Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/471

 IJEVERSES OV AGATHOKLES IN AFRICA. 439 Imilkon was yet more fortunate in his operations against Euina- chus, whom he entrapped by simuhxted flight into an ambuscade, and attacked at such advantage, that the Grecian army was routed and cut ofFfi-om all retreat. A remnant of them defended themselves for some time on a neighboring hill, but being with- out water, nearly all soon perished, from thirst, fatigue, and the sword of the conqueroi'.^ By such reverses, destroying two-tliirds of the Agathoklean array, Ai-chagathus was placed in serious peril. He was obliged to concentrate his force in TunSs, calling in nearly all his outly- ing detachments. At the same time, those Liby-Phenician cit- ies, and rural Libyan tribes, who had before joined Agathokles, now detached themselves fi*om him when his power was evident- ly declining, and made their peace with Carthage. The victori- ous Carthaginian generals established fortified camps round Tunes, so as to restrain the excursions of Archagathus ; while with their fleet they blocked up his harbor. Presently provis- ions became short, and much despondency prevailed among the Grecian army. Archagathus transmitted this discouraging news to his father in Sicily, with urgent entreaties that he would come ♦o the rescue.^ The career of Agathokles in Sicily, since his departure from Africa, had been checkered, and on the whole improductive. Just before his arrival in the island,* his generals Leptines and Demophilus had gained an important victory over the Agrigen- tine forces commanded by Xenodokus, who were disabled from keeping the field. This disaster was a fatal discouragement both to the Agrigentines, and to the cause which they had es- poused as champions — free and autonomous city-government with equal confederacy for self-defence, under the presidency of Agrigentum.* The outlying cities confederate with Agrigentum were left without military protection, and exposed to the attacks ' Diodor. xx. 59, 60. * Diodor. xx. 61. ' Diodor. XX. 56. ^kya^oKArj^ Je, Tr,^ /laxv C it p t i jsyei'TjfiifTjc, Knrn. r.?uvaac ri/g IitKe/uag elc IisTiivovvra, etc. TEC SuXvaav kavTuv /lev rijv KokXiar-qv i7Tifio?.!]v, tOu 61: avufiuxuv ruf r^ iXevdepla^ i/midac.
 * Diodor. xx. 56. 0/ /xev ovv ^ kKpayavrlvoi Tabrr) ry av/ucpopd Trepnreaov-