Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/534

 512 HISTORY OF GREECE. of the goddesses Demeter and her daughter Persephone ; who, not content with the terrible revenge already taken in Sicily, for the sacrilege committed by Imilkon, were still pursuing them into Africa. Under the extreme religious terror which beset the city, every means were tried to appease the offended goddesses. Had it i/;en supposed that the Carthaginian gods had been insulted, expi- al ion would have been offered by the sacrifice of human victims, and those too the most precious, such as beautiful captives, or children of conspicuous citizens. But on this occasion, the insult had been offered to Grecian gods, and atonement was to be made according to the milder ceremonies of Greece. The Carthagi- nians had never yet instituted in their city any worship of Deme- ter or Persephone ; they now established temples in honor of these goddesses, appointed several of their most eminent citizens to be priests, and consulted the Greeks resident among them, as to the form of worship most suitable to be offered. After having done this, and cleared their own consciences, they devoted themselves to the preparation of ships and men for the purpose of carrying on the war. It was soon found that Demeter and Persephone were not implacable, and that the fortune of Carthage was return- ing. The insurgents, though at first irresistible, presently fell into discord among themselves about the command. Having no fleet, they became straitened for want of provisions, while Carthage was well supplied by sea from Sardinia. From these and similar causes, their numerous host gradually melted away, and rescued the Carthaginians from alarm at the point where they were always weakest. The relations of command and submission, between Carthage and her Libyan subjects, were established as they had previously stood, leaving her to recover slowly from her disastrous reverses. 1 But though the power of Carthage in Africa was thus restored,

Sicily it was reduced to the lowest ebb. It was long before she could again make head with effect against Dionysius, who was left at liberty to push his conquests in another direction, against the Italiot Greeks. The remaining operations of his reign, successful against the Italiots, unsuccessful against Car- thage, will come to be recounted in my next succeeding chapte: and volume. 1 Diodor. xiv, 77.