appeared in the Neighbourhood of Syracufe. _ .251 
In this fituation, “ an eminence between two morafies, 
highly favourable for a camp, and for rendering it impreg- 
nable,”’ he continued thirty days, laying wafte the country 
on all fides, plundering the temples, and demolifhing, the | 
tombs of the kings, and in vain offering battle to the Sy- 
racufans, who had not the courage to attack or oppofe him. 
Nature, more powerful than themfelves, arrefted the progrefs 
of that fate which threatened to overwhelm them. ‘¢ It was 
now in the mid{ft of fummer, and the heat this year was ex- 
ceffive.’ While Imilcon continued at Olympia, {preading 
devaftation around him, and anticipated a fignal revenge upon 
the hoftile Syracufans, a peftilential malady thewed itlelf in 
his camp. It appeared firft among his auxiliaries, the Afri- 
cans, who, forced into the fervice by fear of the Carthagi- 
nians, whom they hated, were probably leaft carefully ac- 
commodated. From them it foon extended, by the increaf- 
ing virulence and activity of the exciting canfe, throughout 
the army. Neither care nor medicine afforded relief. At 
firft the fick received fome affiftance from the well; but the 
peftilence and the mortality multiplied themfelves fo rapidly 
in every dire&ticn that this foon became mmpoffible, ror 
were there men to be found for the performance of the rites 
of fepulture to the accumulating dead. ‘* Violent dyfente- 
ries, raging fevers, burning entrails, and acute pains in every . 
part of the body,’’ were the ufual fymptoms of this terrible 
difeafe. Some were even feized with madnefs, and in their 
phrenfy attacked and endeavoured to deftroy all that were 
expofed to their affaults. Meantime the Syracufans, in health 
and fafety in their elevated, dry, and airy city, watched the 
progres of the peftilence among their enemies, and, profiting 
by their forlorn condition, captured or involved in flames their 
mighty fleet; and, ftorming their camp, impregnable to the 
gr eatclt force when defined by even a {mall body of healthy 
troops, defeated them with exemplary deftraGion. “Thus 
befet, enfeebled by difeafe and humbled by defeat, the proud 
Imilcon, who, a fhort time before, held the conqueft, not 
only of Syracufe, but of Sicily, too cheap and eafy a victory 
for fo formidable an hoft, was reduced to purchafe his fafety 
Kk 2 for 
