HISTORY OF ROME.

BOOK XXIV.

CHAP. 1. On his return from Campania into Bruttium, Hanno, assisted by the Bruttians, who served him also as guides, endeavoured to gain possession of the Greek cities; which were the more inclined to adhere to their alliance with Rome, for the very reason that they saw the Bruttians, whom they both hated and feared, taking part with the Carthaginians. The first attempt was made on Rhegium, and several days were spent there to no purpose. Meanwhile, the Locrians hastily conveyed from the country into the city, corn, timber, and other necessaries for which they might have occasion; wishing, at the same time, to leave nothing which the enemy could seize; while the multitude which poured out of the gates became every day more and more numerous. At last, those only were left in the place who were obliged to repair the works, and to carry weapons to the posts of defence. Against this mixed multitude, consisting of persons of all ages and ranks, and straggling through the fields, mostly unarmed, Hamilcar the Carthaginian sent out his cavalry; who, having received orders not to hurt any of them, only threw their squadrons in the way to cut off their retreat to the city, towards which they directed their scattered flight. The general himself, having taken his station on an eminence, which commanded a view both of that and the adjacent country, ordered a cohort of Bruttians to approach the walls, and invite the leaders of the Locrians to a conference, and, with assurances of Hannibal's friendship, to persuade them to a surrender. At the beginning of the conference the Bruttians had no credit given to any of their representations; afterward, when the Carthaginians appeared on the hills, and the few citizens who had effected an escape had informed the townsmen that the rest of the multitude were in the enemy's power, then, overcome by fear, they answered, that they would consult the people. Accordingly they instantly summoned an assembly, in which appeared all of the most unsettled who wished for a

change of measures and of allies, with those whose relations had been intercepted by the enemy, and who had their judgments influenced by those pledges, as if so many hostages had been given for their conduct; while a few rather approving in silence, than venturing openly to maintain the cause which they would have espoused, it was concluded, with every appearance of perfect unanimity, to surrender to the Carthaginians. Lucius Atilius, the commander of the garrison, and the Roman soldiers who were with him, were privately conveyed to the harbour, and put on board ships, to be carried off to Rhegium, and then the townsmen received Hasdrubal and his Carthaginians into the city, on the condition of an alliance being immediately entered into on terms of equality. When they had surrendered, they were very near losing the benefit of this stipulation; for the Carthaginian general accused them of having covertly sent away the Roman commander, while they alleged that he had escaped without their privity. A body of cavalry was now sent in pursuit, in case, by any accident, the current might detain him in the strait, or drive the ships to land: these did not overtake him; but they saw other ships crossing from Messana to Rhegium, which carried Roman soldiers, sent by the pretor Claudius, as a garrison for the security of that city in consequence of this, the enemy withdrew immediately from Rhegium. In pursuance of orders from Hannibal, a treaty of peace was concluded with the Locrians, on these terms, that "they should live in freedom under their own laws; that the city should be open always to the Carthaginians, but that the harbour should remain in their possession, as at first; and that, as the fundamental principle of the treaty, the Carthaginians should, on all occasions, assist the Locrians, and the Locrians the Carthaginians."

2. The Carthaginians, after this, marched back from the strait, while the Bruttians expressed great dissatisfaction at their having left Rhegium and Locri in safety, for they had destined to themselves the plunder of those places. Wherefore, having formed into bodies, and armed fifteen thousand of their own young men, they set out to lay siege to Croto, another Grecian city and a seaport; thinking that it would prove a very great accession to their power if they should gain possession of a harbour on the coast, and of a strongly fortified town. They were embarrassed by the consideration that they could not well venture to proceed without calling in the Carthaginians to their assistance, lest they should appear to conduct themselves, in any case, inconsist ently with the character of confederates; and that, on the contrary, should the Carthaginian general again act rather

as an umpire of peace than an auxiliary in war, the attack on the independence of Croto, like the former one on Locri, would be productive to them of no advantage. For these reasons it was judged most advisable to send ambassadors to Hannibal, to procure from him beforehand an engagement, that Croto, when reduced, should be the property of the Bruttians. Hannibal, remarking that persons on the spot were the fittest to determine in such a case, referred them to Hanno, from whom they could obtain no decisive answer: for these commanders did not wish that a city so celebrated and so opulent should be plundered; and, at the same time, they entertained hopes that, as the Bruttians were to be the assailants, the Carthaginians not appearing either to countenance or aid the attack, the inhabitants might the more readily come over to their side. But the Crotonians were not united in their designs or in their wishes. The same distemper, as it were, had seized every one of the states of Italy; the nobility and commons embracing opposite parties, the former favouring the Romans, the latter violently endeavouring to bring about a union with the Carthaginians. A deserter informed the Bruttians that a dissension of this sort prevailed in Croto; that one Aristomachus headed the party of the commons, and pressed them to surrender to the Carthaginians; that the city being very extensive, and the works stretching to a great extent on all sides, the watches were divided separately between the senators and commons; and that in every quarter where the latter had the guard, the assailants would find a ready entrance. Under the direction and guidance of this deserter, the Bruttians encircled the town; and being received into it by the plebeians, carried, at the first assault, every post except the citadel: of this the nobles held the possession, having beforehand secured a refuge there, in case of such an event as now happened. Aristomachus also fled thither, pretending that he had advised surrendering the city to the Carthaginians, not to the Bruttians.

