Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/447

 SURPRISE AND TERROR AT CARTHAGE. 415 the inhabitants and all the ricli property, within, to Lis soldiers; who enriched themselves with a prodigious booty both lioiii town and country — furniture, cattle, and slaves. From hence he advanced farther southward to the town called Tunes (the modern Tunis, at the distance of only fourteen miles south-west of Carthage itself), which he took by storm in like manner. He fortified Tunes as a pex'manent position ; but lie kept his main force united in camp, knowing well that he should presently have an imposing army against him in the field, and severe battles to fight.^ The Carthaginian fleet had pui'sued Agathokles during his crossing from Syracuse, in perfect ignorance of his plans. When he landed in Africa, on their own territory, and even burnt his fleet, they at first flattered themselves with the belief that they held him prisoner. But as soon as they saw him commence his march in military array against Megalepolis, they divined his real purposes, and were filled with apprehension. Carrying off the brazen prow-ornaments of his burnt and abandoned ships, they made sail for Carthage, sending forward a swift vessel to communicate first what had occurred. Before this vessel ar- rived, however, the landing of Agathokles had been already made known at Carthage, where it excited the utmost surprise and consternation ; since no one supposed that he could have accomplished such an adventure without having previously de- stroyed the Carthaginian army and fleet in Sicily. From this extreme dismay they were presently relieved by the arrival of the messengers from their fleet ; whereby they learnt the real 1 Diodor. xx. 8. Compare Polyhius, i. 29, where lie describes the first invasion of the Cartliaginian territory by the Konoan consul llcgulus. Tunes was 120 stadia or about fourteen miles south-east of Carthage (Polyb. i. 67). The Tab. Peuting. reckons it only ten miles. It was made the cen- tral place for hostile operations against Carthage both by Regulus in the first Punic war (Polyb. i. 30), — by Matho and Spendiiis, in tiie rebellion of the mercenary soldiers and native Africans against Carthage, which fol- lowed on the close of the first Punic war (Polyb. i. 73) — and by the revok- ed Libyans in 396 b. c. (Diodor. xiv. 77). Diodorus places Tunes at the distance of 2000 stadia from Carthage, which must undoubtedly be a mistake. He calls it ]Vhite TunCs; an epiihe! irawn from the chalk cliffs adjoining.