by Polybius
86. This achievement of Hamilcar revived the hopes of the Carthaginians who had been in absolute despair: while he, in conjunction with Narávas and Hannibal, employed himself in traversing the country and visiting the cities. His victory secured the submission of the Libyans; and when they had come in, and the greater number of the towns had been reduced to obedience, he and his colleagues advanced to attack Tunes, and commenced besieging Mathos. Hannibal pitched his camp on the side of the town nearest to Carthage, and Hamilcar on the opposite side. When this was done they brought the captives taken from the army of Spendius and crucified them in the sight of the enemy. But observing that Hannibal was conducting his command with negligence and over-confidence, Mathos assaulted the ramparts, killed many of the Carthaginians, and drove the entire army from the camp. All the baggage fell into the hands of the enemy, and Hannibal himself was made a prisoner. They at once took him up to the cross on which Spendius was hanging, and after the infliction of exquisite tortures, took down the latter’s body and fastened Hannibal, still living, to his cross; and then slaughtered thirty Carthaginians of the highest rank round the corpse of Spendius. It seemed as though Fortune designed a competition in cruelty, giving either side alternately the opportunity of outdoing the other in mutual vengeance. Owing to the distance of the two camps from each other it was late before Barcas discovered the attack made from the town; nor, when he had discovered it, could he even then go to the rescue with the necessary speed, because the intervening country was rugged and difficult. He therefore broke up his camp, and leaving Tunes marched down the bank of the river Macaras, and pitched his camp close to its mouth and to the sea.
[1] οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι παραδόξου τῆς περιπετείας αὐτοῖς φανείσης δυσθύμως καὶ δυσελπίστως εἶχον πάλιν: ἄρτι γὰρ ἀναθαρροῦντες ταῖς ψυχαῖς παρὰ πόδας ἔπιπτον αὖθις ταῖς ἐλπίσιν. [2] οὐ μὴν ἀφίσταντο τοῦ ποιεῖν τὰ πρὸς τὴν σωτηρίαν. [3] διὸ καὶ τριάκοντα μὲν τῆς γερουσίας προχειρισάμενοι καὶ μετὰ τούτων τὸν πρότερον μὲν ἀπελθόντα στρατηγὸν Ἄννωνα, τότε δ᾽ ἐπαναγαγόντα, σὺν δὲ τούτοις τοὺς ὑπολοίπους τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἡλικίαις καθοπλίσαντες, οἷον ἐσχάτην τρέχοντες ταύτην, ἐξαπέστελλον πρὸς τὸν Βάρκαν, [4] ἐντειλάμενοι πολλὰ τοῖς τῆς γερουσίας κατὰ πάντα τρόπον διαλῦσαι τοὺς στρατηγοὺς ἐκ τῆς προγεγενημένης διαφορᾶς καὶ συμφρονεῖν σφᾶς ἀναγκάσαι, βλέψαντας εἰς τὰ παρόντα τῶν πραγμάτων. [5] ὧν πολλοὺς καὶ ποικίλους διαθεμένων λόγους, ἐπειδὴ συνήγαγον ὁμόσε τοὺς στρατηγούς, ἠναγκάσθησαν συγχωρεῖν καὶ πείθεσθαι τοῖς λεγομένοις οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἄννωνα καὶ τὸν Βάρκαν, [6] καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη συμφρονήσαντες μιᾷ γνώμῃ πάντα κατὰ νοῦν ἔπραττον τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις, [7] ὥστε τοὺς περὶ τὸν Μάθω δυσχρηστουμένους ἐν τοῖς κατὰ μέρος κινδύνοις — πολλοὺς γὰρ ἐποιήσαντο περί τε τὴν Λέπτιν προσαγορευομένην καί τινας τῶν ἄλλων πόλεων — τέλος ἐπὶ τὸ διὰ μάχης κρίνειν ὁρμῆσαι τὰ πράγματα, προθύμως ἐχόντων πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος καὶ τῶν Καρχηδονίων. [8] διόπερ ἀμφότεροι τοῦτο προθέμενοι παρεκάλουν μὲν πάντας τοὺς συμμάχους πρὸς τὸν κίνδυνον, συνῆγον δὲ τὰς φρουρὰς ἐκ τῶν πόλεων, ὡς ἂν μέλλοντες ἐκκυβεύειν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων. [9] ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ ἑκατέροις ἦν τὰ πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβολὴν ἕτοιμα, παραταξάμενοι συνέβαλλον ἀλλήλοις ἐξ ὁμολόγου. [10] γενομένου δὲ τοῦ νικήματος κατὰ τοὺς Καρχηδονίους, οἱ μὲν πλεῖστοι τῶν Λιβύων ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ κινδύνῳ διεφθάρησαν, οἱ δὲ πρός τινα πόλιν συμφυγόντες μετ᾽ οὐ πολὺ παρέδοσαν ἑαυτούς, ὁ δὲ Μάθως ὑποχείριος ἐγένετο τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ζωγρίᾳ.
