CART 
reforming abufes, and putting tbe affairs of the republic, 
into abetter condition ; but this likewife being difagreea- 
ble to the Romans, he was obliged to ily to Antiocluis 
king of Syria, into whole fervice he entered, and for 
whom he gained a number of battles. But having after¬ 
wards-the misfortune to be vanquithed in a fea-fight with 
the Rhodians, through the treachery of one of the Syrian 
admirals, he was forced to fly into Crete, to avoid falling 
into the hands of the Romans. On his arrival in this 
iftand, he took fauftuary among the Gortynii ; but as he 
had brought great treafure along with him, and knew the 
avarice of the Cretans, he thought proper to fecttre his 
riches by the following ftratagem. He filled feveral vef- 
lels with melted lead, juft covering them over with gold 
and (ilver. Thefe he depofited in the temple of Diana, 
in the prefence of the Gortynii, with whom, he faid, he 
trufted all his treafure. Juftin tells us, that he depofited 
this as a fecurity for his peaceable behaviour, and lived 
for fotne time very quietly among them. He took care, 
however, to conceal his riches in hollow ftatoes of brafs ; 
which, according to fonte, he always carried with him ; 
or, as others write, he expofed in a public place as things 
of little value. At laft he retired to the court of -Prufias 
king of Bithynia, where he found means to unite feveral 
of the neighbouring Hates with that prince into a confede¬ 
racy againft Eumenes king of Pergamns, a profelfed friend 
to the Romans; and during the enfuing war gave Eu¬ 
menes fbveral defeats, more through the force of his own 
genius than the valour of the Bithynian troops. The 
Romans, having received intelligence of thefe fervices 
performed by Hannibal, difpatched T. Quintius Flami- 
nius to Prufia3, in order to procure his deliruflion. At 
his firft audience, he complained of the protection given to 
that reftlefs and turbulent general, reprefenting him “ as 
the mod inveterate enemy the Romans ever had ; and as 
one who had ruined both his own country and Antiocluis, 
by drawing them into a deftruCtive war with Rome.” 
Prufias, in order to ingratiate himfelf with the Romans, 
lent a party of foldiers to furround Hannibal’s houfe, that 
he might find it impoflible to make his efcape. The Car¬ 
thaginian, having before difcovered that no confidence 
was to be repofed in Prufias, Had contrived feven fecret 
paftages from his houfe, in order to evade the machina¬ 
tions of his enemies, even if they fhould carry their point 
at the Bithynian court. But, guards being polled at thefe, 
he could not fly, though, according to Livy, he attempt¬ 
ed it. Perceiving, therefore, no polfibility of efcaping, he 
had recourl'e to poifon, which he had long referved for 
fitch a melancholy occafion. Then taking it in his hand, 
“Let us (faid he) deliver the Romans from the difqui- 
etude with which they have long been tortured, fince they 
have not patience to wait for an old man’s death. Flami- 
nius will not acquire any reputation or glory by a victory 
gained over a betrayed and defencelefs perfon. This tin¬ 
gle day will be a lading teflimony of the degeneracy of the 
Romans. Their anceftors gave Pyrrhus intelligence of a 
defign to poifon him, that he might guard againft the im¬ 
pending danger, even when he was at the head of a power¬ 
ful army in Italy; but they have deputed a perfon of confu- 
lar dignify to excite Prufias impioully to murder one who 
lias taken refuge in his dominions, in violation of the laws 
of hofpitality.” He then drank the poifon, and expired 
at the age of 70 years. Cornelius Nepos acquaints us, 
that he put an end to his life by a fubtile poifon which he 
carried about with him in a ring. Plutarch relates, that, 
according to fome writers, lie ordered a fervant to ftran- 
gle him with a cloak wrapped about his neck ; and others 
fay, that, in imitation of Midas and Themiftocles, lie 
drank bull’s blood. 
With refpect to the charaCler of this famous general, it 
lias in fome few refpeCfs been differently drawn by diife, 
rent writers. Livy, who is moftly followed, fpeajcs of 
him thus: “Hannibal, on entering the camp of his fa¬ 
ther, attraCfed the refpeClof the whole army ; and, when 
he fucceeded to the command, the veterans believed their 
Vol. III. No. 166 , 
H A G E. 8+3 
late general Hamilcar was reftored to them in the perfon 
of his foil: they favv the fame vigorous countenance, the 
fame piercing eye, the fame complexion and features. 
