to dignify the Mamertines with the name of allies, instead of pro fessing to assist them, boldly declared war against Carthage, alleging as a reason, the assistance not long before rendered by Carthage to the southern parts of Italy, against the Romans.

Such was the frivolous pretext for this sanguinary war. It was the object, both of Carthage and Rome respectively, to reduce Sicily entirely to its sway. The Carthaginians had already possessed themselves of a considerable part of it. The Syracusans at first having confederated with the Carthaginians, at length turned against them. Agrigentum was taken from the Carthaginians, after a long siege; and a fleet of the Romans, the first they ever possessed, and which they had equipped in a few weeks, defeated that of Carthage, in a most signal manner. A second naval engagement soon followed, attended with like success, the Carthaginians, under Hanno and Hamil car, losing 60 ships of war.

These victories so much encouraged the Romans, that they boldly crossed the Mediterranean sea, and landing in Africa, took the small town of Clypea. Regulus, the leader, was ordered to remain there, and continue, as pro-consul, to command the troops; but he earnestly requested to return home, as he had a small estate of seven acres which required his care.

A person was directed to perform this service, and then Regulus, satisfied that his wife and children would have food, willingly devoted himself to his public duties. The Carthaginians had procured forces from Sparta under Xantippus, and thus supported, defeated the Romans, and took Regulus prisoner.

Regulus having been kept in prison several years, was then sent to Rome to propose peace, and an exchange of prisoners. He was first obliged to take an oath that he would return to Carthage, if he did not succeed in his proposals. When this noble Roman made his appearance among his countrymen, they were all touched by his misfortunes, and were willing to purchase his freedom, by granting the request of his enemies.

But he would not allow his country to suffer for his sake, and, though he knew that torture and death awaited him at Carthage, he besought the Romans to send him back, and to refuse the Carthaginians their prisoners. The senate, with the utmost pain, consented to this disinterested advice; and, in spite of the tears of his wife, the embraces of his children, and the entreaties of his friends, Regulus returned to Carthage.

The sequel may be easily conjectured. As soon as the Carthaginians saw hira come back with a denial, they put him to every kind of suffering they could invent-to the most barbarous tortures, all of which he bore with patient silence. He died as heroically as he had lived.

After various successes on both sides, the Romans gained two naval battles, and thus so effectually crippled the strength of the Carthaginians on their own element, that they sought a peace by great sacrifices. The island of Sicily was now declared a Roman province, though Syracuse maintained her independent government.

12. A peace of twenty-three years' continuance subsisted between Rome and Carthage, during which time the Romans had two short contentions-first with the Illyrians, and next with the Gauls. Over both of these nations the Roman arms triumphed. The temple of Janus, which was never shut during a time of war, was now shut for the second time, since the foundation of the city, 235 B. C. The Romans, at this era, began to cultivate the arts of peace, and to acquire a taste for literature.

§ The war with the Illyrians was owing to depredations committed by them, on the trading subjects of Rome. Redress being refused, the consuls marched against them, and most of the Illyrian towns were obliged to surrender. The war with the Gauls was occasioned by the irruption of these barbarians upon Italy. The Romans opposed them, with such success, that they lost two kings, and in one battle alone 40,000 men killed and 10,000 taken prisoners.

13. The peace between the Romans and Carthaginians was rather a matter of policy than of inclination. The Carthaginians particularly had improved the time in preparing for revenge. They began the aggression in the second Punic war, by laying siege to Saguntum, a city of Spain, in alliance with Rome. Their leader in this war was the celebrated Hannibal, son of Hamilcar, under whom the first Punic war was principally conducted. The son inherited the father's enmity to the Romans, and was greatly superior to him in talents.

The war commenced 218 years B. C., and lasted 17 years. It was at first highly favourable to the Carthaginians, and Rome was thrown into imminent danger, and great distress, by the victories of Hannibal, who had carried the war into Italy. But the Roman fortune began at length to prevail, and Hannibal was recalled to save Carthage itself, inasmuch as Scipio the Roman general, who triumphed in Spain, had passed over into Africa, and spread terror to the gates of Carthage.

