io8 Before Chriil: 146 — 138. 



that human creatures formed the principal article of fale, of whom 

 fometimes ten thoufand were brought in, or fliipped off, in one day. 

 \_Strabo, L. x, p. 744 ; L. xiv, p. 985.] The trade of Delos, however, 

 had it been for commodities or mariufadures prepared by induftry, in- 

 Head of flaves procured by the defolations of war, was not capable of 

 making amends to the world for that of Corinth, and was a mere no- 

 thing if compar.ed to the commerce of Carthage. 



The deftruclion at the fame time of thefe two mercantile republics 

 made a complete revolution in the affairs of every part of the world, 

 which had any connexion with the Mediterranean fea. General in- 

 duftry, plenty, tranquillity, and felicity, no longer blefled the nations ; 

 bu' rapine, want, tumults, and mifery everywhere prevailed. The 

 millions of induftrious people, who had been fet to work, in every coun- 

 try they traded with, by the merchants of Carthage and Corinth, de- 

 prived of their accuflomed fources of honourable and independent fub- 

 fidence, were compelled to look for other refources, generally difficult 

 to be found, often not to be found at all. Thofe who had been bred 

 to the fea, no longer employed in carrying on the beneficial intercourfe, 

 which binds diflant nations together by the ftrong ties of friendfhip and 

 intereft, no longer permitted to be the ufeful fervants, were driven by 

 defperation to become the enqmies, of mankind in the charader of pi- 

 rates. Neither were the Ron^ians themfelves exempted from feeling a 

 fliare of the diflrefs they brought upon the world. The fudden accel- 

 lion of fo many hundred thoufands of" indignant flaves (as in thofe times 

 to be a prifoner of war was to be a flave) was a matter of mofi: formid- 

 able apprehcnfion to the conquerors : for the right of one nian to the 

 unrequited fcrvices of another, being founded only in power, rnuft of 

 neceflity be reverfed the moment the flave becomes fenfible that the 

 balance of power is in his own hands. 



The people of Spain, who perhaps of all others mofl feverely fuffered. 

 by the abolition of the Carthaginian trade, flew to arms under the con- 

 dud of Viriathus, who for thirteen years (152 — 140) fupported the in- 

 dependence of his country, and fhowed the world, that the Roman 

 armies could be defeated by inferior numbers fighting for their liberty. 

 The Romans at lafl fubmitted to acknowledge the great fuperiority of 

 his military talents by bribing traitors to murder him (a". 140). Such^ 

 and fo difgracef ul to his enemies, was the end of this true patriot hero, 

 whom'Florus, thinking to do him honour, calls the Romulus of Spain,, 

 but worthy to be compared to the great Hannibal. The army, of 

 which he was the fbul, after a noble flruggle, in which even the women 

 fought bravely for their liberty, was traniplanted to Valentia (a\ 138),, 

 where they became a colony of farmers, fubjed to the power of Rome. 

 The defper?.tely-brave citizens of Numantia, after dilplaying their owti- 

 generofity and Roman perfidy in the mofl ftriking colours, and after 