87. This unexpected reverse reduced the Carthaginians once more to a melancholy state of despair. But though their recent elation of spirit was followed so closely by this depression, they did not fail to do what they could for their own preservation. They selected thirty members of the Senate; with them they associated Hanno, who had some time ago been recalled; and, arming all that were left of military age in the city, despatched them to Barcas, with the feeling that they were now making their supreme effort. They strictly charged the members of the Senate to use every effort to reconcile the two generals Hamilcar and Hanno, and to make them forget their old quarrel and act harmoniously, in view of the imminence of the danger. Accordingly, after the employment of many various arguments, they induced the generals to meet; and Hanno and Barcas were compelled to give in and yield to their representations. The result was that they ever afterwards co-operated with each other so cordially, that Mathos found himself continually worsted in the numerous skirmishes which took place round the town called Leptis, as well as certain other towns; and at last became eager to bring the matter to the decision of a general engagement, a desire in which the Carthaginians also shared in an equal degree. Both sides therefore having determined upon this course: they summoned all their allies to join them in confronting the peril, and collected the garrisons stationed in the various towns, conscious that they were about to stake their all on the hazard. All being ready on either side for the conflict, they gave each other battle by mutual consent, both sides being drawn up in full military array. When victory declared itself on the side of the Carthaginians, the larger number of the Libyans perished on the field; and the rest, having escaped to a certain town, surrendered shortly afterwards; while Mathos himself was taken prisoner by his enemies.
[1] τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα μέρη τῆς Λιβύης μετὰ τὴν μάχην εὐθέως ὑπήκουσε τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις: [2] ἡ δὲ τῶν Ἱππακριτῶν καὶ τῶν Ἰτυκαίων πόλις ἔμενον, οὐδεμίαν ἀφορμὴν ἔχουσαι πρὸς διάλυσιν διὰ τὸ μὴ καταλείπεσθαι σφίσι τόπον ἐλέους μηδὲ συγγνώμης κατὰ τὰς πρώτας ἐπιβολάς. [3] οὕτως καὶ κατὰ ταύτας τὰς ἁμαρτίας μεγάλην ἔχει διαφορὰν ἡ μετριότης καὶ τὸ μηδὲν ἀνήκεστον ἐπιτηδεύειν ἑκουσίως. [4] οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ παραστρατοπεδεύσαντες ᾗ μὲν Ἄννων ᾗ δὲ Βάρκας ταχέως ἠνάγκασαν αὐτοὺς ὁμολογίας ποιήσασθαι καὶ διαλύσεις εὐδοκουμένας Καρχηδονίοις. [5] ὁ μὲν οὖν Λιβυκὸς πόλεμος εἰς τοιαύτην ἀγαγὼν περίστασιν Καρχηδονίους τοιοῦτον ἔσχε τὸ τέλος ὥστε μὴ μόνον κυριεῦσαι πάλιν τῆς Λιβύης τοὺς Καρχηδονίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς αἰτίους τῆς ἀποστάσεως τιμωρήσασθαι καταξίως: [6] τὸ γὰρ πέρας, ἀγαγόντες οἱ νέοι τὸν θρίαμβον διὰ τῆς πόλεως πᾶσαν αἰκίαν ἐναπεδείξαντο τοῖς περὶ τὸν Μάθω. [7] τρία μὲν οὖν ἔτη καὶ τέτταράς που μῆνας ἐπολέμησαν οἱ μισθοφόροι πρ�
