Justin states, that they were, in the first instance. led to intermeddle in the affairs of apsin, Y. itb a iew of as sisting that sister colony which the Phccnicians had esta blished at Gades, Llib. xliv. c. 5.) The assistance af forded by th(.4» was effectual in defending it against the attacks of the neighbouring people ; but not content w ith this, they managed to obtain possession of the colony itself, and of the whole province in which it was situated.
event probably took place about the middle of the second century, alter the foundation of Carthage : for Diodorous distinctly states. . c. I.) that at this time a coloe,y was established in Ebusus. (now Is ica,) and in all likelihood the whole of the Balearic islands wt re colonised at the same time Now, it seems reasonable to suppose, that the advance of the Carthaginian coloni zation was progressive, and therefore that the settlement at Cadiz would be subsequent to that at Ebusus; hence, we may perhaps be allowed to infer, that the Carthagi nians made their first descent into Spain about 160 years after the building of their city. Nevertheless, it ap pears, from the accounts of Livv and Polybius, that the greatest part of Spain remained unsubdued till the wars of Hamilcar, Asdrubal, and Hannibal.
In Sardinia, their settlements were almost coeval with their existence as a people: the whole island appears to have been in subjection to them at the period of thew first treaty with the Romans.
Corsica, too, was occupied by them from very ancient times: they probably succeeded immediately to that co lony which the Phocmans were compelled to abandon. Herodotus (lib. vii.) mentions the Corsicans among those nations which were united to form that vast armament with which the Carthaginians invaded Sicily in the days of Gelon.
The small islands of Melita and Gaulos (now Malta and Goza) were likewise in subjection to the Carthagi nians. According to Diodorus, these islands were first peopled, either from Carthage or Pheenicia. (Diod. Sic. lib. v. c. 2.) This rapid survey may suffice to give us some idea of the actual extent of the Carthaginian influence. The Romans, on the other side, had now begun to feel their strength, and were considerably elated by their recent success against Pyrrhus. That experienced commander foresaw the collision which was about to take place be tween these powerful rivals, and is said, upon leaving Sicily, to have pointed out that island as the subject and the first scene of the contest. (Plutarch, in vit.
Notwithstanding the Carthaginians had been thus successful in dislodging the Epirots from Sicily, they had still two powerful enemies to contend with, the Syracusans and the Mamertines. The former had re cently appointed Hiero for their leader, who is uniformly represented by the ancient historians as a consummate hero, and most amiable prince : under his command the Syracusan forces obtained several considerable advan tages over the Carthaginians. (See Justin, lib. xxiii. c. 4. ; Theoc.rit. in Idyllio. 16. ; Pind. in Olymp. I.) The Mamertines were originally a body of Campanian mercenaries, which Agathocles had retained in his service. They were afterwards involved in a dispute with the citizens of Syracuse, as to their right of giving votes in the election of magistrates ; the consequence of which was, an agreement that the Campanians should evacuate Sicily within a limited time. Under pretence of embarking for their native country, they retired to Messina, of which town they took possession by trea chery, expelling or assassinating all the inhabitants, and assuming to themselves the name ()I' Mamertini, a word which, in the ancient language of southern Italy, is used to signify a warlike people.
In this horrid action they soon found imitators : Some Roman (loops, to the number of about 4000, had been posted at RAegium, during the late wars in Italy, under the conimand of one Pecius, a Campanian : these, as sisted by the Mamei tines, murdered the citizens, and seized their property ; but they were speedily punished by the Romans with exemplary vigour. The Mamer tines, on their side, were closely pressed by Hiero, who was eager to retaliate upon them the injuries they had committed. They were at length reduced to such dis
tress, that they resolved to surrender themselves to the first power that could afford them protection ; but being divided in their choice, one party made an offer of sub mission to the Carthaginians, another to the Romans. The latter scrupled to avow themselves the protectors of a crime which they had so lately punished ; but while they hesitated, the Carthaginians, availing themselves of the delay, and of the neighbourhood of their own mili tary stations, got the start of their rivals, and were received into Messina.* This unexpected advantage, gained by a power of which they had so much reason to'be jealous, roused the Romans : they instantly sent orders to the consul Appius Claudius, who had charge of the forces in the neighbourhood of Rhegium, to as semble all the shipping which could tie found on the coast, from Tarentum to Naples, and to pass with his army into Sicily. As soon as his fleet appeared, the party in the city which had favoured the admission of the Romans took arms, and forced the Carthaginians to evacuate the place. (Polyb. lib. i.) Thus commenced the first Punic war. The first object of either party was no more than to command the passage of the straits, by securing the possession of Messina ; but their views were gradually extended, and the contest quickly assumed its real form, a struggle for the sovereignty of the whole island and the dominion of the seas. Unfitted as the Romans were, both by their habits and by the nature of their resources, for a naval war, yet the commanding aspect of their first descent on Sicily, induced Hiero to unite with them. The small force which Appius had so hastily transported, was replaced by two consular armies ; these were sufficiently powerful to make Hiero tremble in his capital ; he had also grounds for suspecting the intentions of the Car thaginians towards him, and he was influenced pernaps by that hereditary animosity which the people of Syra cuse must have felt against the Calthaginian name. All or any of these reasons may be sufficient to accout,t for the line of conduct pursued by him. The accession of Hiero to the Roman cause, altered the whole character of the war. It enabled the Romans to plan and to exe cute designs which, under other circumstances, must have been impossible. The Carthaginians were not dis pirited by this sudden change ; they made new levies in Gaul and Liguria ; reinforced their armies ; and fixing on Agrigentum as their principal military station, they appointed Hanno commander of their forces. The Ro man army was engaged in the siege of Agrigentfun when Hanno assumed the command ; he immediately led his troops to the relief of the place. A severely contested battle ensued, in which the Romans were victorious. The possession of Agrigentum was the first fruit of their victory ; it served also to establish the wavering fidelity of Hiero, and confirm his adherence to the cause he had espoused. (Polyb. lib. i. p. 29. Edit. Casaub.) Toe Romans perceiving that, notwithstanding their success by land, their coasts or Italy still continued open to the depredations of the Carthaginian fleets, resolved at once to equip a fleet which might enable. them to Cope with their foe, even on his own peculiar clement. This attempt, so hold in its conception, and so important in its ultimate consequences, induced Polybitis, (as lie him self states,) to write the history of this war, " in order that the circumstances Nt fish Uttelith'd the first for matiuu of the Roman marine might never he forgotten." A Carthaginian vessel, which had been accidentally strand ed at Messina, served them for a model, and within the short period of sixty days, they had fitted out, and man ned for sea, 100 gallies of live benches of oars and twenty triremes. These vessels were extremely rude, both in their materials and construction, yet the labour of building them must have been immense, as a quit, quereine was capable of carrying 300 rowers and 200 figlithig men.