46 Before Chrifl: 538. 



oars, in the management of which they were very expert. Before this 

 time they had made voyages to both the coafts of Italy, to Kyrnos, (call- 

 ed by the natives, as now, Corfica) where they had lately fettled a co- 

 lony, to the fouth part of Gaul, and even to Spain. Encouraged by the 

 wonderfully-profperous voyage of Coloeus, they had even pafled the Pil- 

 lars of Hercules, and traded to Tarteflus, where they were received very 

 favourably by the king of the country, who, being defirous of bring- 

 ing a competition of traders to his dominions, and apprehending no 

 danger from ftrangers whofe only objedt was commerce, endeavoured 

 to attach the Phocseans by the offer of a tradl of land in his country. 

 This, however, they declined ; but, by the very advantageous trade, which 

 ihey carried on with the Tartcflians, their city flourifhed exceedingly, 

 till it was deflroyed by the army of Cyrus. 



So determined were the Phocreans againft living imder fubjedion to 

 a foreign prince, that in the courfe of a day, which was g/anted them 

 by Harpagus, the Perfian general, to confider of a furrender, they em- 

 barked the whole of their families and all their property that was move- 

 able onboard their veflels, and left their empty city to be taken pollef- 

 lion of by the Perfians. Being difappointed by the jealoufy of the Chi- 

 ans of a fettlement in fome fmall iflands in the neighbourhood, they 

 again put to lea, and bound themfelves by an oath never to return to 

 their native country, till a large ftone, which they threw into the water, 

 fliould rife up and fwim upon the furface. In this fpirit they launched 

 out in the Mediterranean, and arrived at Corfica, where they fettled 

 among their countrymen, who had been eftabliflied there about twenty 

 years before. [^Hcrodot. L. i, cc. 163, 164, 165 'Jjijimi L. xliii, c. 3.] 



538 — For above three centuries after the increal'e of their population 

 by the arrival of Elifla, the Carthaginians had advanced in a fteady, 

 quiet, and progreflive, augmentation of their commercial profperity, and 

 in that happy hiftorical obicurity, which infers, that they were not dif- 

 lurbed by wars of any confequence. The redundance of their popula- 

 tion during this period puflied abroad in peaceable commercial fettle- 

 ments*; and the illands of the Mediterranean, the north and fouth 

 fliores of all the weft part of that lea, and even the Ihores of the Ocean, 

 were overfpread and enlivened by Carthaginian colonies. From the 

 total deftrudlion of the Carthaginian records we are deprived of all know- 

 lege of the hiftory of thofe colonies, excepting fuch of them as happened 

 to come in coUifion with thole of the Greeks: and an inftance of that 

 kind now attrads the notice of hiftorians. The Phocaeans, who had lately 

 arrived in Corfica, became very troublefome neighbours to the former 



• Tlie invitation of tilt Phocxans by the Tarttrf- they had, lie would have thereby been warned of 



fian king to fettle in his ilominiiins fecms to infer, the danger to be apprehended from allowing fo- 



that the Carllnginians had not begun to make any reigners to ellablilh tluinfelves too near him. 

 hoftile encroacUmcnts on the natives of Spain : if 