Hannibal and Scipio met at Zama; the battle of that place decided the fate of the war, and the Carthaginians sued for peace, which they obtained only by abandoning Spain, Sicily, and all the islands--by surrendering all their prisoners, and nearly the whole of their fleet, by paying 10,000 talents, and by engaging to undertake no war without the consent of Rome.

§ Of Hannibal it is recorded, that when only nine years of age, at

the instance of his father, he took a solemn oath at the altar, decla ring himself the eternal enemy of the Romans; and never had they so terrible a foe. Like most other great soldiers, he was capable of bearing fatigue and hardship, heat and cold, good and bad fortune in the extreme, with entire equanimity, and without shrinking.

He was simple in dress, rigid in self-government--he ate, drank and slept only so much as to support his body, and give him strength to perform the intentions of his great mind. If, however, we are to believe the accounts of his enemies, he was not without striking moral defects--being cruel, negligent of his truth and honour, and a scorner of the religion of his country.

Hannibal crossing the sea from Africa to Europe, and taking Saguntum, in Spain marched through Spain, and over the Pyrennean hills into Gaul, along the coast of that country, and over the lofty Alps crowned with snow, to Italy---a land journey of 1000 miles, Such an exploit had never been done before. The difficulties of the way would have disheartened any other man. In addition to this he passed through various barbarous tribes, with most of whom he was obliged to fight for a passage; the Gauls among the rest attempting to oppose his progress.

He arrived in Italy with only 20,000 foot and 6000 horse. When he began this wonderful enterprise he was only 26 years old. Several Roman generals of approved talent and valour opposed him, yet he was on the point of making himself master of proud Rome. In the first engagement near the Ticinus, the Romans were defeated. and they lost two other important battles at the Trebia and the lake Thrasymenus.

Advancing to Cannæ, the Carthaginians were opposed by the whole force of Rome; but in vain. Their fine army under their consuls was totally routed. Varro gave orders for the battle against the wish of his colleague Paulus Æmilius; but the encounter once begun, Æmilius fought with the utmost skill and bravery, and died covered with wounds.

Just before his death he was found sitting on a stone, faint and streaming with blood. The soldier who discovered him, besought him to mount his horse, and put himself under his protection. "No," said Æmilius with gratitude, "I will not clog you with my sinking frame; go hasten to Rome, and tell the senate of this day's disaster, and bid them fortify the city, for the enemy is approaching it. I wil die with my slaughtered soldiers, that I may neither suffer the indignation of Rome myself, nor be called upon to give testimony against my colleague, to prove my own innocence."

It is an opinion generally entertained, though by no means certain, that if Hannibal had marched directly to Rome, after the battle of Cannæ, the fate of the republic would have been inevitable. But this he did not see fit to attempt. The tide of success now began tc turn against him. Wintering his troops in the luxurious city of Capua, they lost much of their virtue.

The Romans concentrated all their strength, even the slaves, armed in the common cause; and victory once more attended the stan

dards of Rome. Hannibal retreated before the brave Marcellus. The forces of the king of Macedon, who had joined the Carthaginians, were also defeated at this juncture.

While Fabius, who was now opposed to Hannibal, conducted the war prosperously, by always avoiding a general engagement, the younger Scipio accomplished the entire reduction of Spain. Asdrubal was sent into Italy after a long delay, to the assistance of his brother Hannibal, but was defeated by the consul Claudius, and slain in battle. Scipio, having triumphed in Spain, passed over into Africa, where his path was marked with terror and victory. This policy he had himself suggested to the Roman senate, as the only probable means of driving the Carthaginians from Italy. According to his expectations, when Carthage perceived the danger to which itself was exposed, Hannibal was recalled to protect his native land. He had been absent 16 years.

