Page:Frontinus - The stratagems, and, the aqueducts of Rome (Bennet et al 1925).djvu/271

 STRATAGEMS, III. vi. 4-7

sieged the city of Crotona, without success, since it had been made impregnable by the arrival of a hand of Lucanian reinforcements. He therefore pretended to desist from his undertaking, and by offers of great I'ewards induced a certain prisoner to go to Crotona. This emissary, by feigning to have escaped from custody, persuaded the inhabi- tants to believe his report that the Romans had withdrawn. The people of Crotona, thinking this to be true, dismissed their allies. Then, weakened by being stripped of their defenders, they were surprised and captured.^

Mago, general of the Carthaginians, having de- feated Gnaeus Piso and having blockaded the tower wherein he had taken refuge, suspecting that rein- forcements would come to his relief, sent a deserter to persuade the approaching troops that Piso was already captured. Having thus scared them off", Mago made his victory complete.^

Alcibiades, wishing to capture the city of Syracuse in Sicily, chose from among the people of Catana, Avhere he was encamped, a certain man of tested shrewdness and sent him to the Syracusans. This man, when brought before the public assembly of the Syracusans, persuaded them that the people of Catana were very hostile to the Athenians, and that, if assisted by the Syracusans, they would crush the Athenians and Alcibiades along Avith them. Induced by these representations, the Syracusans left their own city and set out in full force to join the people of Catana, whereupon Alcibiades attacked Syracuse from the rear, and finding it unprotected, as he had hoped, brought it under subjection.^

When the people of Troezen were held in subjec-

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