Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/197

 INVASION FEOM CARTHAGE. 17'j posed to this step as Timoleon, anxious to relieve the Syracu- sans, sent his soldiers under the Corinthian Deinarchus to find pay and plunder for themselves in the Carthaginian possession? near the western corner of Sicily. This invasion, while it abun dantly supplied the wants of the soldiers, encouraged Entella and several other towns to revolt from Carthage. The indignation among the Carthaginians had been violent, when Magon returned after suddenly abandoning the harbor of Syracuse to Timoleon. Unable to make his defence satisfactory, Magon only escaped a worse death by suicide, after which his dead body was crucified by public order. And the Carthaginians now resolved on a fresh effort, to repair their honor as well as to defend their territory. 1 The effort was made on a vast scale, and with long previous preparations. An army said to consist of seventy thousand men, under Hasdrubal and Hamilkar, was disembarked at Lilybasum, on the western corner of the island ; besides which there was a fleet of two hundred triremes, and one thousand attendant vessels carrying provisions, warlike stores, engines for sieges, war-chariots with four horses, etc. 2 But the most conspicuous proof of earn est effort, over and above numbers and expense, was. furnished by the presence of no less than ten thousand native infantry from Carthage ; men clothed with panoplies costly, complete, and far heavier than ordinary carrying white shields and wearing elab- orate breastplates besides. These men brought to the campaign ample private baggage ; splendid goblets and other articles of gold and silver, such as beseemed the rich families of that rich city. The elite of the division twenty-five hundred in number, or one-fourth part formed what was called the Sacred Band of Carthage. 3 It has been already stated, that in general, the Car- thaginians caused their military service to be performed by hired foreigners, with few of their own citizens. Hence this army stood ing Lcontini ; and that Hiketas afterwards attacked Syracuse, but was re pulsed with loss, during the absence of Timoleon in his expedition against Leptines. 1 Plutarch, Timoleon, c. 24 ; Diodor. xvi. 73. 2 Plutarch, Timoleon, c. 25; Diodor. xvi. 77. They agree in the main about the numerical items, and seem to have copied from the same authority. 3 Plutarch, Timoleon, c. 27; Diodor. xvi. 80.