��ς τοὺς Καρχηδονίους πόλεμον, ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν ἀκοῇ μαθόντες, πολύ τι τοὺς ἄλλους ὠμότητι καὶ παρανομίᾳ διενηνοχότα. [8] Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκ τῆς Σαρδόνος αὐτομολησάντων μισθοφόρων πρὸς σφᾶς ἐκκληθέντες ἐπεβάλοντο πλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν προειρημένην νῆσον. τῶν δὲ Καρχηδονίων ἀγανακτούντων, [9] ὡς αὐτοῖς καθηκούσης μᾶλλον τῆς τῶν Σαρδῴων δυναστείας, καὶ παρασκευαζομένων μεταπορεύεσθαι τοὺς ἀποστήσαντας αὐτῶν τὴν νῆσον, [10] λαβόμενοι τῆς ἀφορμῆς ταύτης οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι πόλεμον ἐψηφίσαντο πρὸς τοὺς Καρχηδονίους, φάσκοντες αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐπὶ Σαρδονίους, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ σφᾶς ποιεῖσθαι τὴν παρασκευήν. [11] οἱ δὲ παραδόξως διαπεφευγότες τὸν προειρημένον πόλεμον, κατὰ πάντα τρόπον ἀφυῶς διακείμενοι κατὰ τὸ παρὸν πρὸς τὸ πάλιν ἀναλαμβάνειν τὴν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ἀπέχθειαν, [12] εἴξαντες τοῖς καιροῖς οὐ μόνον ἀπέστησαν τῆς Σαρδόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ χίλια τάλαντα καὶ διακόσια προσέθηκαν τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἐφ᾽ ᾧ μὴ κατὰ τὸ παρὸν ἀναδέξασθαι τὸν πόλεμον. ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως ἐπράχθη.
88. Most places in Libya submitted to Carthage after this battle. But the towns of Hippo and Utica still held out, feeling that they had no reasonable grounds for obtaining terms, because their original acts of hostility left them no place for mercy or pardon. So true is it that even in such outbreaks, however criminal in themselves, it is of inestimable advantage to be moderate, and to refrain from wanton acts which commit their perpetrator beyond all power of forgiveness. Nor did their attitude of defiance help these cities. Hanno invested one and Barcas the other, and quickly reduced them to accept whatever terms the Carthaginians might determine.
The war with the Libyans had indeed reduced Carthage to dreadful danger; but its termination enabled her not only to re-establish her authority over Libya, but also to inflict condign punishment upon the authors of the revolt. For the last act in the drama was performed by the young men conducting a triumphal procession through the town, and finally inflicting every kind of torture upon Mathos. For three years and about four months did the mercenaries maintain a war against the Carthaginians which far surpassed any that I ever heard of for cruelty and inhumanity.
And about the same time the Romans took in hand a naval expedition to Sardinia upon the request of the mercenaries who had deserted from that island and come to Italy; and when the Carthaginians expressed indignation at this, on the ground that the lordship over Sardinia more properly belonged to them, and were preparing to take measures against those who caused the revolt of the island, the Romans voted to declare war against them, on the pretence that they were making warlike preparations, not against Sardinia, but against themselves. The Carthaginians, however, having just had an almost miraculous escape from annihilation in the recent war, were in every respect disabled from renewing their quarrel with the Romans. They therefore yielded to the necessities of the hour, and not only abandoned Sardinia, but paid the Romans twelve hundred talents into the bargain, that they might not be obliged to undertake the war for the present.
