Before Chrift 508. 61 



chafed by enemies, beyond it, let them not buy or receive any thing, 

 but what is neceflary for repairing their vefiels, and for facrifice ; and 

 let them depart within five days from the time of tlieir landing. Who- 

 ever fliall come on the bufinefs of merchandize, let him pay no duties 

 but the fees of the broker and clerk. Let the public faith be fecu- 

 rity to the feller for whatever is fold in prefence of thofe officers ; that 

 is to fay, whatever is fold in Africa or Sardinia. If any Romans come 

 to that part of Sicily, which is fubjedt to Carthage, let them have im- 

 partial juflice. Let not the Carthaginians do any injury to the people 

 of Ardea, Antium, Laurentum, Circaeium, Tarracina, nor any of the 

 Latins who fliall be fubjed; to Rome. Let them not attack the free 

 towns of the Latins. If they fliall take any of them, let them de- 

 liver it to the Romans free of any damage. Let them build no fort 

 in the land of the Latins. If they make a hoftile landing in the 

 country, let them not remain all night in it.' [Polyb. L. iii, c. 22.] 

 It appears from this treaty, that the Carthaginians, as the fuperior 

 people, had didated the terms of it ; and it is probable, that it was 

 merely their mercantile jealoufy, which prompted them to prohibit the 

 Romans from trading to the rich countries lying around the bay of the 

 Leffer Syrtis, which for their extraordinary fertility were called the Em- 

 poria, or the markets, though the Romans may not then have had any 

 notion of attempting fuch diflant voyages *. This genuine monument 

 of antiquity alfo informs us, that the Carthaginians had fome time be- 

 fore departed from the fimplicity of their commercial fyftem, and con- 

 verted their mercantile polls into military garrifons for enflaving the 

 people with whom they traded ; and that Sardinia (of which Corfica, 

 or a part of it, feems to have been an appendage) and alfo a part of 

 Sicily, were reduced under their dominion. Their fuccefs in thofe en- 

 croachments brought on a thirft for conquefl: ; and that brought on their 

 ruin. But thefe matters will be more properly introduced afterwards. 

 I now return to the Eaft f . 



At this time the attention of the Grecian hiflorians is engrofTed by 

 the war between the Greeks and Perfians, which continued, with inter- 

 vals of infincere pacification, till the Perfian empire was entirely fub- 



* About a dozen of years afier this treaty a of bread, in order to keep the populace in fub- 



coUcge of merchants is mentioned, as then efta- jedion. 



hlifhed at Rome : but we have no other authority Both thefe events are placed in an age wherein 



for it than Livy, [L. ii, c. 27] who has perhaps Rome knew nothing of trade, had no hiltorian of 



antedated an inllitution efteemed antient in his own her own, and had not attracted the notice of any 



time. foreign writer, at kail, not of any one who has 



On fimilar authority we are told, that a great come down to our times, for lier moft important 



quantity of corn, bought with money drawn from events. 



the Roman treafury, was imported from Sicily, f At this time accordiug to Plutarch, in his 



on which occafion the celebrated general Coriola- life of Valerius Poplicola, in Rome a flieep was 



nus and fome others propofed holding up the price worth ten oboli, and an ox an hundred oboli, which 



4 lall fum is equal to about half a guinea. 



