280. CHAP. XXVII. THE WAR OF ROME WITH PYRRHUS. B. C. WHEN the Romans threatened to subdue the Tarentines, that people invited to their assistance Pyrrhus, out of the northern part of Greece, 280 B. C. Pyrrhus brought over a powerful army and many elephants, an animal the Romans never had seen before; their cavalry, therefore, became unmanageable through the instinctive terror of the horses. The Romans were defeated, although Pyrrhus lost a great number of men. Overtures of peace were now made by Pyrrhus, but the Romans, fired by the spirited oration of a brave old veteran, returned for answer, that no terms could be received until Pyrrhus had left the shores of Italy. Pyrrhus then tried to corrupt the honesty of Fabricius, a man of known worth though low estate; but this project failed, and the money was rejected with scorn. Pyrrhus afterwards tried to frighten him with an elephant, but the Roman did not lose his self-command. Pyrrhus had now another engagement with the Romans, and though once more victorious, so great was the extent of his loss, that he uttered the exclamation so often quoted, "Another such a victory, and I am undone !" and gladly availed himself of 276. a specious pretext for leaving Italy, founded on a в.c. request by the Sicilians, that he should come to their assistance; accordingly Pyrrhus transported his army to Sicily. After two years he returned, but the Romans had now learnt the art of frightening the elephants by throwing among them balls of lighted pitch. The elephants thus became wild and unruly, and, turning on their own army, put it into utter confusion: the result was, that Pyrrhus was so totally defeated that he was obliged to fly, leaving to the enemy his encampment and stores. This encampment first taught the Romans how to fortify a military position, Curius, the general of the Roman army, a man as poor but as incorruptible as Fabricius, marched into Rome in triumph, followed by four elephants, CHAP. XXVIII. CARTHAGE-THE PUNIC WARS. 869. CARTHAGE, founded by a colony from Tyre on B. c. the northern coast of Africa, and which had grown by its shipping and extensive commerce to be a city of considerable importance, observed with jealous eye the growing power of Rome. The Carthaginians had possessions in Sicily, and finding that some Roman soldiers had won by treachery 264. B. C. the town of Messina, some troops were sent from Carthage under pretence of assisting the citizens, but with the real object of taking the town for themselves. The Roman soldiers sent home to their countrymen for reinforcements, which were accordingly sent, and thus originated the twentyfour years' war between Rome and Carthage, called the first punic war, carried on with great animosity from 264-241 B.C. The Romans, in 264 B.C., crossed over to Sicily on rafts, and many similar contrivances, and conquered almost the whole island. It was in Sicily they built their first fleet, taking for their model a Carthaginian ship that was stranded, and gained, under Duilius, their first naval victory, defeating a powerful fleet of the enemy, in the year 260 B.C. Regulus had the boldness to cross over to Africa, and, although at first victorious, was eventually conquered, and taken prisoner, 254 B.C. After several years of misfortune the Romans, in the year 250, won so important a naval victory, that the Carthaginians were compelled to sue for peace, and sent their prisoner Regulus to arrange the terms; but Regulus used all his influence to dissuade his countrymen from accepting the terms of their enemy, and, on his return to Carthage, was most cruelly put to death. * This tale, of the heroism of Regulus, is one of the most popular in Roman History, and presents the grandest picture of disinterested virtue. Horace and Cicero both bear testimony to the story, that 241. when Regulus was sent by the Carthaginians to в.c. propose terms with the Romans, he was bound by the most solemn oaths to return to Carthage without delay, and at the same time threatened with all the vengeance of his enemies in case he should return without effect. Still, when he came to Rome, he actually advised the Senate to reject the proposals, and then tore himself from the embraces of his family, and put aside the throng of friends who would have obstructed his return, and, in the calm serenity of moral greatness, bid adieu to his home and his country, deliberately preferring a death of agony to a life of dishonour. It is said that the enraged Carthaginians cut off his eye-lashes, and confined him to the mid-day sun, and afterwards left him to perish of agony in a barrel lined with spikes, about B.C. 257.* After this the Romans lost several fleets and exhausted their treasury; still rich and poor made common cause, and built one large fleet more. The Carthaginians, too, made every effort on their side, but they were defeated, 241 B.C., and compelled to accept the terms of peace dictated by Rome; namely, to evacuate Sicily, to give up all Roman prisoners, and a sum commonly computed at 375,000l. of our money. After peace was concluded, the Romans, not satisfied with their new acquisitions, obtained treacherous possession of Corsica and Sardinia. The Carthaginians determined on vengeance, and, crossing over to Spain, they conquered a great part of that country. The B. C. Romans became alarmed, and entered into a treaty 218. that the Carthaginians should neither attack Sagun tum nor cross the Ebro. But Hannibal, the Car- many were dashed many were buried |