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For it is impossible for what I have advised them to escape their notice; but even so I place the common advantage before my own safety. But if someone should say, "Why then do you not run away or remain here?" he will hear that I have sworn to them to return, and I would not break my oaths, not even if they were made to enemies, and for other reasons, but especially because if I keep my oath I alone will suffer the terrible thing, but if I commit perjury, the entire city will be filled with it.” The senate, however, for the sake of his safety, was eager both to make peace and to give back the prisoners. So when he learned this, so that they would not sacrifice the advantage on his account, he pretended to have drunk a deadly poison, and that he would certainly perish by it. And neither the agreement was made nor the exchange of prisoners. But as he was departing with the ambassadors, others took hold of him, both his children and his wife; but the consuls said they would neither give him up if he wished to remain nor detain him if he wished to depart. And so, choosing not to break his oaths, he was brought back. And having been tortured by them, as rumor says, he died. For having cut off his eyelids, and having imprisoned him in darkness for some time, then having thrown him into some kind of compact device that had spikes on all sides and turning him toward the sun, they thus destroyed him by suffering and sleeplessness, as he was not able2.217 to lean in any direction because of the spikes. When the Romans learned these things, they handed over the most prominent of their prisoners to his children to be tortured and killed in return. They voted for the consuls to campaign in Libya, both Gaius Atilius, the brother of Regulus, and Lucius Manlius. These, having come to Sicily, attacked Lilybaeum, and attempted to fill in a part of the trench for the approach of their siege engines. And the Carthaginians, digging under, were removing the earth. But when they were being overcome by the greater number of hands, they built another, crescent-shaped wall inside. And the one side was making mines under the circuit, so that when the wall sank into their void, they might rush in; but the Carthaginians, counter-mining, lay in wait and killed many who were unaware of what was happening, and they destroyed many by throwing fire on brushwood into the tunnels. But when some of the allies, being vexed by the extension of the siege and by the fact that their pay was not being paid in full to them, were negotiating to betray the place to the Romans, Hamilcar detected the plot, but did not reveal it, so that he would not have to fight them; but by giving money to their leaders and promising more to the multitude, he so won them over that they did not even deny the treason, but also drove away the last ambassadors as they were returning. Those who deserted to the consuls received both land in Sicily and some other things. And when the Carthaginians at home heard these things, they sent Adherbal with very many ships to Lilybaeum, carrying grain and money. And he, watching for a storm, 2.218 sailed in. And from this time on, many others likewise dared to put in; and some succeeded, but others were lost. As long, then, as both consuls were present, the contests were evenly matched; but when disease and famine were wearing them down, and one of them for these reasons had departed for home with the soldiers under his command, Hamilcar, taking courage, sallied forth and began to set fire to the engines and destroy those defending them, and his cavalry, setting out from Drepana, both prevented the Romans from bringing in provisions and overran their allied territory, and Adherbal at one time ravaged the coastal regions of Sicily, at another time those of Italy; whence the Romans came to be in a difficult position. Meanwhile, however, Lucius Junius was preparing a fleet, but Claudius Pulcher hurried to Lilybaeum and, having manned some triremes, with them captured Hanno the Carthaginian as he was sailing out with a quinquereme; and it became a model for the Romans for the construction of their ships. And often when the fleet was in peril, the Romans were distressed by the continual destruction of their ships; for many men and very much money in

