CARTHAGE. 
S + o 
ed, were divided into feveVaj opinions. Some were for ac¬ 
cepting tiie protection of Carthage; others for fnrrender. 
mg to the king of Syractife ; but the greater part were for 
calling in the Romans to their afTiflanee. Deputies were 
accordingly difpatchedto Rome, offering the poffdlion of 
the city to the Romans, and in the molt moving terms im¬ 
ploring protection. This, in the Roman fenate, was agreed 
to ; and the cronful Appius Claudius received orders to at¬ 
tempt a pa (luge to Sicily, at the head of a powerful army. 
The Carthaginians, being informed of the refolutions of the 
Romans, fent a (trong tquadron of galleys under .the com¬ 
mand of Hanno, to intercept the Roman fleet ; and ac¬ 
cordingly the Carthaginian admiral, coming up with them 
near the coaft of Sicily, attacked and defeated them. 
Claudius retired to Rhegiuni, and this he accompliflied 
with great difficulty. Hanno, in the hope of preserving 
peace, redoied all the veffels lie had taken ; but ordered 
the deputies fent with them to expofiulate with the Ro¬ 
man general upon the infraction of the treaties fubfifling 
between the two republics. This expostulation, however 
juft, produced nothing but an open rupture; Claudius 
boon after poffeffing himfelf of Medina. 
Such was the beginning of the firft Punic war. The 
firfl year, the Carthaginians and Syracufians laid fiege to 
Medina; not adting in concert, they were overthrown by 
th,e conful Appius Claudius; and this defeat fo much dif- 
gttded Hiero with the Carthaginians, that he concluded 
an alliance with the Romans. After this treaty, the Ro¬ 
mans made themfelves makers of all the cities on theweft- 
ern coad of Sicily. The fecond year, Hanno fixed his 
principal magazine at Agrigentum. This place was'very 
Prong by nature, had been rendered impregnable by the 
new fortifications raifed by the Carthaginians during the 
preceding winter, and was defended by a numerous gar- 
rifon commanded by Hannibal, a general of great expe¬ 
rience. For five months the Romans endeavoured to re¬ 
duce the place by famine, and had brought the inhabi¬ 
tants to great didrefs, when a Carthaginian army of 
50,000 foot, 6000 horfe, and fixty elephants, landed at 
Lilybceum, and marched to Heraclea, within twenty miles 
of Agrigentum. There the general received a deputation 
from the inhabitants of Erbefla, where the Romans had 
depofited their magazines, offering to put the town into 
his hands. It was accordingly delivered up ; and by this 
means the Romans became fo much didreffed, that they 
mud have abandoned their enterprife, had not Hiero fup- 
plied them with provifions. But all the affidance he was 
able to give could not long have fupported them, had not 
Hanno refolved to venture an engagement, which he had 
before declined. In this the Romans were victorious, and 
Agrigentum furrendered at difcretion, though Hannibal 
with the greated part of the garrifon made their efcape. 
Thus ended the campaign; and the Carthaginians being 
greatly incenfed, fined Hanno in an immenfe burn, and 
deprived him of his command, appointing Hamilcar to 
the command of the army, and Hannibal to that of the 
- fleet. 
The third year, Hannibal received orders to ravage the 
roads of Italy ; but the Romans had taken care to pod 
detachments in fuch places as were mod proper to prevent 
his landing. The fourth year, Hannibal made himfelf 
maker of feventeen Roman galleys ; after which he com¬ 
mitted great ravages, and advanced to take a view of the 
Roman fleet. But lie was attacked and defeated by the 
conful Duillius, with the lofs of eighty fliips taken, thir¬ 
teen funk, 7000 men killed, and as many taken prifoners. 
