CART 
fil'd, by the a&ivity of bis rowers foon got clear of Syra- 
eufe. Soon f after his forces were landed, Agathocles burnt 
his fleet, that his fbldiers might behave witlt the greater 
refolntion, as they law no poffibility of flying from their 
danger: tie advanced to Tunis, which furrenderea on 
the fir /1 futnmons. The Carthaginians were thrown into 
the greateft confi.ernation; but, recovering themfelves, they 
took up arms, and in a few days had an .army of 40,000 
foot, and 1000 liorfe, with 2000 armed chariots., The 
command was entrufted to Kanno and Bomilcar, two ge¬ 
nerals, between whom there fublifted a great animofity. 
This occafioncd t'ne defeat of their army, with the lofs of 
their camp; though all the forces of Agathocles did not 
exceed 14,000. Among other f’poils, the conqueror found 
many chariots of curious workmanfhip, which carried 
20,000 pair of fetters, which they had provided (or the Si¬ 
cilian prifoners. After this defeat, the Carthaginians, 
fnppofing themfelves to have fallen under the difpleafure 
of their deities on account of neglefting to facrifice chil¬ 
dren of noble families, refolved to expiate this guilt. Ac¬ 
cordingly 200 children of the firft rank were facrificed to 
their gods, bciides 300 other perfons, who voluntarily 
olfcred thenifelvcs to pacify the wrath of the deities. 
After thefe expiations, Hamilcar was recalled from Si¬ 
cily. When the melfengers arrived, Hamilcar command¬ 
ed them not to mention the victory of Agathocles; but, 
on the contrary, to give out among the troops that lie had 
been entirely defeated, his forces cut off, and his fleet de- 
ftroyed by the Carthaginians. But, while matters were in 
this fituation, a galley, which Agathocles had procured 
immediately after the battle, got into the harbour of Sy- 
racufe, and acquainted the inhabitants with the certainty 
of Agathocles’s victory. Hamilcar, obferving that the 
garrifon flocked down to the port on this dccafion, and 
had left the walls unguarded, the Carthaginians mounted 
them without being difeerned, and had altnoft pofl'efl'ed 
themfelves of the city. But being attacked while advanc¬ 
ing through narrow paffes, where his numerous army had 
not room to a6t, Hamilcar was defeated and taken prifon- 
er, and afterwards put to death. 
Agathocles, in the mean time, carried every thing be¬ 
fore him in Africa. He reduced molt of the places of any 
note in the territory of Carthage ; and hearing that Elymas, 
king of Libya, had declared againfl: him, he entered Libya 
Superior, and in a decifive battle overthrew that prince, 
putting to the fword mod of his troops, and the general 
who commanded them : after which he advanced againfl 
the Carthaginians with fucli expedition, that he furprifed 
and defeated them with the lo.fs of 2000 killed, and a great 
number taken prifoners. He then prepared for the liege 
of Carthage, advancing to a port within five miles of that 
city. The Carthaginians, with a powerful army, encamp¬ 
ed between hint and their capital. In this fituation Aga¬ 
thocles received advice of the defeat of the Carthaginian 
forces before Syracule, with the head of Hamilcar. Upon 
this he rode up to the enemy’s camp, and (flowing them 
their general’s head, gave them an account of the total 
deflruclion of their army before Syracufe. This threw 
them into fucli a confirmation, that Agathocles would 
probably have made himfelf mailer of Carthage, had not 
a mutiny arifen in his camp, which gave the Carthaginians 
an opportunity of recovering from their panic. 
Agathocles, at length, fit ding himfelf unable to carry 
on the war alone, endeavoured to gain over to his intereft 
Ophelias, one of the allies of Alexander the Great. In 
this he fucceeded ; and Ophelias fent to Athens for a cho- 
fen body of troops to augment his own army. He then 
fet off to the afliffance of his new ally, at the head of 10,000 
foot, and 600 horfe, all regular troops,- befides 100 cha¬ 
riots, and a promifeuous body of 10,000 men, attended by 
their wives and children, as though he had been going to 
plant a new colony. He advanced through the Regio Syr- 
tica ; where he found himfelf reduced to fucli extremities, 
that his army was in danger of penfiling for want of water. 