3. Before the coming of Pyrrhus into Italy, the wall encompassing Croto was twelve miles in circumference; since the devastation caused by the war which then took place, scarcely one half of the enclosed space was inhabited; the river which formerly flowed through the middle of the town now ran on the outside of the part occupied by buildings, and the citadel was at a great distance from these. Six miles from the city stood the famous temple of Juno Lacinia, more universally celebrated than the city itself, and held in high veneration by all the surrounding nations. Here a consecrated grove, encompassed on the extremities by closeranged trees and tall firs, comprehended in the middle a

tract of rich pasture-ground, in which cattle of every kind sacred to the goddess fed, without any keeper; the herds of each particular kind going out separately, and returning at night to their stalls, without receiving injury either from wild beasts or men. The profits therefore accruing from these cattle were great; out of which a pillar of solid gold was erected and consecrated, so that the fane became as remarkable for riches as for sanctity. Several miracles are also attributed to it, as they generally are to such remarkable places: it is said that there is an altar in the porch of the temple, the ashes on which are never moved by any wind. The citadel of Croto, hanging over the sea on one side, and on the other facing the country, had originally no other defence than its natural situation; afterward a wall was added, enclosing a place through which Dionysius, tyrant of Sicily, effecting a passage over some rocks at the back part, had taken it by surprise. The fort thus situate, and deemed sufficiently secure, was held by the nobles, while the plebeians of Croto, in conjunction with the Bruttians, carried on the siege against them. After a considerable time, perceiving that the place was too strong to be reduced by their own force, they yielded to necessity, and implored the assistance of Hanno. Hanno endeavoured to prevail on the Crotonians to surrender, allowing a colony of Bruttians to be settled among them; so that their city, wasted and depopulated by wars, might recover its former populous state; but not one of the whole number, excepting Aristomachus, would listen to the proposal: they declared warmly, that "they would rather die than, by admitting Bruttians into their society, be obliged to adopt foreign rites, manners, laws, and, in time, even a foreign language." Aristomachus, unable by persuasions to bring about a surrender, and finding no opportunity of betraying the citadel, as he had betrayed the town, left the place and went over to Hanno. Soon after this, ambassadors from Locri going, with Hanno's permission, into the citadel, used many arguments to prevail on them to suffer themselves to be removed to Locri, and not to resolve on hazarding the last extremities. This design they had already got leave to execute from Hannibal himself, having sent deputies to treat with him in person. Accordingly Croto was evacuated, and the inhabitants, being conducted to the sea, went on board ships. The whole body of the people removed to Locri. In Apulia even the winter did not produce a suspension of hostilities between the Romans and Hannibal. The consul Sempronius had his winterquarters at Luceria; Hannibal his near Arpi. Several slight engagements passed between their troops, in consequence of opportunities offering, or of one or the other

party gaining an occasional advantage; and by these the Roman soldiery were improved, and rendered daily more cautious, and guarded against the enemy's stratagems.

4. In Sicily the whole course of affairs took a turn unfa vourable to the Romans in consequence of the death of Hiero, and of the kingdom devolving to his grandson Hieronymus, a boy, in whom there was originally no room to expect moderation of conduct, much less on his being invested with absolute power. His guardians and friends were happy in finding him of such a disposition as they could hurry at once into every kind of vice. It is said that Hiero, foresee ing that this would be the case, had, in the last stage of his life, formed an intention of leaving Syracuse free, lest the sovereignty which had been acquired and established by honourable means, should, under the tyrannical administra tion of a boy, be destroyed through folly and extravagance. This design his daughters opposed strenuously, because they expected that while Hieronymus enjoyed the title of king, the whole administration of affairs would rest in them and their husbands, Andranodorus and Zoippus, for these were left the principal among his guardians. It was no easy mat ter for a man, now in his ninetieth year, and beset night and day by the insinuating wiles of women, to keep his judg ment at liberty, and to regulate his domestic concerns by the standard of public utility. He therefore only took the precaution of setting fifteen guardians over his grandson; and these he entreated in his dying moments to maintain inviolate the alliance with the Roman people, which he had religiously observed through a course of fifty years; to direct their endeavours principally to the making the boy tread in his steps, and pursue the maxims inculcated in his education. After giving these charges, he expired, and the gov ernors quitted him. The will was then produced, and the prince, now about fifteen years old, was brought before the people in assembly, on which a few who had been placed in different parts of the crowd for the purpose of raising accla mations, signified their approbation of the will; while the rest, affected as if they had lost their parent, dreaded all things in a state thus bereft of its protector. The king's funeral was next performed, and more through the love and affection of his subjects than any care of his relations, was numerously attended. In a little time after, Andranodorus displaced the other guardians, asserting that Hieronymus had attained to the years of manhood, and was capable of holding the government; and by thus resigning the guardianship which he held in common with many, he collected in himself singly the power of them all.

5. Scarcely would even a good and moderate prince, suc

LIV. VOL. II. -B