Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/444

 412 L-SfOEY OF GREECE. and prepared for battle, which they presumed that he was come to offer. To their surprise, he stood out to sea as flvst as he could ; they then pushed out in pursuit of him, but he had al- ready got a considerable advance and strove to keep it. To- wards nightfall however they neared him so much, that he was only saved by the darkness. During the night he made consid- erable way ; but on the next day there occurred an eclipse of the sun so nearly total, that it became perfectly dark, and the stars were visible. The mariners were so terrified at this phe- nomenon, that all the artifice and ascendency of Agathokles were required to inspire them with new courage. At length, after six days and nights, they approached the coast of Africa. The Car- thaginian ships had pursued them at a venture, in the direction towards Africa ; and they appeared in sight, just as Agathokles was nearing the land. Strenuous efforts were employed by the mariners on both sides to touch land first ; Agathokles secured that advantage, and was enabled to put himself into such a pos- ture of defence that he repulsed the attack of the Carthaginian ships, and secured the disembarcation of his own soldiers, at a point called the Latomia; or Stone quarries.^ After establishing his position ashore, and refreshing his sol- diers, the first proceeding of Agathokles was to burn his vessels ; a proceeding which seemed to caiTy an air of desperate boldness. Yet in truth the ships were now useless — for, if he was unsuc- cessful on land, they were not enough to enable him to return in the face of the Carthaginian fleet ; they were even worse than useless, since, if he retained them, it was requisite that he should leave a portion of his army to guard them, and thus enfeeble his means of action for the really important achievements on land- Convening his soldiers in assembly near the ships, he first offered a sacrifice to Demeter and Persephone — the patron goddesses of Sicily, and of Syracuse in particular. He then apprised his soldiers, that during the recent crossing and danger from the Carthaginian pursuers, he had addressed a vow to these goddess- 1 Diodor. xx. 6. Procopius, Bell. Vand. i. 15. It is here stated, that for nine days' march eastward from Carthage, as far as .Juka, the land i» jtoj^