They were alfo greatly annoyed by ferpents and wild 
H A G ti, 839 
beafls, withwhich that deleft abounded, Atlafl, aftera 
Fatiguing march of two months, he approached Agath- 
ocles, and encamped at a final 1 diftance from him, to the 
no final 1 terror of the Carthaginians. Agathocles at firff 
c. reded him, and ordered all poflible care to be taken of 
his troops ; but foon after he cut him off by affallination, 
and incorporated the troops among his own army. Agath¬ 
ocles immediately a (fumed the title of king of Africa, in¬ 
tending now to compleie his conquefls by the reduction of 
Carthage. He began with the liege of Utica, which was- 
taken by affault. He then marched againfl Hippo Diar- 
rhytiis, the Biferta of the moderns,, which was alfo taken 
by florin ; and after this molt of the people bordering upon 
the fea-coalis fubmitted to him. But, in the midflof this 
fuccefs, the Sicilians formed ail affociation in favour of li¬ 
berty, and refolved to reject Agathocles ; on the firft in¬ 
formation of which he returned to Syracufe, leaving liis 
(on ArclVagathus to carry, on the war in Africa. 
Archagathus, after his father’s departure, flill increafed 
the African conquefls. He fent -Eumachus at the head of 
a large detachment to invade the neighbouring provinces, 
while he himfelf watched the motions of the Carthagini¬ 
ans. Eumachus, entering Numidia, took the city ofTo- 
cas, and conquered feveral of the Nnmidian cantons. Af 
terwards lie belieged and took Phellina ; which was at¬ 
tended with the fubmiflion of the Afphodelonians, a na¬ 
tion, according to Diodorus, as dark as tlie Ethiopians, 
He then reduced feveral cities; and, being elated with his 
good fortune, he refolved to penetrate into the heart of 
Africa, where he at firft met with fuccefs; but, the bar¬ 
barous nations advancing in every direction againfl him, 
lie was loon driven back, with the lofs of the greater pare 
ofhis army. Of this difafler lie lent advice to his father; 
who, having retrieved his affairs at home, determined once 
more to try his fortune in Africa, Upon his arrival, he 
reviewed ids forces, and found them to confift of 6000 
Greeks, as many Sammies, Celtes, and Etrufcans; be- 
lides 10,000 Africans, and 1500 horfe. As he found his 
troops almoft in a date of delpam, lie thought this a pro¬ 
per time for offering the enemy battle. The Carthagi¬ 
nians, however, dicl not think proper to accept it; Aga¬ 
thocles therefore attacked the Carthaginian camp with 
great bravery, but was repulfed, defeated, and pur-fued 
even to the foot of liis own entrenchments;-which exafpe- 
rated him fo much, that he refolved to return to Sicily, 
for the purpofe of bringing over a more formidable army. 
But, immediately after his departure, his troops revolted, 
and his two Cons were put to death by the foldiers; who, 
clioofing a leader from among themfelves, made their 
peace with the Carthaginians, upon the Following condi¬ 
tions : 1. That the Greeks ftiould deliver up all the places 
they held in Africa. 2. That fucli of them as were wil¬ 
ling to ferve in the Carthaginian army fliOuld be kindly 
treated, and receive the ufual pay ; and, 3. That the reft 
fliould be tranfported to Sicily, and have the city of Seli- 
nus for their habitation. 
From this time, to that of her firft war with the Ro¬ 
mans, there is nothing remarkable in the hiftory of Car¬ 
thage. The firft Punic or Carthaginian war, as it isufuuily 
called, happened about 256 years before Chrift. At that 
time tite Carthaginians were poffelfed of extenfive domi¬ 
nions in Africa ; they had made conliderable. progrefs in 
Spain ; were mailers of Sardinia, Corfica, and the iflands 
on the coaft of Italy ; and had extended their conquefls to 1 ' 
a great part of Sicily. The occaliou of the firft rupture 
between the two republics was as follows : The Marner- 
tines, being vanquilhed in battle by Hiero king of Syra¬ 
cufe, had refolved to deliver up Medina, the only city 
they now*poffelfed, to thafi prince, with wliofe mild go¬ 
vernment and Ariel: probity they were well acquainted. 
Accordingly, Hiero was advancing at the head of his ar¬ 
my to take poffeilion of this city, when Hannibal, who at 
that time commanded the Carthaginians in Sicily, prevent¬ 
ed him, by fending a reinforcement of troops to Meflina, 
Hereupon the Mameitinest, feeing their city thus fepport- 