After this victory, Duillius landed in Sicily, put himfelf 
at the head of the land forces, relieved Segella, then be- 
fiegcd by Hamilcar, and made himfelf maker of Mehta, 
now Malta, fo celebrated for its knights. In the fifth 
year, a difpute arofe between the Romans and their Sici¬ 
lian allies, which came to fuch an height, that they en¬ 
camped fepa.rately. Of this Hamilcar availed himfelf, 
and, attacking the Sicilians in their entrenchments, put 
4000 of them to the (word. He then drove the Romans 
from their pods, took feveral cities from them, and over 
ran the greated part of the country. In the mean time, 
Hannibal being reinforced by a number of galleys, and at¬ 
tended by fome officers of great merit, bailed for the coaft 
of Sardinia. He had not been long here, before he was 
attacked by the Romans, who carried off many of his (hips, 
and took numbers .of his men prifoners. This fo incenfed 
the reft, that they feized their admiral, and crucified him. 
The lixth year, the Romans became makers of Corfica 
and Sardinia; and, in the feventh year, they took the town of 
Mytedratum, in Sicily, from whence they marched towards 
Comarina; but in their way were furrounded by the Car¬ 
thaginian army. In this extremity, a tribune, named M. 
Calpurnius Flamma, defired the general to give him 300 
chofen men; promifing to make,a paffage for the Roman 
army. He performed his promife with a lingular brave¬ 
ry ; for, having beized an eminence, the Carthaginians, 
jealous of his defign, flocked from all quarters to drive 
him from his pod. The conful, taking advantage of the 
diverfion, drew his army out of the bad fituation into 
which he had brought it. The legions then hadened to 
the relief of their heroic companions : but all they could 
do was to fave their bodies from the infults of their ene¬ 
mies ; for they found nearly all dead 011 the fpot; and the 
brave Calpurnius lying under an heap of dead bodies, 
covered with wounds, but dill breathing. His wounds 
were dreffed, and it fortunately happened that none of 
them proved mortal. After this the Romans reduced fe¬ 
veral cities, and drove the enemy out of the territory of 
the A'grigentines; but were repulfed with great lofs before 
Li para. 
The eighth year, Reguhts, who commanded the Ro¬ 
man fleet, obferving that of the Carthaginians lying 
along the coad in dif’order, failed with a fquadron of ten 
galleys to obferve their number and drength, ordering 
the red of the fleet to follow him with all expedition. But 
he drew too near the enemy, and was furrounded by a 
great number of Carthaginian galleys. The Romans fought 
with their ufual bravery ; but, being overpowered, were 
obliged to yield. The conful, however, found means to 
efcape, and, joining the red of his fleet, foon returned and 
had his full revenge of the enemy, eighteen of their (hips 
being taken, and eight funk. The ninth year, the Romans 
made preparations for invading Africa. Their fleet for 
this purpofe confided of 330 galleys, each of them having 
on-board 120 foldiers and 300 rowers. The Carthaginian 
fleet confided of 360 fail, and was much better manned 
than that of the Romans. The two fleets met near Ecno- 
mus, a promontory in Sicily ; where, after a bloody en¬ 
gagement, which laded the greater part of the day, the 
Carthaginians were defeated, with the lofs of thirty gal¬ 
leys funk, and fixty-three taken. The Romans lod twen¬ 
ty-four galleys, which were funk. After this viftory, the 
Romans fet fail for Africa, and arrived before Clupea, a 
city to the ead of Carthage, where they made then firft 
defeent. No words can exprefs the confternation of the 
Carthaginians. The inhabitants of Clupea were fo terri¬ 
fied, that they abandoned the place, which the Romans 
immediately took poflefiion of. Having left there a ftrong 
garrifon to fecure their (hipping, they moved nearer Car¬ 
thage, taking a great number of towns, and above 20 ooq 
prifoners. In fhort, having ravaged the whole country, 
almoft to the gates of Carthage, they returned to Clupea 
loaded with immenfe fpoils. 
The tenth year, Regulus pufhed on his conqueds with 
great rapidity. To oppofe his progrefs, Hamilcar was 
recalled from Sicily, and with hint Boftar and Afdrubal 
were joined in command. Hamilcar commanded an army 
equal to that of Regulus. The other two commanded fe- 
parate bodies; which were to a£l as occafion required. 
But, before they were in a condition to take the field, 
Regulus, purfuing his conquefts, arrived on the banks of 
the Bragada, a river which empties itf’elf into the fea at a 
finall diftance from Carthage. Here he met with one of 
thole tremendous ferpents, the boa cotjiriBor, which, after 
a fevere 
