The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Macedonians and Grecians (Vol. 1 of 6)Rollin, Charles
History
The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Macedonians and Grecians (Vol. 1 of 6)
Rollin, Charles
History, Ancient
Mago, on his arrival at Carthage, was impeached, but he prevented the
execution of the sentence passed upon him, by a voluntary death. His body
was hung upon a gallows, and exposed as a public spectacle to the people.
New forces were levied at Carthage, and a greater and more powerful fleet
than the former was sent to Sicily.(635) It consisted of two hundred ships
of war, besides a thousand transports; and the army amounted to upwards of
seventy thousand men. They landed at Lilybæum, under the command of
Hamilcar and Hannibal, and resolved to attack the Corinthians first.
Timoleon did not wait for, but marched out to meet them. But such was the
consternation of Syracuse, that, of all the forces which were in that
city, only three thousand Syracusans and four thousand mercenaries
followed him; and even of these latter a thousand deserted upon the march,
through fear of the danger they were going to encounter. Timoleon,
however, was not discouraged; but exhorting the remainder of his forces to
exert themselves courageously for the safety and liberties of their
allies, he led them against the enemy, whose rendezvous he had been
informed was on the banks of the little river Crimisus. It appeared, at
the first reflection, madness to attack an army so numerous as that of the
enemy, with only four or five thousand foot, and a thousand horse; but
Timoleon, who knew that bravery, conducted by prudence, is superior to
number, relied on the courage of his soldiers, who seemed resolved to die
rather than yield, and with ardour demanded to be led against the enemy.
The event justified his views and hopes. A battle was fought; the
Carthaginians were routed, and upwards of ten thousand of them slain, full
three thousand of whom were Carthaginian citizens, which filled their city
with mourning and the greatest consternation. Their camp was taken, and
with it immense riches, and a great number of prisoners.
Timoleon, at the same time that he despatched the news of this victory to
Corinth, sent thither the finest arms found among the plunder.(636) For he
was desirous of having his city applauded and admired by all men, when
they should see that Corinth alone, among all the Grecian cities, adorned
its finest temples, not with the spoils of Greece, and offerings dyed in
the blood of its citizens, the sight of which could tend only to preserve
the sad remembrance of their losses, but with those of barbarians, which,
by fine inscriptions, displayed at once the courage and religious
gratitude of those who had won them. For these inscriptions imported,
“That the Corinthians, and Timoleon their general, after having freed the
Greeks, settled in Sicily, from the Carthaginian yoke, had hung up these
arms in their temples, as an eternal acknowledgment of the favour and
goodness of the gods.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account