The Consequence Of The New War
Which The Romans Waged Against Them, Was The Reduction Of Istria And Of
Illyricum Proper.
The destruction of Saguntum by the Carthaginians was the cause of the
second Punic war.
At what period the Carthaginians first established
themselves in Spain, is not known. Their principal object in colonizing and
retaining it, undoubtedly may be found in the richness of its mines, and
the fertility of its soil. According to Diodorus Siculus, they were
principally enabled to equip and support their numerous, and frequently
renewed fleets, by the silver which they drew from these mines. And Strabo
expressly informs us, that when the Carthaginians first colonized Spain,
silver was in such abundance, and so easily obtained, that their most
common utensils, and even the mangers for their horses, were made of it.
One mine of extreme richness is particularly described by Pliny: according
to him, it yielded 300 pounds of silver in a day. There are other
circumstances which point out the extreme value of Spain to whoever
possessed it, and lead us to the motives which induced the Romans to use
all their efforts to wrest it from the Carthaginians. It cannot be doubted
that the Carthaginians drew from it all the wealth, in various shapes,
which it could possibly supply; and yet we know that in the short space of
nine years, 111,542 pounds weight of silver, 4095 of gold, besides coin,
were brought out of it by the Roman praetors, who governed it. Scipio, when
he returned to Rome, brought from Spain 14,342 pounds weight of silver,
besides coin, arms, and corn, &c. to an immense amount. And Lentulus
returned from this country with 44,000 pounds of silver, and 2550 of gold,
besides the coin, &c., which was divided among his soldiers. Manlius
brought with him 1200 pounds of silver, and about 30 of gold. Cornelius
Lentulus, who was praetor of Hither Spain for two years, brought with him
1515 pounds of gold, and 2000 of silver, besides a large amount of coin,
while the praetor of Farther Spain returned with 50,000 pounds of silver.
And these immense sums, as we have already stated, were brought away in the
space of nine years.
Cornelius Scipio was sent into Spain at the commencement of the second
Punic war. Of the events of this war, however, we shall confine ourselves
exclusively to such as were maritime, and which trace the steps of the
Roman superiority at sea, and, consequently, of the advancement and
extension of their commerce. The exertions of the rival nations to contest
the empire of the sea were very great: the Romans equipped 220
quinqueremes, and twenty other light vessels, beside 160 galleys, and
twenty light vessels, which were employed to transport troops to Africa.
Their allies, the Syracusans, also, were active and alert in the equipment
of a fleet to assist their allies, the Romans; and Hiero, their king, had
the good fortune to give an auspicious commencement to the war, by
capturing some Carthaginian ships, part of a fleet, whose object was to
plunder the coasts of Italy, but which had been dispersed by a storm. The
Carthaginians were equally unfortunate in their second maritime enterprise
against Lilibaeum, for the Syracusans and Romans, having learnt their
intention, anchored before the mouth of the harbour. The Carthaginians,
finding that they could not, as they expected, surprise the place, drew up
their fleet in line of battle, a little way out at sea: the allies
immediately got under weigh; a battle ensued, in which the Carthaginians
were defeated, with the loss of seven ships. These successes, however, were
dreadfully counterbalanced by the advance of Hannibal into Italy, and the
decisive victories which he obtained in the very heart of the Roman
territories. Under these circumstances, maritime affairs were naturally
disregarded.
Of the actual state of the Roman commerce about this time we know very
little, but that it was lucrative, may fairly be inferred from the
following circumstance: - A little before the commencement of the second
Punic war, Caius Flaminnus was extremely desirous to obtain the support and
good will of the populace; with this object in view, he joined the tribunes
of the people in passing a law, which is called the Flaminian, or Claudian
law. By it, the senators, who had been accustomed to acquire considerable
wealth by fitting out ships and trading, were expressly forbidden to
possess or hire any vessel above the burden of 300 amphorae or eight tons,
and not more than one vessel even of that small tonnage. This vessel was
allowed them, and was deemed sufficient to bring the produce of their farms
to Rome. By the same law, the scribes, and the clerks, and attendants of
the quaestors, were prohibited from trading; and thus the liberty of
commerce was exclusively confined to the plebeians.
Whilst Hannibal threatened the Romans in the vicinity of Rome itself, they
had neither leisure, inclination, or means, to cope with the Carthaginians
by sea; at length, however, Marcellus, having checked the enemy in Italy,
maritime affairs were again attended to. Scipio, who had been successful in
Spain, resolved to attempt the reduction of New Carthage: this place was
situated, like Old Carthage, on a peninsula betwixt a port and a lake: its
harbour was extremely commodious, and large enough to receive and shelter
any fleet. As it was the capital of the Carthaginian dominions in Spain,
here were deposited all their naval stores, machines used in war, besides
immense treasures. It was on this account extremely well fortified, and to
attempt to take it by a regular siege seemed to Scipio impracticable: he,
therefore, formed a plan to take it by surprise, and this plan he
communicated to C. Laelius, the commander of the fleet, who was his intimate
friend. The Roman fleet was to block up the port by sea, while Scipio was
to blockade it by land. The ignorance of the Romans with regard to one of
the most common and natural phenomena of the sea, is strongly marked in the
course of this enterprise.
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