]enemy, had [520]fled to
the king. The [521]ambassadors of the [522]Ætolians too, who were
now [523]averse to the Roman [524]alliance, [525]contributed not a
[526]little towards it. Antiochus [527]therefore having [528]clapped up
a peace with [529]Ptolemy, to whom he [530]gave his daughter Cleopatra
in [531]marriage, and [532]granted [533]Cœlo Syria, and [534]Judea by
way of [535]portion, [536]made war upon the Romans, which being begun
in the year of the city 562, [537]lasted three years in all. For in
the year 565, L. [538]Cornelius Scipio the [539]consul, [540]going
over into Asia, with his brother P. Scipio [541]Africanus, as his
[542]lieutenant, did, by the [543]assistance, [544]chiefly of his
[545]counsel, [546]conquer Antiochus. Livy [547]tells us, there were
50,000 [548]foot [549]slain in one [550]battle, and 4,000 [551]horse.
A peace was [552]granted Antiochus [553]upon the following condition
[554]among others, that he should [555]recede [556]from all the
countries [557]on this side [558]mount Taurus.
After Antiochus was [559]conquered, the Ætolians were [560]reduced by
Fulvius the consul; and the same year the Gallo-Greci were [561]subdued
by the other [562]consul, Cneius Manlius.
In the 149th [563]Olympiad [564]died three [565]famous generals, P.
Scipio, Hannibal, and [566]Philopæmen. Scipio was [567]impeached for
[568]taking [569]money of Antiochus for the peace [570]he granted
him; after which he [571]retired to [572]Liturnum in Campania, and
[573]died there in the year of the city 570. Hannibal a year or two
after (for [574]historians are not [575]agreed upon the [576]matter)
being [577]demanded of Drusias, king of Bythynia, by the Roman
[578]ambassadors, [579]in order to be [580]put to [581]death,
[582]poisoned himself. [583]About the [584]same time Philopæmen,
general of the [585]Achæans, was [586]taken by the [587]Messenians,
and [588]slain, after he had [589]forced to a [590]submission the
Lacedæmonians, who had [591]thrown off the Achæan [592]alliance.
In the mean time Philip, being [593]checked [594]rather than
[595]conquered in the [596]former war, was [597]very busy in
[598]making [599]preparations for [600]another; but before [601]matters
were [602]ripe [603]enough [604]for that purpose, he died, and
was [605]succeeded by his son [606]Perseus, who [607]went on with
the [608]preparations of war [609]against the Romans; which was
[610]finished in four years after its [611]beginning with the [612]ruin
of him and the [613]kingdom of Macedon [614]together, in the year of
the city 586. The general [615]employed by the Romans in that war, was
[616]Paulus Æmilius, who in one [617]battle, [618]wherein were slain
20,000 [619]men, and 11,000 [620]taken [621]prisoners, [622]put a
[623]final period to the [624]Macedonian [625]empire in the [626]11th
year of king Perseus. About the same time, [627]Gentius, king of the
[628]Illyrians, being [629]trepanned into an [630]alliance by Perseus,
was [631]conquered by [632]Amicius the [633]prætor.
After the [634]conquest of Antiochus, the Macedonians [635]rebelled
again, but were [636]subdued, and Macedon [637]reduced to the [638]rank
of a [639]province.
Some time after a war [640]broke out with the [641]Achæans, who having
[642]pulled down all the [643]walls of [644]Lacedæmon, and [645]taken
away their [646]ancient [647]laws, had [648]obliged them to [649]unite
with them; which the Lacedæmonians [650]complained of to the Romans,
who [651]sent [652]against the Achæans Metellus the prætor, by whom
they were [653]defeated in two [654]engagements at [655]Thermopylæ, and
in [656]Phocis; and [657]presently after [658]entirely reduced by the
consul [659]L. Nummius, and [660]Corinth, the [661]metropolis of their
[662]nation, [663]burnt.
The same year Carthage was [664]taken and [665]destroyed. The
[666]occasion of this war was a [667]difference [668]between Masanissa
and the Carthaginians [669]about their [670]territories; which
[671]controversy being [672]referred to the Romans, they obliged the
Carthaginians to [673]give up the [674]country in [675]dispute, and
[676]money, also, to Masanissa. But the Romans had [677]before-hand
[678]resolved [679]utterly to [680]raze Carthage, [681]right or wrong,
[682]chiefly at the [683]instigation of [684]Marcus Cato the censor,
who, whenever he [685]gave his [686]opinion upon any [687]debate in the
[688]senate, [689]used [690]finally to [691]add, Carthage [692]must be
[693]destroyed. [694]Wherefore in the year of the city 605, Carthage
was [695]besieged by the consuls [696]Manilius and [697]Censorinus.
They soon after [698]surrendered to the Romans; but being [699]ordered
to [700]demolish their city, and [701]fix themselves at ten [702]miles
[703]distance from the [704]sea, they were so [705]inflamed with
[706]fury and [707]despair, that they [708]held out even [709]beyond
their [710]strength, [711]till in the fourth year, the [712]same
in which [713]Corinth was destroyed, it was [714]taken by [715]P.
Cornelius Scipio, the [716]proconsul, who was [717]Paulus Æmilius’s
son, and had been [718]adopted by the son of Scipio Africanus. At
the [719]beginning of the war Masanissa, king of the [720]Numidians,
[721]died, in the 97th year of his [722]age, having [723]left behind
him forty-four sons, and [724]continued [725]an ally of the Romans near
60 years.