Carthaginian Science — the Periplus of Hanno. 21 



arid principally in the district of Naples ; but the interior was oc- 

 cupied by the aborigines. The new republic, organized for war, 

 hastened to subdue its neighbours. The Latins, the Volscians, 

 the Etrurians, were successively conquered, and, at the death of 

 Alexander, almost the whole of Italy was subjugated. Two cen- 

 turies later, that is to say, about 30 years before Christ, Rome, 

 pushing her conquests one by one, became mistress of the whole 

 circumference of the Mediterranean, and extended her power far 

 into the interior of Asia, of Europe, and of Africa. 



We may now examine into the state of science amongst this peo- 

 ple at the time when they thus became masters of the civilized 

 world ; and we may investigate the course by which they arrived at 

 their knowledge. 



The Phoenicians were certainly the first who carried any notions 

 of science or of commerce towards the west, and that from the most 

 remote period. Shortly after the taking of Troy, they founded 

 Utica (II7O), Carthage* (1183), and farther west still, but on the 

 other side of the Mediterranean, different manufactories on the 

 coast of Spain. They established in all these countries their 

 commerce, religion, and manners. The Carthaginians appear to 

 have been especially the depositories of their opinions and sciences. 

 From what we know of this latter people, it would appear that 

 their knowledge was less speculative than practical. We can only 

 judge, however, from a single work, the Periplus of Hanno, writ- 

 ten in the time of Socrates, and known to Aristotle, who quotes it. 

 We learn from this narrative, of which we only possess a Greek 

 translation, that Hanno passed beyond the Pillars of Hercules, and 

 that, directing his course to the south, he explored the coasts of 

 Africa, as far as Senegambia. It contains descriptions of some phe- 

 nomena which may appear to be fabulous, but which are neverthe- 

 less susceptible of explanation. Thus we find an account of hairy 

 women, caught by the sailors, who attempted to carry them away ; 

 but they bit, pinched, and scratched, and at length died of hunger. 

 Their skins were preserved and hung up in the temple of Juno at 

 Carthage. It is probable that these females were nothing else 

 than great apes. There is a notice, again, of rivers of fire descend- 

 ing from the mountains, perceived by the crew at night. From 

 what we know of the customs of African shepherds, it seems likely 

 that the illusion was produced by the burning of ravines filled with 

 grass, to which they set fire in the rainy season, in order that the 

 new shoots may afford a more tender pasturage to the cattle. 



Another Carthaginian author was Mago, who wrote twenty-eight 

 books on agriculture. Scipio the Younger, after the destruction of 

 Carthage, carried them to Rome, where they were translated into 

 Latin by order of the Senate. A translation was afterwards made 

 into Greek ; but both are now lost, and we only know the work by 

 some fragments preserved b\ Columella. 



The Romans were able to learn but little from the Carthaginians, 



