the city, and of the fame height. When it was finished, he commanded four thousand men to get on the top of it, and to discharge from it a perpetual shower of darts and arrows upon the enemy, which did great execution; because, as the two walls were of equal height, there was scarce one dart without effect. Thus ended this campaign. (y) During the winter-quarters, Scipio endeavoured to overpower the enemy's troops without the city, who very much haraffed the troops that brought his provifions, and protected fuch as were fent to the befieged. For this purpofe he attacked a neighbouring fort, called Nepheris, where they used to shelter themselves. In the laft action, above feventy thoufand of the enemy, as well foldiers as peasants, who had been inlifted, were cut to pieces; and the fort was carried with great difficulty, after fuftaining a fiege of two and twenty days. The feizure of this fort was followed by the surrender of almost all the strong-holds in Africa; and contributed very much to the taking of Carthage itself, into which, from that time, it was almoft impoffible to bring any provifions. (x) Early in the fpring, Scipio attacked, at one and the fame time, the harbour called Cothon, and the citadel. Having poffeffed himself of the wall which furrounded this port, he threw himself into the great fquare of the city that was near it, from whence was an afcent to the citadel, up three ftreets, on each fide of which were houses, from the tops whereof a shower of darts were discharged upon the Romans, who were obliged, before they could advance farther, to force the houses they came firft to, and poft themselves in them, in order to diflodge from thence the enemy who fought from the neighbouring houses. The combat which was carried on from the tops, and in every part of the houfes, continued fix days, during which a dreadful flaughter was made. To clear the freets, and make way for the troops, the Romans dragged afide, with hooks, the bodies of fuch of the inhabitants as had been flain, or precipitated headlong from the houses; and threw them into pits, the greateft part of them being fill alive and panting. In this toil, which lafted fix days and as many nights, the foldiers were relieved from time to time, by fresh ones, without which they would have been quite spent. Scipio was the only perfon who did not take a wink of fleep all this time; giving orders in all places, and fcarce allowing himself leifure to take the leaft refreshment. (a) There was ftill reason to believe, that the fiege would laft (y) Appian. p. 78. (a) A. M. 3859. A. Rem, 603. Appian. pag. 79. (a) Fag. 81. laft much longer, and occafion a great effufion of blood. But on the feventh day, there appeared a company of men in a fuppliant pofture and habit, who defired no other conditions, but that the Romans would pleafe to fpare the lives of all those who fhould be willing to leave the citadel; which request was granted them, only the deferters were excepted. Accordingly there came out fifty thousand men and women, who were fent into the fields under a strong guard. The deferters, who were about nine hundred, finding they would not be allowed quarter, fortified themfelves in the temple of Efculapius, with Afdrubal, his wife, and two children; where, though their number was but fmall, they might have held out a long time, because the temple ftood on a very high hill, upon rocks, to which the afcent was by fixty fteps. But at last, exhausted by hunger and watchings, oppreffed with fear, and feeing their deftruction at hand, they loft all patience; when, abandoning the lower part of the temple, they retired to the uppermoft ftory, and refolved not to quit it but with their lives. In the mean time Afdrubal, being defirous of faving his own life, came down privately to Scipio, carrying an olive-branch in his hand, and threw himself at his feet. Scipio fhewed him immediately to the deferters, who, tranfported with rage and fury at the fight, vented millions of imprecations against him, and fet fire to the temple. Whilft it was lighting, we are told, that Afdrubal's wife, dreffing herfelf as fplendidly as poffible, and placing herself with her two children in fight of Scipio, addreffed him with a loud voice: "I call not down, " fays fhe, curfes upon thy head, O Roman; for thou only "takeft the privilege allowed by the laws of war: But may "the gods of Carthage, and thou in concert with them, pu "nifh, according to his deferts, the falfe wretch,, who has "betrayed his country, his gods, his wife, his children! Then, directing herfelf to Afdrubal," Perfidious wretch, "fays fhe; thou bafeft of creatures! this fire will presently "confume both me and my children; but as to thee, (too "fhameful general of Carthage) go-adorn the gay triumph "of thy conqueror-fuffer, in the fight of all Rome, the tor "tures thou fo juftly deferyeft!" She had no fooner pronoun> eed thefe words, but feizing her children, fhe cut their throats, threw them into the flames, and afterwards rufhed into them herself; in which fhe was imitated by all the deferters. (6) With regard to Scipio, when he faw this famous city; which had flourished feven hundred years, and might have been compared to the greateft empires, on account of the extent of C 6 its its dominions both by fea and land; its mighty armies; its fleets, elephants, and riches; and that the Carthaginians were even fuperior to other nations, by their courage and greatness of foul; as notwithstanding their being deprived of arms and fhips, they had fuftained, for three whole years, all the hardfhips and calamities of a long ficge; feeing, I fay, this city entirely ruined, hiftorians relate, that he could not refufe his tears to the unhappy fate of Carthage. He reflected, that cities, nations, and empires, are liable to revolutions no lefs than particular men; that the like fad fate had befallen Troy, anciently fo powerful; and, in later times, the Affyrians, Medes, and Perfians, whofe dominions were once of fo great an extent; and laftly, the Macedonians, whofe empire had been fo glorious throughout the world. Full of these mournful ideas, he repeated the following verses of Homer, Έσσεται ἦμαρ, ὅταν ποτ' ὀλώλη Ιλιθερή, The day fhall come, that great avenging