vanced to the walls of Syracuse, and even designed to have befieged it.

The news of Appius's good fuccefs, being A. M. arrived at Rome, was received with univerfal 3741. Ant. J. C. joy. In order to make the most of it, it was 263. thought proper to use new efforts. The two Polyb. 1.1, confuls lately elected, Manius Otacilius and P. 15, 16, Manius Valerius, were ordered into Sicily, Upon their arrival, feveral of the Carthaginian and Syracufan cities furrendered at difcretion.

The confternation of Sicily, joined to the number and force of the Roman legions, made Hiero conceive what event this new war was likely to have. That prince was fenfible, that he might rely upon a more faithful and conftant amity on the part of the Romans. He knew, that the Carthaginians had not renounced the defign they had anciently formed, of pof feffing themselves of all Sicily; and if they made themselves mafters of Meffina, he rightly judged his power would be very unfecure in the neighbourhood of fuch dangerous and formidable enemies. He faw no other expedient for the preservation of his kingdom, than to leave the Carthaginians engaged with the Romans; well affured that the war would be long and obftinate between thofe two powerful republicks, equal in their forces, and that as long as they fhould be at blows, he fhould have no reafon to apprehend being diftreffed either by the one or the other. He therefore fent embaffadors to the confuls to treat of peace and alliance. They were far from refusing those offers. They were too much afraid, that the Carthaginians, masters of the fea, might shut up all paffage for provifions; which fear was the better founded, as the troops, who had first paffed the ftrait, had fuffered extremely by faB 4

mine.

mine. An alliance with Hiero fecured the legions in that refpect, and was immediately concluded. The conditions were, that the king fhould restore to the Romans, without ranfom, all the prifoners he had taken from them, and pay them an hundred talents in dred thou- money.

An bun

fand

crowns.

Polyb. p. 18.

From thenceforth Hiero faw no war in his dominions, nor had any other share in it, than of fending fupplies to the Romans upon occafion. In other regards he reigned as a king who had no view nor ambition but the efteem and love of his people. No prince was ever more fuccefsful in that point, nor longer enjoyed the fruits of his wifdom and prudence During more than fifty years that he lived after being elected king, whilft all things were in flames around him, occafioned by the cruel wars, which the two moft potent people of the world made upon each other, he was fo prudent and happy to be no more than a fpectator of them, and only to hear the noise of thofe arms, which fhook all the neighbouring regions; himself and his people retaining a profound peace.

The Romans perceived on more than one occafion, during the firft punick war, and efpecially at the fiege of Agrigentum, with which it was in a manner opened, the importance of the alliance made with Hiero, who abundantly fupplied them with provifions at times, when the Roman army, without his aid, had been expofed to exceffive famine.

The interval between the end of the firft punick war, and the commencement of the fecond, which was about five and twenty years, was to Hiero a time of peace and tranquillity,

in which the actions of that prince are little spoken off.

Polybius only informs us, that the Cartha- A. M. ginians, in the unhappy war they were obliged 3763. Ant. J. C. to fupport against the strangers or mercenaries, 241. which was called the African war, finding Polyb. 1.1. themselves extremely preft, had recourfe to P. 84. their allies, and especially to king Hiero, who granted them all they afked of him. That prince conceived, that to fupport himself in Sicily, it was neceffary that the Carthaginians fhould overcome in this war; left the strangers, who had already gained many advantages over the Carthaginians, in cafe of entire fuccefs, fhould find no farther obftacles to their projects, and fhould form defigns of bringing their victorious arms into Sicily. Perhaps alfo, as he was an excellent politician, he thought it incumbent on him to be upon his guard against the too-great power of the Romans, who would become abfolute mafters, if the Carthaginians fhould be entirely crushed in the war against the revolters.

Hiero's fole application during this long interval of peace, was to make his fubjects happy, and to redrefs the evils, which the unjust government of Agathocles, who preceded him fome years, and the inteftine divifions confequential of them, had occafioned: an employment worthy of a great king. There was a levity and inconftancy in the character of the Syracufans, which often inclined them to exceffive and violent refolutions; but at bottom they were humane and equitable, and no enemies to a juft and reasonable fubjection. The proof of which is, that when they were goyerned with wisdom and moderation, as by Timoleon, they respected the authority of the

laws

laws and magiftrates, and obeyed them with joy.

Hiero was no fooner entered upon office, and had the fupreme authority confided to him; than he fhewed his deteftation for the wretched policy of the tyrants; who, confidering the citizens as their enemies, had no other thoughts than to weaken and intimidate them, and repofed their whole confidence in the foreign foldiers, by whom they were perpetually furrounded. He began by putting arms into the hands of the citizens, formed them with care in the exercises of war, and employed them preferably to all others.

Hiero's pacifick reign. He particularly favours agriculture. He employs the abilities of Archimedes his relation to the fervice of the publick, and caufes him to make an infinity of machines for the defence of a befieged place. He dies very old, and much regretted by the people.

WHEN Hiero attained the fovereign

authority, his great application was to convince his fubjects, lefs by his words than his actions, that he was infinitely remote from intending any thing to the prejudice of their fortunes or liberty. He was not intent upon being feared, but upon being loved. He looked upon himself lefs as their mafter, than as their protector and father. Before his reign, the state had been divided by two factions, that of the citizens, and that of the foldiers; whofe differences, fupported on both fides with great animofity, had occafioned infinite misfortunes. He ufed his utmoft endeavours to extinguish

all

all remains of this divifion, and to eradicate from their minds the leaft feed of difcord and misunderstanding. He feems to have fucceeded. wonderfully in that refpect, as duing a reign of more than fifty years, no fedition or revolt was feen to rife up in Syracufe, or difturbed its tranquillity,

What contributed moft, without doubt, to this happy calm, was the particular care taken by Hiero, to keep his fubjects employed; to banish idleness and luxury, the parent of all vices, and fource of all feditions, from his dominions; to fupport and improve the natural fertility of his country; and to bring agriculture into honour, which he looked upon as the certain means to render his people happy, and to diffufe abundance throughout his kingdom. The cultivation of lands indeed, befides employing and fetting an infinity of hands in motion, which would otherwise remain idle and unprofitable, draws into a country, by the exportation of grain, the riches of the neighbouring nations, and makes them flow into the houses of the people, by a commerce renewing every year, the deferved fruits of their labour and industry. This is, and we cannot repeat it too often, what ought to be the peculiar attention of a wife government, as one of the most effential parts of good and found policy, though unhappily too much neglected.

Hiero applied himself entirely to this end. He did not think it unworthy of the fovereignty to study and be skilful in all the rules of agriculture. He even gave himself the trouble to Polyb. compose books upon that fubject, of which wel. 18. c. 3. ought much to regret the lofs. But he confidered that object of his enquiries in a manner still more worthy of a king. The prin