Scipio was an antagonist worthy of Hannibal. When he was very young, he saved the life of his father in a battle; and after the fatal overthrow at Cannæ, hearing of some young men who thought of abandoning their country, he, with a few other resolute spirits, suddenly entered the room where they were deliberating, and fiercely drew his sword and exclaimed, "whoever is against Rome, this sword is against him." The young men, intimidated by his resolution, or inspired by his spirit, took a vow with him and his companions, to fight for their country whilst a drop of blood remained in their veins. The mecting at Zama, in Africa, between Hannibal and Scipio, the two greatest warriors in the world, was highly interesting. They gazed on each other with mutual awe and admiration. Hannibal in vain strove to procure honourable terms of peace. The youthful Roman, however, answered him with pride and disdain; and the armies prepared for battle. The contest was dreadful; but the superior vigour of the Romans, notwithstanding the skill of the Carthaginians, prevailed. The latter lost 40,000 men in killed and in prisoners, and were thus obliged to conclude a fatal peace. Carthage was nearly ruined. As to Hannibal, he survived this battle several years; but being hated and hunted by the Romans from place to place, he committed the unjustifiable act of suicide, so common in ancient times.

"Let us relieve the Romans of their fears," said he, "by closing the existence of a feeble old man." He died at 70 years of age, at the court of Prussias, king of Bythynia. The second Punic war ended with the batile at Zama, B. C. 201.

14. The Roman dominion now rapidly extended. Other victories over other enemies attended the arms of the republic. Philip king of Macedon was defeated by the Romans under Flaminius in Thessaly, 197 years B. C. The Gauls received some signal overthrows.

§ The war with Philip is called the first Macedonian war, and was terminated by the request of Philip for peace, which the senate granted the second year of the contest. The second Macedonian war, which terminated the monarchy, as also that which put a period to Grecian

liberty, have already been narrated in the history of Macedonia and Greece.

15. Five years afterwards, or 192 years B. C., commenced the Syrian war, under Antiochus the Great. This ended in his entire defeat, and in the cession to the Romans of all Asia Minor. The pretext of this war was, that Antiochus had made encroachments on the Grecian states, who were then called the allies of Rome. These successes, by pouring wealth into Rome, began to corrupt the simplicity of the an cient manners.

SICILY.

16. The history of SICILY is considerably included in that of Rome and other nations, but a few particulars may deserve a separate notice. In early times the government was a monarchy, but it afterwards became a republic, and continued such, except at Syracuse, the monarchy of which, after 60 years, was re-established in the person of Dionysius the Elder.

The Sicilians were frequently engaged in wars with the Carthaginians, and the latter, in the course of time, possessed themselves of a considerable part of the island. It was the scene and the object of the first Punic war; and in the second, the whole of it was brought under the sway of Rome, by the consul Marcellus, 212 years B. C.

§ This important island in the Mediterranean sea, the granary of Italy, was settled in an early age of the world, though the exact period is unknown. The Phoenicians had sent colonies thither before the Trojan war. The Greeks at later periods made considerable settlements in the island. The Corinthians founded Syracuse, which became the most renowned of the Greek cities of Sicily.

The regal government exercised in the various parts of the island, having become excessively tyrannical, was the cause of its being abolished in all the cities held there by the Greeks. Dionysius, however, a person of mean birth, but great talents, found the means of reviving the monarchy at Syracuse, and though thrice expelled on account of his tyranny, he re-assumed the sceptre, which he transmited to his son, Dionysius the Younger.

This weak and detestable tyrant had been well educated by the great Plato; but he soon forgot all the good that had been taught him. He so provoked his virtuous brother-in-law Dion, (whom the jealousy of the nobles had banished,) by marrying Dion's wife to one of his courtiers, that the latter led an army to Syracuse, drove the tyrant from his throne, and recovered his wife. In the hands of Dion the government was administered with much moderation and ability. but this excellent sovereign was at last cruelly murdered