BOOK 2
[1] ἐν μὲν τῇ πρὸ ταύτης βύβλῳ διεσαφήσαμεν πότε Ῥωμαῖοι συστησάμενοι τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν τοῖς ἐκτὸς ἐγχειρεῖν ἤρξαντο πράγμασιν, ἐπὶ δὲ τούτοις πῶς εἰς Σικελίαν διέβησαν καὶ δι᾽ ἃς αἰτίας τὸν περὶ τῆς προειρημένης νήσου συνεστήσαντο πόλεμον πρὸς Καρχηδονίους, [2] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πότε πρῶτον συνίστασθαι ναυτικὰς ἤρξαντο δυνάμεις, καὶ τὰ συμβάντα κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἑκατέροις ἕως τοῦ τέλους, ἐν ᾧ Καρχηδόνιοι μὲν ἐξεχώρησαν πάσης Σικελίας, Ῥωμαῖοι δ᾽ ἐπεκράτησαν τῆς ὅλης νήσου πλὴν τῶν ὑφ᾽ Ἱέρωνι ταττομένων μερῶν. [3] ἑξῆς δὲ τούτοις ἐπεβαλόμεθα λέγειν πῶς στασιάσαντες οἱ μισθοφόροι πρὸς τοὺς Καρχηδονίους τὸν προσαγορευθέντα Λιβυκὸν πόλεμον ἐξέκαυσαν, καὶ τὰ συμβάντα κατὰ τοῦτον ἀσεβήματα μέχρι τίνος προύβη, καὶ τίνα διέξοδον ἔλαβεν τὰ παράλογα τῶν ἔργων ἕως τοῦ τέλους καὶ τῆς Καρχηδονίων ἐπικρατείας. [4] νυνὶ δὲ τὰ συνεχῆ τούτοις πειρασόμεθα δηλοῦν, κεφαλαιωδῶς ἑκάστων ἐπιψαύοντες κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρόθεσιν. [5] Καρχηδόνιοι γὰρ ὡς θᾶττον κατεστήσαντο τὰ κατὰ τὴν Λιβύην, εὐθέως Ἀμίλκαν ἐξαπέστελλον, δυνάμεις συστήσαντες, εἰς τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν τόπους. [6] ὁ δ᾽ ἀναλαβὼν τὰ στρατόπεδα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν Ἀννίβαν, ὄντα τότε κατὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἐτῶν ἐννέα, καὶ διαβὰς κατὰ τὰς Ἡρακλέους στήλας ἀνεκτᾶτο τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν πράγματα τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις. [7] διατρίψας δ᾽ ἐν τοῖς τόποις τούτοις ἔτη σχεδὸν ἐννέα καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν πολέμῳ, πολλοὺς δὲ πειθοῖ ποιήσας Ἰβήρων ὑπηκόους Καρχηδόνι κατέστρεψε τὸν βίον ἀξίως τῶν προγεγενημένων πράξεων. [8] πρὸς γὰρ τοὺς ἀνδρωδεστάτους καὶ μεγίστην δύναμιν ἔχοντας παραταττόμενος καὶ χρώμενος τολμηρῶς καὶ παραβόλως ἑαυτῷ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ κινδύνου καιρὸν ἐρρωμένως τὸν βίον μετήλλαξεν. [9] τὴν δὲ στρατηγίαν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι παρέδοσαν Ἀσδρούβᾳ, τῷ ‘κείνου κηδεστῇ καὶ τριηράρχῳ.
1. In the previous book I have described how the Romans, having subdued all Italy, began to aim at foreign dominion; how they crossed to Sicily, and the reasons of the war which they entered into against the Carthaginians for the possession of that island. Next I stated at what period they began the formation of a navy; and what befell both the one side and the other up to the end of the war; the consequence of which was that the Carthaginians entirely evacuated Sicily, and the Romans took possession of the whole island, except such parts as were still under the rule of Hiero. Following these events I endeavoured to describe how the mutiny of the mercenaries against Carthage, in what is called the Libyan War, burst out; the lengths to which the shocking outrages in it went; its surprises and extraordinary incidents, until its conclusion, and the final triumph of Carthage. I must now relate the events which immediately succeeded these, touching summarily upon each in accordance with my original plan.
As soon as they had brought the Libyan war to a conclusion the Carthaginian government collected an army and despatched it under the command of Hamilcar to Iberia. This general took over the command of the troops, and with his son Hannibal, then nine years old, crossing by the Pillars of Hercules, set about recovering the Carthaginian possessions in Iberia. He spent nine years in Iberia, and after reducing many Iberian tribes by war or diplomacy to obedience to Carthage he died in a manner worthy of his g
reat achievements; for he lost his life in a battle against the most warlike and powerful tribes, in which he showed a conspicuous and even reckless personal gallantry. The Carthaginians appointed his son-in-law Hasdrubal to succeed him, who was at the time in command of the fleet.