Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/470

 438 lIISrORY OF aHEECE. In this prosperous condition of his African affair*, he thought Ihe opportunity favorable for retrieving his diminifehed ascen- dency in Sicily ; to which island he accordingly crossed over, with 2000 men, leaving the command in Africa to his son Archa- gathus. That young man was at first successful, and seemed even m course of enlarging his father's conquests. His general Eumachus overran a wide range of interior Numidia, capturing Tokag, Phelline, Mescheltc, Akris, and another town bearing the same name of Ilippu-Akra — and enriching his soldiers with a considerable plunder. But in a second expedition, endeavoring to carry his arms yet farther into the interior, he was worsted in an attack upon a town called Miltine, and compelled to retreat. We read that he marched through one mountainous region abounding in wild cats — and another, in which there were a great number of apes, who lived in the most tame and familiar manner in the houses with men — being greatly caressed, and even worshipped as gods.^ The Carthaginians however had now regained internal har- mony and poAver of action. Their senate and their generals were emulous, both in vigor and in provident combinations, against the common enemy. They sent forth 30,000 men, a larger force than they had yet had in the field ; forming threu distinct camps, under Hanno, Imilkon, and Adherbal, partly in the interior, partly on the coast. Archagathus, leaving a suffi- cient guard at TunSs, marched to meet them, distributing his army in three divisions also ; two, under himself and ^schrion, besides the corps under Eumachus in the mountainous region. He was however unsuccessful at all points. Hanno, contriving to surprise the division of ^sclu-ion, gained a complete victory, wherein ^schrion himself with more than 4000 men were slain. fied by Agatliokles — and distinctly describes it as being between U(iea and Carthage (Punic. 110). It cannot therefore be the same place .as Hip- pu-Akra (or llippo-Zarytus; ; which v;is considerably farther from Car- thage than Utica was. 1 Diodor. xx. 57, 58. It is v.ain to attempt to identify the places men- tioned as visited and conquered by Eumachus. Our topographical know- ledge is altogether insufficient. This second Ilippu-Akra is supposed to be the same as Hippo-Regius ; Tokse may be Tucca Tercbinthina, in thi south- eastern region or Byzakium.