Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/452

 420 HISTORY OF GREECE. the eastern coast of the territorj of Carthage. Among these towns, he first attacked Neapolis with success, granting to the inhabitants favorable terms. He then advanced farther south- wards towards Adrumetum, of which he commenced the siege, w^ith the assistance of a neighboring Libyan prince named Elymas, who now joined him. While Agathokles was engaged in the siege of Adrumetum, the Carthaginians attacked liis posi- tion at Tunes, drove his soldiers out of the fortified camp into the town, and began to batter the defences of the town itself. Apprised of this danger while besieging Adrumetum, but never- theless reluctant to raise the siege, — Agathokles left his main army before it, stole away with only a few soldiers and some camp-followers, and conducting them to an elevated spot — half- way between Adrumetum and Tunes, yet visible from both — ■ he caused them to kindle at night upon this eminence a pro- digious number of fires.i The efiect of these fires, seen from Adrumetum on one side and from Tunes on the other, Avas, to produce the utmost terror at both places. The Carthaginians besieging Tunes fancied that Agathokles Avith his whole army was coming to attack them, and forthwith abandoned the siege in disorder, leaving their engines behind. The defenders of Adrumetum, interpreting these fires as evidence of a large rein- forcement on its way to join the besieging army, were so dis- coui-aged that they surrendered the town on capitulation.^ ' Diodor. xx. 17. ?ia&pa Tzpoaii^.Gev l~i Tiva tottov upeivbv, o&ev bpaa- '& a I 6vv ar bv y v av t ov vtt b Tuv'A^pv/iTjTivtJv k al t tJv K a (>• XV^oviuv T C)v T ivjira noXco pKovv t uv vvkto^ de avvra^ag Tolf aTpaTLUTaig em noXvv tottov nvpu Ka'uiv, do^av kaoirjae, role fiiv Kapxv Soviotg, uc fiETu. fieyu?.Tjg ivvutisuc e"" avTovc Tzopevofievoc, role Si TzoXiop- Kovinevoic, <1)C u?.?u7}g Svvu/ieuc u6pug roli TioXefxioic cig avfxfiax'tav izapaye- yEVJifxivric. but quite distinct and intelli<;ible. He had good authorities before him in his history of Agathokles. J" true, it affords*an evidence for determining, within some limits, the site of the ancient Adrumetum, which Mannert and Shaw place at Herkla — while Forbiger and Dr. Barth put it near the site of the modern port called Susa, still more to the southward, and at a pro digious distance from Tunis. Other authors have placed it at Ilamamat, more to the northward than Herkla, and nearer t^ Tunis. Of tiicse throe sites, Hamamat is the only or 3 which will consist with
 * Diodor. xx. 17. The incident here recounted by Diodorus is curious,