Oarthage. 



Carthagini- 

 an fleet de- 

 feated by 

 Duilius. 

 B. C. 260. 



Severe de- 

 feat of the 

 Carthagini- 

 ans by sea. 



572 CART 



And in order to counterbalance the advantage which 

 the Carthaginians were likely to derive from their 

 superior seamanship, they invented, (or rather in the 

 opinion of some writers, improved,) the machine cal- 

 led the corvns, by which they were enabled to grapple 

 and bind the vessels together, so as to give to their 

 soldiers full scope for the exertion of their bodily 

 strength and activity. 



In the first rencontre of the hostile fleets, the Car. 

 thaginians were, as it might be expected, successful ; 

 but in a subsequent engagement, they met with a se- 

 vere check, and their admiral, Hannibal, having 

 lost the greater part of his ships, with difficulty made 

 his escape. The command of the Roman fleet had 

 now devolved upon the consul Duilius, to whom is 

 attributed the invention of the Corvus. He engaged 

 the Carthaginian fleet without delay, and by the help 

 of his new engine succeeded in giving them a com- 

 plete overthrow. (B. C. 260.) The loss of the 

 Carthaginians is variously related ; Hannibal, having 

 been obliged to abandon his own vessel to the enemy, 

 returned to Carthage, where he obtained reinforce- 

 ments for his shattered fleet. Putting to sea again, 

 he steered for the coast of Sardinia, where he was 

 surprised by the Romans while at anchor, who car- 

 ried off some of his ships, and took great numbers of 

 his men prisoners : this so incensed the rest, that they 

 seized their admiral and crucified him. The affairs 

 of the Carthaginians in Sicily had, in this interval, as- 

 sumed a more favourable aspect. Hamilcar, their 

 commander, availing himself of a dispute which had 

 occurred between the Roman legions and their auxi- 

 liaries, surprised their camp, put four thousand to 

 the sword, and dispersed the rest. Notwithstanding 

 this disaster, the terror of the Roman arms was still 

 sustained by the vigilance and bravery of the consul 

 Florus, while his colleague Cornelius Scipio, made a 

 descent on Corsica, and menaced the coasts of Sar- 

 dinia. Several engagements, both by land and sea, 

 ensued with various results, but for the most part to 

 the advantage of the Romans, who were thus, by de- 

 grees, encouraged to prepare for an invasion of Africa 

 itself, as the only means by which they could oblige 

 the enemy to evacuate Sicily. (Polyb. lib. 1. p. 22.) 

 In the ninth year of the war, the consuls Manlius, 

 Dulso, and Attilius Regulus, with the fleet under 

 their command, consisting of 350 gallies of different 

 sizes, held their rendezvous at Messina. Having 

 taken their land forces on board, they preceded along 

 the coast. The Carthaginian fleet, which, as to the 

 number of vessels, was about equal, was lying at 

 Lilybseum, under the command of Hanno and Ha- 

 milcar. The hostile squadrons met near Heraclea 

 Minoa. The Roman commanders drew up their 

 fleet in the form of a wedge, the Carthaginians were 

 in line. The consuls observing that this line was 

 weak towards the centre, caused it to be vigorously 

 attacked in that part. A most obstinate conflict en- 

 sued, which terminated in favour of the Romans, who 

 lost in the action only 24- gallies, whilst the Cartha- 

 ginians had 30 sunk and 6'3 taken. After the battle, 

 Hamilcar sent Hanno to make proposals of peace to 

 the consuls, which being rejected, the war continued 

 to rage with as much fierceness as ever ; and the con- 

 suls, soon after setting sail for Africa, landed without 



HAGE, 



opposition near Clupea ; or, as PolyVms calls it, Carthage. 

 Aspis. Nothing could exceed the terror and asto- s *"" > "Y""""' 

 nishment which the news of the Roman invasion 

 caused at Carthage. These were, however, in some 

 degree diminished by the intelligence that, contented 

 with ravaging the whole country almost to the very 

 gates of the capital, one of the consuls had returned 

 to Rome with the best part of the troops, leaving the 

 management of the war to his colleague Regulus, 

 with only 4*0 ships, 15,000 foot, and 500 horse. 

 Hamilcar was recalled from Sicily, and was joined 

 with Asdrubal and Bostar, in the command of the 

 army. Regulus having spent the winter at Clypea, Regulu* 

 hearing that the Carthaginian army was in motion, conducts 

 advanced with his forces, and encamped upon the l ^ ie . war l& 

 Bagrada in the neighbourhood of Carthage. Here Afnca> 

 he is said to have met with that monstrous serpent, 

 of which several ancient writers make mention : the 

 descriptions are probably hyperbolical, yet it is 

 impossible to refuse all credit to a story for which 

 there are so many authorities. ( Val. Maximus. lib. i. 

 c. 8. Liv. eplt. lib. xxx.) 



The Carthaginian gentrals advanced to give him 

 battle, but most unwisely took up a position in 

 ground that was unfit for the operations of elephants 

 or horse, in which the great part of their strength 

 consisted. Regulus profited by this mistake, attack- 

 ed them in the night, and entirely defeated them. 

 This victory was productive of the most important 

 consequences ; Utica opened its gates, Tunis was 

 forced to submit, and nothing now remained but to 

 lay siege to Carthage itself. 



To complete the misfortunes of the Carthaginians, 

 their territory was, at this time, invaded by the Nu- 

 midians, who committed the most dreadful ravages. 

 The Roman consul, elated by his good fortune, and 

 desirous to terminate the war before the arrival of a 

 successor, offered to treat with the vanquished, but on 

 terms so extravagant that they were at once rejected 

 by the senate. 



At this conjuncture, a Carthaginian officer who 

 had been sent to Greece to levy soldiers, returned 

 with a body of mercenaries, amongst whom was one 

 Xantippus, a Spartan, who had some reputation for 

 military science. To him the command of the re- 

 maining forces was entrusted ; and he succeeded in 

 infusing into them some knowledge of the Grecian 

 tactics, and an unbounded confidence in his own skill 

 and experience. Regulus was little prepared for this 

 change; when he saw the Carthaginian army again ad- 

 vancing, flushed with the hope of new victories, he at 

 once led his men to the attack, and ventured even to 

 cross the river which separated the two armies. This Defeat of 

 rashness led to the entire destruction of his army. Regulus. 

 Xantippus profited to the utmost of his antagonist's 

 misconduct, and only two thousand of the Romans 

 escaped from the field. Regulus himself was taken 

 prisoner. The Carthaginians treated all their cap- 

 tives with great humanity except the general. The 

 story of his sufferings and constancy is well known. 

 Xantippus, to whose conduct the whole of this suc- 

 cess must be attributed, withdrew from Carthage 

 immediately afterwards. ** Wibely and prudently, 

 (says Poly bins,) as the splendour of his action must 

 have excited a degree of jealousy and envy sufficient 



