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When the Mamertines rebelled, alleging that he was acting unjustly, he came into the assembly. And after many things had been said in vain by both sides, one of the Romans seized him and cast him into prison, with the Mamertines approving. And so he by necessity left all of Messene, but the Carthaginians punished Hanno, and sent a herald to the Romans, ordering them to leave Messene and depart from all Sicily on a specified day; and they dispatched an army. But when the Romans did not obey, they killed the mercenaries from Italy in their service and attacked Messene, and Hiero was with them; and they besieged the city and guarded the strait, so that neither an army nor grain might be brought to them. The consul, learning this as he was already approaching, when he found many of them in many places putting into harbor on the pretext of trade, deceived them so that he might cross the strait safely, and he anchored at Sicily by night undetected. And having sailed not far from Hiero's camp, he immediately joined battle, thinking he would appear most formidable to them by his sudden appearance. But when they marched out to meet him, the Ro2.199 man cavalry was worsted, but the infantry prevailed. And Hiero withdrew at that time to the mountains, but later to Syracuse. Claudius therefore, with Hiero having withdrawn and the Mamertines having taken courage because of his presence, went against the Carthaginians, who were now isolated, and attacked their stockade, which was as if on a peninsula. For on one side the sea enclosed it, and on the other some marshes difficult to cross; and upon the isthmus, through which alone they could enter, since it was very narrow, a cross-wall had been built. The Romans, therefore, in forcing their way against these defenses, suffered hardships and, being shot at, they withdrew. But the Libyans, taking courage, sallied out, and pursuing them as if they were fugitives, had advanced outside the narrows; and there the Romans, turning about, routed them and killed many, so that they no longer advanced from the camp as long as Claudius was in Messene. But he, not daring to force the approach, turned toward Syracuse and Hiero, leaving a garrison in Messene. And he was attacking the city and they at times would sally forth; and at times one side conquered, and at other times the other was conquered. And once the consul, being in a narrow place, would have been captured, if, before being surrounded, he had not sent to Hiero, inviting him to some kind of terms. For thus, when someone came with whom he was about to come to terms, he was both conversing with him and withdrawing, until he had withdrawn to safety. And since the city could not be taken easily, and the siege was impracticable because of a scarcity of provisions and because of sickness in the army, he departed; and the Syracusans followed and entered into talks with those who were scattering, 2.200 and they would have made a treaty, if Hiero also had wished to come to terms. But the consul, leaving a guard in Messene, sailed away to Rhegium. But the Romans, since the Tyrrhenian affairs had been settled and affairs in Italy were in complete peace, while the Carthaginian power was growing greater, ordered both consuls to march into Sicily. Therefore, having crossed over, both Maximus Valerius and Otacilius Crassus, and marching through the island both together and separately, won over many by agreement. And when they had appropriated the greater part, they set out for Syracuse. And Hiero, becoming frightened, sent heralds to them, returning the cities which they had taken, promising money, and freeing the prisoners of war. And on these terms he obtained a treaty; for the consuls thought it would be easier to subdue the Carthaginians with his help. And having come to terms with him, they turned toward the remaining cities garrisoned by the Carthaginians. And from the others they were repulsed, but they took Egesta by voluntary surrender. For because of their kinship with the Romans, the inhabitants, saying they were descended from Aeneas, went over to them, having slain the Carthaginians. And the consuls departed for Rhegium on account of the winter, but the Carthaginians conveyed the greater part of the to Sardinia

