Page:Frontinus - The stratagems, and, the aqueducts of Rome (Bennet et al 1925).djvu/285

 STRATAGEMS, III. x. 2-5

tended to flee with a detachment of liis troops. Tlien, when the inhabitants followed him pell-mell, he attacked the town with the help of those whom he had j)laced in hiding near at hand.^

When Hannibal was besieging the city of Himera, he purposely allowed his camp to be captured, order- ing the Carthaginians to retire, on the ground that the enemy were superior. The inhabitants were so deceived by this turn of affairs that in their joy they came out of the city and advanced against the Car- thaginian breast-works, whereupon Hannibal, finding the town vacant, captured it by means of the troops whom he had placed in ambush for this very contin- gency.2

In order to draw out the Saguntines, Hannibal on a certain occasion advanced against their walls with a thin line of troops. Then, at the first sally of the inhabitants, feigning flight, he withdrew, and inter- posing troops between the pursuing foe and the citv, he slaughtered the enemy thus cut off from their fellows between the two forces.^

Himilco, the Carthaginian, when campaigning near Agrigentum, placed part of his forces in ambusli near the town, and directed them to set fire to some damp Avood as soon as the soldiers from the town should come forth. Then, advancing at daybreak with the rest of his army for the purpose of luring forth the enemy, he feigned flight and drew the inhabitants after him for a considerable distance by his retire- ment. The men in ambush near the walls apj»lied the torch to the wood-piles as directed. The Agri- gentines, beholding the smoke ascend, thought their city on fire and ran back in alarm to protect it.

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