To complete the misfortunes of the Carthaginians, their territory was, at this time, invaded by the Nurni dians, who committed the most dreadful ravages. The Roman consul, elated by his good fortune, arid desirous to terminate the war before the arrival of a successor, offered to treat ft ith the vanquished, but on terms so extravagant, that they were at once rejected hy the senate.
At this conjuncture, a Carthaginian officer who had been sent to Greece to levy soldiers, returned with a body of mercenaries, amongst whom was one Xantippus, a Spartan, who had some reputation for military science. To him the command of the remaining forces was entrusted ; and he succeeded in infusing into them some knowledge of the Grecian tactics, and an unbounded confidence in his own skill and experience. Regulus was little prepared for this change ; when he saw the Carthaginian army again advancing, flushed with the hope of new victories, he at once led his men to the at tack, and ventured even to cross the river which separat ed the two armies. This rashness led to the entire des truction of his army. Xantippus profited to the utmost of his antagonist's misconduct, and only two thousand of the Romans escaped from the field. Regulus himself was taken prisoner. The Carthaginians treated all their captives with great humanity, except the general. The story of his sufferings and constancy is well known.
Xantippus, to whose conduct the whole of this success must be attributed, withdrew from Carthage immediately afterwards. " Wisely and prudently, (says Polybius,) as the splendour of his action must have excited a degree of jealousy and envy sufficient to overwhelm even a citizen ; how much more a stranger and a foreigner." (Polyb. p. 37. Appian. in Libycis, sub init.) The Romans sent out a strong squadron to bring off the remains of the defeated army ; but in the passage to Sicily on their return, they met with a dreadful tempest, in which they lost almost their whole fleet. This, and several subsequent calamities, so greatly dispirited them, that they determined for a season to lay aside all naval operations. The Carthaginians were thus left masters of the sea. The theatre of war was now again removed to Sicily, where it raged with unabated vio lence. The affairs of the Carthaginians were in a state
of progressive deterioration, till the appointment of Ha milcar, surnamed Barcas, to the chief command. His valour and enterprise restored for a short time the droop ing fortunes of his country, but in the end he was obliged to yield. The Romans had soon become sensible of the absolute necessity they were under of restoring their ships ; and they did so with a resolution and vigour which enabled them once more to prevail over the so skill and address of their enemy. Another de feat at sea compelled Hamilcar to seek for peace. (B. C. 242.) It was granted, but upon conditions so harsh, and dictated by the Romans with so much insolence, that Hamilcar from that moment conceived an invincible aversion to the Roman name. He concluded peace, only that he might give his country time to breathe, and that they might afterwards be able to chastise the insolence to which they were at present compelled to submit. The terms of peace were these : That the Carthaginians should evacuate Sicily ; that they should not, for the future, make war on Hiero king of Syracuse, or any of his allies ; that they should release all Roman captives without ransom ; and within twenty years, pay to the Ro mans a sum of three thousand Euboic talents.' The peo ple of Rome refused to ratify this treaty, till they had sent ten commissioners into Sicily to examine into the actual state of affairs. By these, some additional articles were added of inferior importance, but still harsher ten dency. The ratifications were then interchanged, and Asdrubal retired to Lilybmum, where he resigned to Gisco the care of transporting the troops to Africa.
Polybius ubi supra.) Thus, after twenty-three years continuance, ended the first Punic war ; leaving the contending parties weakened, indeed, but not dispirited ;—with their re sources exhausted, but their mutual animosity increased and exasperated beyond measure. The excellent Poly bius, in a recapitulation of the most remarkable circum stances of the contest, gives the preference to the Roman soldiers above the Carthaginian ; but at the same time he allows, that Ilamilcar Barcas proved himself, both in bravery and conduct, the greatest captain of the age.