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Μαμερτῖνοι ὡς ἀδικοῦντος αὐτοῦ νεωτερίσωσιν, ηλθεν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. καὶ πολλῶν ὑπ' ἀμφοῖν μάτην λεχθέντων συνήρπασέ τις τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων αὐτὸν καὶ ἐνέβαλεν εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον, συνεπαινούντων τῶν Μαμερτίνων. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ουτως ολην ἀνάγκῃ τὴν Μεσσήνην ἐξέλιπεν, οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι δὲ ἐκόλασαν μὲν τὸν Αννωνα, κήρυκα δὲ τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις επεμψαν τήν τε Μεσσήνην ἐκλιπεῖν κελεύοντες καὶ ἐκ πάσης ἀπελθεῖν Σικελίας ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ῥητῇ· καὶ στρατιὰν ἀπεστάλκασιν. ὡς δ' οὐκ ἐπείθοντο οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι, τούς τε μισθοφοροῦντας παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐξ ̓Ιταλίας ἀπέκτειναν καὶ τῇ Μεσσήνῃ προσέβαλον, συνῆν δὲ καὶ ὁ ̔Ιέρων αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐπολιόρκουν καὶ τὸν πορθμὸν ἐφύλασσον, ὡς μήτε στράτευμα μήτε σῖτος αὐτοῖς κομισθῇ. ο μαθὼν ὁ υπατος ηδη πλησιάζων, ὡς ευρε συχνοὺς αὐτῶν πολλαχῇ κατὰ πρόφασιν ἐμπορίας ἐλλιμενίζοντας, ἐξηπάτησε σφᾶς οπως διέλθῃ τὸν πορθμὸν ἀσφαλῶς, καὶ ελαθε νυκτὸς τῇ Σικελίᾳ προσορμισάμενος. καὶ προσπλεύσας οὐ πόρρω τοῦ στρατοπέδου τοῦ ̔Ιέρωνος αὐτίκα συνέμιξε, νομίζων φοβερώτατος αὐτοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ἀθρόου φανήσεσθαι. ἀντεπεξελθόντων δ' αὐτῶν τὸ μὲν τῶν ̔Ρω2.199 μαίων ἱππικὸν ἠλαττώθη, τὸ δ' ὁπλιτικὸν ὑπερέσχε. καὶ ὁ ̔Ιέρων τότε μὲν εἰς τὰ ορη, ἐς δὲ τὰς Συρακούσας υστερον ἀπεχώρησεν. ̔Ο ουν Κλαύδιος, ἀποχωρήσαντος τοῦ ̔Ιέρωνος καὶ τῶν Μαμερτίνων διὰ τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ ἀναθαρσησάντων, ἐπῆλθε τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις μονωθεῖσιν ηδη, καὶ τῷ σφῶν προσέβαλε χαρακώματι, οντι οιον ἐν χερρονήσῳ. ἐντεῦθεν μὲν γὰρ ἡ θάλασσα τοῦτο συνεῖχεν, ἐντεῦθεν δ' ελη τινὰ δυσδιάβατα· ἐπὶ δὲ τὸν αὐχένα, δι' ουπερ μόνου εἰσῄεσαν στενοτάτου τυγχάνοντος, ἐπεποίητο διατείχισμα. βιαζόμενοι ουν πρὸς ταῦτα οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι ἐταλαιπώρησαν καὶ βαλλόμενοι ἀνεχώρησαν. οἱ δὲ Λίβυες θαρσήσαντες ἐπεξῆλθον, καὶ ὡς φεύγοντας ἐπιδιώκοντες εξω προεληλύθεισαν τῶν στενῶν· κἀνταῦθα ἐπιστραφέντες οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι αὐτοὺς ἐτρέψαντο καὶ πολλοὺς ἀπέκτειναν, ωστε αὐτοὺς μηκέτι τοῦ στρατοπέδου προελθεῖν παρ' οσον ην ἐν Μεσσήνῃ ὁ Κλαύδιος. ὁ δὲ βιάσασθαι τὴν πρόσοδον μὴ τολμῶν, πρὸς τὰς Συρακούσας καὶ τὸν ̔Ιέρωνα ἐτράπετο, φυλακὴν ἐν τῇ Μεσσήνῃ καταλιπών. καὶ προσέβαλλέ τε αὐτὸς τῷ αστει κἀκεῖνοί ποτε ἐπεξῄεσαν· καὶ οτε μὲν ἐκράτουν, οτε δ' ἐκρατοῦντο ἑκάτεροι. καί ποτε ἐν χωρίῳ στενῷ ὁ υπατος γεγονὼς ἑάλω αν, εἰ μὴ πρὸ τοῦ περισχεθῆναι επεμψε πρὸς τὸν ̔Ιέρωνα, εἰς συμβάσεις δή τινας αὐτὸν προκαλούμενος. ουτω γὰρ ἐλθόντος τινὸς πρὸς ον εμελλε συμβήσεσθαι, διελέγετό τε αὐτῷ καὶ ὑπαπῄει, μέχρις ου πρὸς τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἀπεχώρησε. τῆς δὲ πόλεως ῥᾳδίως ἁλῶναι μὴ δυναμένης, καὶ τῆς προσεδρείας ἀπόρου διὰ σπάνιν ουσης σιτίων καὶ διὰ νόσον τῆς στρατιᾶς, ἀπανέστη· καὶ οἱ Συρακούσιοι ειποντο καὶ ἐς λόγους τοῖς σκεδαννυμένοις ῃεσαν, 2.200 καὶ ἐσπείσαντο αν, εἰ καὶ ὁ ̔Ιέρων συμβῆναι ἠθέλησεν. ὁ δὲ υπατος φρουρὰν ἐν τῇ Μεσσήνῃ καταλιπὼν ἀπέπλευσεν εἰς τὸ ̔Ρήγιον. Οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι δέ, ἐπεὶ τὰ Τυρσηνικὰ καθειστήκει καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ ̓Ιταλίᾳ ἀκριβῶς εἰρήνουν, τὰ δὲ τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἐπὶ πλέον συνίστατο, αμφω τοὺς ὑπάτους ἐς τὴν Σικελίαν ἐκστρατεῦσαι ἐκέλευσαν. περαιωθέντες ουν ο τε Μάξιμος Οὐαλέριος καὶ ̓Οτακίλιος Κράσσος, καὶ διὰ τῆς νήσου ὁμοῦ τε καὶ διχῇ πορευόμενοι, πολλοὺς ὁμολογίᾳ παρεστήσαντο. ὡς δὲ τὰ πλείω ᾠκείωντο, πρὸς τὰς Συρακούσας ωρμησαν. καὶ ὁ ̔Ιέρων φοβηθεὶς διεκηρυκεύσατο σφίσι, τὰς πόλεις τε ας ἀφῄρηντο ἀποδιδοὺς καὶ χρήματα ὑπισχνούμενος καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἐλευθερῶν. καὶ ετυχεν ἐπὶ τούτοις σπονδῶν· οἱ γὰρ υπατοι ῥᾷον μετ' αὐτοῦ καταστρέψασθαι τοὺς Καρχηδονίους ἐνόμισαν. συμβάντες δ' αὐτῷ πρὸς τὰς λοιπὰς πόλεις ὑπὸ Καρχηδονίων φρουρουμένας ἐτράποντο. καὶ τῶν μὲν αλλων ἀπεκρούσθησαν, Εγεσταν δ' ἑκουσίαν ελαβον. διὰ γὰρ τὴν πρὸς ̔Ρωμαίους οἰκείωσιν οἱ ἐν αὐτῇ, ἀπὸ τοῦ Αἰνείου λέγοντες γεγονέναι, προσεχώρησαν αὐτοῖς, τοὺς Καρχηδονίους φονεύσαντες. Καὶ οἱ μὲν υπατοι διὰ τὸν χειμῶνα εἰς τὸ ̔Ρήγιον ἀπῆραν, Καρχηδόνιοι δὲ εἰς Σαρδὼ τὸ πλεῖον ἐκόμισαν τοῦ