day, II. d. 164, 165. Which Troy's proud glories in the duft fhall lay, POPE. thereby denouncing the future deftiny of Rome, as he himself confeffed to Polybius, who defired Scipio to explain himself on that occafion. Had the truth enlightened his foul, he would have difcovered what we are taught in the Scriptures, that (c) because of unrighteous dealings, injuries, and riches got by deceit, a kingdom is tranflated from one people to another. Carthage is deftroyed, because its avarice, perfidioufnefs, and cruelty, have attained their utmost height. The like fate will attend Rome, when its luxury, ambition, pride, and unjuft ufurpations, concealed beneath a fpecious and delufive fhew of justice and virtue, fhall have compelled the fovereign Lord, the difpofer of empires, to give the universe an important leon in its fall. (d) Carthage being taken in this manner, Scipio gave the plunder of it (the gold, filver, ftatues, and other offerings which thould be found, in the temples excepted) to his foldiers for fome days. He afterwards bestowed feveral military rewards (c) Ecclef. x. 8, (d) A. M. 3859. A. Carth. 701. Ant. J. C. 345. Appian. p. 83. rewards on them, as well as on the officers, two of whom had particularly diftinguished themselves, viz. Tib. Gracchus, and Caius Fannius, who firft fcaled the walls. After this, adorning a very fmall fhip (an excellent failer) with the enemy's fpoils, he fent it to Rome with the news of the victory. ' (e) At the fame time he ordered the inhabitants of Sicily to come and take poffeffion of the pictures and ftatues which the Carthaginians had plundered them of in the former wars. When he restored, to the citizens of Agrigentum, Phalaris's famous bull*, he told them that this bull, which was, at one and the fame time, a monument of the cruelty of their ancient kings, and of the lenity of their prefent fovereigns, ought to make them fenfible, which would be most advantageous for them, to live under the yoke of Sicilians, or the government of the Romans. Having expofed to fale part of the fpoils of Carthage, he commanded, on the mof fevere penalties, his family not to take, or even buy any of them; fo careful was he to remove from himself, and all belonging to him, the leaft fufpicion of avarice. (f) When the news of the taking of Carthage was brought to Rome, the people abandoned themfelves to the most immoderate tranfports of joy, as if the publick tranquillity had not been fecured till that inftant. They revolved in their minds, all the calamities which the Carthaginians had brought upon them, in Sicily, in Spain, and even in Italy, for fixteen years together; during which, Hannibal had plundered four hundred towns, deftroyed three hundred thousand men, and reduced Rome itfelf to the utmost extremity. Amidst the remembrance of thefe paft evils, the people in Rome would ask one another, whether it were really true that Carthage was in alhes. All ranks and degrees of men emuloufly ftrove who fhould fhew the greatest gratitude towards the gods; and the citizens were, for many days, employed wholly in folemn facrifices, in publick prayers, games, and fpectacles. (g) After thefe, religious duties were ended, the fenate fent ten commiflioners into Africa, to regulate, in conjunction with Scipio, the fate and condition of that country, in times to come, The firft care was to demolish whatever was ftill remaining (e) Appian. p. 83. (f) Ibid. (g) Pag, 84. Quem taurum Scipio cum redde- pulo R. obtemperare, cum idem mo. ret Agrigentinis, dixiffe dicitur, æqu-numentum & domefticæ crudelitatis, um effe illos cogitare utrum effet Si- & noftræ manfuetudinis haberent. culis utilius, fuifne fervire, an po- | Cicer. Verr. vi. n. 73. maining of Carthage. Romet, though miftrefs of almost the whole world, could not believe herself fafe as long as even the name of Carthage was in being: So true it is, that an inveterate hatred, fomented by long and bloody wars, lafts even beyond the time when all caufe of fear is removed; and does not ceafe, till the object that occafions it is no more. Orders were given, in the name of the Romans, that it fhould never be inhabited again; and dreadful imprecations were denounced against thofe, who, contrary to this prohibition, fhould attempt to rebuild any parts of it, especially thofe called Byrfa and Megara. In the mean time, every one who defired it, was admitted to fee Carthage: Scipio being well pleafed, to have people view the fad ruins of a city which had dared to contend with Rome for empire 1. The commiffioners decreed further, that thofe cities, which, during this war, had joined with the enemy, fhould all be rafed, and their territories be given to the Roman allies; they particularly made a grant to the citizens of Utica, of the whole country lying between Carthage and Hippo. All the reft they made tributary, and reduced it into a Roman province, whither a prætor was fent annually. (b) All matters being thus fettled, Scipio returned to Rome, where he made his entry in triumph. So magnificent a one had never been feen before; the whole exhibiting nothing but ftatues, rare invaluable pictures, and other curiofities, which the Carthaginians had, for many years, been collecting, in other countries; not to mention the money carried into the publick treasury, that amounted to immenfe fams. (i) Notwithstanding the great precautions which were taken, to hinder Carthage from being ever rebuilt, in less than thirty years after, and even in Scipio's life-time, one of the Grac chi, to ingratiate himself with the people, undertook to found it a-new, and conducted thither a colony confifting of fix thoufand citizens for that purpose. The fenate, hearing that the workmen had been terrified by many unlucky omens, at the (b) Appian. p. 84. time (i) Ibid. p. 85. Plut. in vit, Gracch. p. 839. We may guess at the dimenfions of this famous city, by what Florus fays, viz. that it was feventeen days on fire, before it could be all confumed. Quanta urbs delata fit, ut de cæteris taceam, vel ignium mora probari poteft : Quippe per continuos decem & feptem dies vix potuit incendium extingui. Lib. ii. c. 15. Neque fe Roma, jam terrarum orbe fuperato, fecuram fperavit fore, fi nomen ufquam maneret Carthagi. | |