But in a fhort time his behaviour occalioned this refiem- 
blance of his father to contribute the leaft towards his 
gaining their favour. And, in truth, never was there a 
genius more happily forfiied for two things, mod ntani- 
fellly contrary to each other—to obey, and to command. 
This made it difficult to determine, whether the general 
or foldiers loved him moil. Where any enterprize requir¬ 
ed vigour, and valour in the performance, Afdrttbal al¬ 
ways chofe him to command at the execution of it ; nor 
were the troop's ever more confident of fuccefs, or more 
intrepid, than when lie was at their head. None ever 
fiiewed greater bravery in undertaking hazardous at¬ 
tempts, or more prefence of mind and conduct in the ex¬ 
ecution ol them. No hardlhip could fatigue his body, or 
daunt his courage : lie could equally bear cold and hear. 
The neceflary refedlion of nature, not the pjeafttre of his 
palate, he folely regarded in his meals. He made no dif- 
timftion of day and night in his watching, or taking ref! ; 
ami appropriated no time to fleep, but what remained af¬ 
ter he had completed his duty : he never fought for a loft 
or retired place of repofe ; but was often feen lying on the 
bare ground, wrapt in a foldier’s cloak, amongft the cen. 
tinc-ls and guards. He did not diftinguifh himfelf from his 
companions by the magnificence of his drefs, bin by the 
quality of his horfe and arms. At the fame time, he was 
by far the bed foot and horfe faldier in the army ; ever the 
foremoft in a charge, and the laft who left the field after 
the battle was begun. Thefe fliining qualities were how¬ 
ever balanced by great vices; inhuman cruelty; more 
than Carthaginian treachery ; no refpeff for truth or ho¬ 
nour, no fear of the gods, no regard for the famftity of 
oaths, no fenf'e of religion. With a dif'pofirion thus che¬ 
quered with virtues and vices, he ferved three years un¬ 
der Afdrttbal, without neglefting to pry into or perform 
any thing, that could contribute to make him hereafter a 
complete general.” It muff be remembered that this cha¬ 
racter is drawn by.a Roman, a natural enemy by poliev 
and birth. 
After the exile of Hannibal, the Romans began tcTlooR 
upon Carthage with a jealous eye. Difputes arifing be¬ 
tween the Carthaginians and Mafinifla, the latter, not- 
withftanding the manifeft injuflice of his proceedings, was 
fupported by the Romans. That prince, aiming at far¬ 
ther conquefts, endeavoured to embroil the Carthaginians 
with the Romans, by aflferting that the former had re¬ 
ceived ambafladors from Perleus king of Macedon; and 
that the fenate affentbled in the temple of yEfculapius in 
the night time, to confer with them. Mafinifla then made 
an irruption into tire province ofTyfca, where he foon 
poflefled himfelf of 50 towns and caflles. This obliged 
the Carthaginians to apply with great importunity to 
the Roman fenate for red refs, being fo tied up by the 
treaty, that they could not repel force by force, without 
their confent. The Romans, however, inflead of order¬ 
ing them any redrefs, feem to have determined on the de- 
flrinffion of Carthage. About this time, too, the city of 
Utica, being the fecond in Africa, and famous for its im- 
menfe riches, as well as its commodious and capacious 
port, fubmitted to the Romans. Upon taking poflellion 
of fo important a fortrefs, which, by reafon of its vicinity 
to Carthage, might ferve as a place of arms io the attack 
of that city, the Romans declared war againft the Cartha¬ 
ginians without the leaft hefitation. The confuls M. 
Manlius Nepos, and L. Marcius Cenforinus, were dif¬ 
patched with an army and fleet; and tints began the third 
panic war. The confuls had pofitive orders not to con¬ 
clude the operations but by the deftruffion of Carthage, 
without which, they pretended, the republic qottld not 
hut look upon all her polleflions as iufecure. Purfuant 
to the plan they had formed, the troops were firft landed 
at Lilybfeitm in Sicily, from whence, after receiving rc- 
frefhment, it was propofed to tranfport them to Utica. 
10 G Theft; 