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ἀδύνατον γὰρ λαθεῖν αὐτοὺς α συνεβούλευσα· ἀλλὰ καὶ ουτως τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ σωτηρίας τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον προτίθημι. εἰ δέ τις φήσει, τί ουν οὐκ ἐκδιδράσκεις η ἐνταῦθα καταμένεις; ἀκούσεται οτι ὀμώμοκα αὐτοῖς ἐπανήξειν, καὶ οὐκ αν παραβαίην τοὺς ορκους, οὐδ' εἰ πρὸς πολεμίους γεγόνασι, καὶ δι' αλλα, μάλιστα δὲ οτι τὸ δεινὸν ἐμπεδορκήσας μὲν μόνος πείσομαι, αν δ' ἐπιορκήσω, πᾶσα ἡ πόλις ἀναπλησθήσεται." ̔Η γερουσία δὲ τῆς ἐκείνου σωτηρίας ενεκεν καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ποιήσασθαι καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἀντιδοῦναι προτεθύμητο. γνοὺς ουν τοῦτο αὐτός, ινα μὴ τὸ συμφέρον δι' αὐτὸν καταπρόωνται, ἐπλάσατο πεπωκέναι φάρμακον δηλητήριον, καὶ μέλλειν πάντως ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσθαι. καὶ ουτε ἡ σύμβασι γέγονεν ουτε τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἡ ἀμοιβή. ἀπιόντος δ' αὐτοῦ σὺν τοῖς πρέσβεσιν ἀντελάβοντο αλλοι τε καὶ οἱ παῖδες καὶ ἡ γυνή· οἱ δ' υπατοι μήτ' ἐθέλοντα καταμεῖναι αὐτὸν ἐκδώσειν εφασαν μήτ' ἀπιόντα κατασχεῖν. καὶ ουτω προτιμήσας μὴ παραβῆναι τοὺς ορκους ἀνεκομίσθη. καὶ αἰκισθεὶς ὑπ' αὐτῶν, ὡς ἡ φήμη λέγει, ἀπέθανε. τὰ γὰρ βλέφαρα αὐτοῦ περιτεμόντες, καὶ χρόνον τινὰ ἐν σκότει καθείρξαντες, ειτα εἰς σκεῦός τι σύμπηκτον κέντρα πανταχόθεν εχον ἐμβαλόντες αὐτὸν καὶ τρέψαντες πρὸς τὸν ηλιον, ουτως ὑπὸ κακοπαθείας καὶ ἀγρυπνίας μὴ δυνάμε2.217 νόν πῃ κλιθῆναι διὰ τὰ κέντρα διέφθειραν. α πυθόμενοι οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι τοὺς πρώτους τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς αἰχμαλώτων παρέδοσαν τοῖς ἐκείνου παισὶ καὶ ἀνταικίσασθαι καὶ ἀνταποκτεῖναι. Τοὺς δ' ὑπάτους ἐς τὴν Λιβύην στρατεύσασθαι ἐψηφίσαντο τόν τε Γάιον τὸν ̓Ατίλιον τὸν τοῦ ̔Ρηγούλου ἀδελφὸν καὶ τὸν Μάλλιον τὸν Λούκιον. οι ἐς τὴν Σικελίαν ἐλθόντες τῷ Λιλυβαίῳ προσέβαλον, καί τι μέρος τῆς τάφρου συγχῶσαι εἰς τὴν τῶν μηχανημάτων προσαγωγὴν ἐπεχείρησαν. καὶ οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι ὑπορύσσοντες τὸν χοῦν ὑφεῖλκον. ἐπεὶ δ' ἠλαττοῦντο τῇ πολυχειρίᾳ, τεῖχος ετερον ενδον μηνοειδὲς ᾠκοδόμησαν. καὶ οἱ μὲν ὑπονόμους ὑπὸ τὸν κύκλον εἰργάζοντο, οπως κατὰ τὸ διάκενον αὐτῶν ἱζήσαντος τοῦ τείχους εἰσπέσωσιν· οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι δὲ ἀντορύσσοντες πολλοὺς μὲν ἀγνοοῦντας τὸ γινόμενον ἐκδεχόμενοι εκτεινον, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ πῦρ ἐν φρυγάνοις εἰς τὰ ὀρύγματα ἐμβάλλοντες εφθειρον. ἐπεὶ δέ τινες τῶν συμμάχων, τῇ τε παρατάσει τῆς πολιορκίας ἀχθόμενοι καὶ τῷ μὴ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῖς ἐντελῆ καταβάλλεσθαι, προδοῦναι τὸ χωρίον τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις διεκηρυκεύοντο, ἐφώρασεν ὁ ̓Αμίλκας τὸ βουλευόμενον, οὐκ ἐξέφηνε δέ, ινα μὴ πολεμώσῃ αὐτούς· χρήματα δὲ τοῖς αρχουσιν αὐτῶν παρασχὼν καὶ τῷ πλήθει προσυποσχόμενος ετερα, ουτως αὐτοὺς ᾠκειώσατο ωστε μηδ' ἀρνήσασθαι τὴν προδοσίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς τελευταίους πρέσβεις ἐπανιόντας ἀπώσασθαι. οι πρὸς τοὺς ὑπάτους αὐτομολήσαντες γῆν τε ἐν Σικελίᾳ καὶ ετερ' αττα ελαβον. ̓Ακούσαντες δὲ ταῦτα οἱ οικοι Καρχηδόνιοι πέμπουσιν ̓Αρδέβαν σὺν ναυσὶ πλείσταις εἰς τὸ Λιλύβαιον σῖτον ἀγούσαις καὶ χρήματα. καὶ ος χειμῶνα ἐπιτη2.218 ρήσας εἰσέπλευσε. κἀκ τούτου καὶ αλλοι συχνοὶ καταίρειν ὁμοίως ἐτόλμων· καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐπετύγχανον, οἱ δὲ ἀπώλλυντο. Εως μὲν ουν αμφω παρῆσαν οἱ υπατοι, ἰσοπαλεῖς οἱ ἀγῶνες ἐγίνοντο· νόσου δὲ καὶ λιμοῦ τρυχόντων αὐτούς, καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου οικαδε διὰ ταῦτα σὺν τοῖς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν στρατιώταις ἀναχωρήσαντος, ̓Αμίλκας θαρρήσας ἐπεξῄει καὶ τὰς μηχανὰς ἐνεπίμπρα καὶ τοὺς ἐπαμύνοντας αὐταῖς εφθειρε, καὶ ἡ ιππος αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ ∆ρεπάνου ὁρμωμένη τά τε ἐπιτήδεια κομίζεσθαι τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους ἐκώλυε καὶ τὴν αὐτῶν συμμαχίδα κατέτρεχε, καὶ ὁ ̓Αρδέβας ποτὲ μὲν τῆς Σικελίας, ποτὲ δὲ τῆς ̓Ιταλίας τὰ παράλια εκειρεν· οθεν οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι ἐν ἀπορίᾳ κατέστησαν. τέως μέντοι Λούκιος ̓Ιούνιος ἡτοίμαζε ναυτικόν, Κλαύδιος δὲ Ποῦλχρος εἰς τὸ Λιλύβαιον ἐπειχθεὶς καὶ τριήρεις πληρώσας συνέλαβε δι' αὐτῶν Αννωνα τὸν Καρχηδόνιον ἐκπλέοντα πεντήρει· καὶ παράδειγμα τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις τῆς κατασκευῆς τῶν νηῶν ἐγένετο. Πολλάκις δὲ τοῦ ναυτικοῦ κινδυνεύοντος ἐβαρύνοντο οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι τῇ συνεχεῖ τῶν νεῶν φθορᾷ· ανδρας γὰρ συχνοὺς καὶ χρήματα πλεῖστα ἐν