118 THE SICILIAN WARS. 



The Carthaginians hitherto had never paid tribute, 

 and they had never suffered a serious reverse. Alci- 

 biades talked much of invading them when he bad 

 done with Sicily, and the young men of his set were 

 at one time always drawing plans of Carthage in the 

 dust of the market-place at Athens ; but the Sicilian 

 expedition failed. The affection of the Tyrians pre- 

 served them from Cambyses. Alexander opportunely 

 died. Pyrrhus in Sicily began to collect ships to sail 

 across, but he who tried to take up Italy with one 

 hand and Carthage with the other, and who also excited 

 the enmity of the Sicilian Greeks, was not a very 

 dangerous foe. Agathocles of Syracuse invaded Africa, 

 but it was the action of a desperate and defeated man, 

 and bore no result. 



Sicily was long the battle-field of the Carthaginians, 

 and ultimately proved their ruin. Its western side 

 belonged to them : its eastern side was held by a 

 number of independent Greek cities, which were often 

 at war with one another. Of these, Syracuse was the 

 most important : its ambition was the same as that 

 of Carthage ; to conquer the whole island, and then 

 to extend its rule over the flourishing Greek towns 

 on the south Italian coast. Hence followed wars 

 generation after generation, till at length the Cartha- 

 ginians obtained the upper hand. Already they were 

 looking on the island as their own, when a new Power 

 stepped upon the scene. 



The ancient Tuscans or Etruscans had a language 

 and certain arts peculiar to themselves ; and Northern 

 Italy was occupied by Celtic Gauls. But the greater 

 part of the peninsula was inhabited by a people akin 

 to the Greeks, though differing much from them in 

 character, dwelling in city states, using a form of the 



