They Received Information That At Carthage
There Was Deposited A Large Quantity Of Timber, And Of Other Naval Stores:
On
Learning this, Cato, their inveterate enemy, who had been sent into
Africa, to mediate between them and Masinissa, with whom
They were at war,
went to Carthage himself, where he examined every thing with a malicious
eye. On his return to Rome, he reported that Carthage was again become
excessively rich, - that her magazines were filled with all kinds of warlike
stores, - that her ports were crowded with ships, and that by her war with
Masinissa, she was only preparing to renew the war against Rome. His
exhortations to his countrymen to anticipate the Carthaginians, by
immediately commencing hostilities, had no effect at first; but being
frequently repeated, and intelligence being received, that preparations
were making at Carthage for an open declaration of war, and that the
Carthaginians were fitting out a fleet, contrary to the terms of their
treaty with the Romans; and this information being confirmed by the report
of deputies sent to Carthage; war was declared against Carthage in the year
of Rome 605. The Carthaginians endeavoured to pacify the Romans by
surrendering to them their cities, lands, rivers, &c., in short, by a
complete surrender of whatever they possessed, as well as of themselves. At
first the Romans appeared disposed to abstain from war on these conditions;
and the Carthaginians actually delivered up all their arms and warlike
engines, and witnessed the burning of their fleet; but the Romans, having
thus degraded them, and stript them in a great measure of the means of
defence, now insisted that Carthage itself should be destroyed, and that
the inhabitants should build a city at the distance of five leagues from,
the sea. Indignant at these demands, they resolved to sustain a siege; and,
in a very short time, they made immense preparations for defending their
city. At first they gained some success over the Romans; for their fleet
having come very near the shore, to transport the troops, who were
suffering from the vicinity of the marshes, to a healthier spot, the
Carthaginians fitted out a great number of fire ships, filled with tar,
sulphur, bitumen, &c., and taking advantage of a favourable wind, they sent
them among the Roman fleet, great part of which was thus destroyed.
But these and other successes did not ultimately avail them: Scipio who had
been chosen consul, arrived in Africa, and Carthage was immediately
strictly blocked up by sea and land. His exertions were indeed astonishing;
as the new port of Carthage was effectually shut up by the Roman fleet, so
that no assistance or provisions could enter by it; and as lines of
circumvallation were formed on land, the consul's great object was to block
up the old port. The Romans were masters of the western neck of land, which
formed one side of its entrance; from this to the other side they built a
mole, ninety feet broad at bottom, and eighty at top; when this was
completed, the old port was rendered quite inaccessible and useless.
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