The attention of the whole world was now excited by the surprising successes ofAlexander. (Jiii,toi, lib. xxix. c. G.) Carthage could not regard them with indiffe rence ; the destruction of and the transfer of its commercial greatness to Alexandria, which it w as boast ed would speedily become the empolium of the world, excited their fears lest the knees which had overrun the whole East should be turret to their shore and that Africa ShOtlid lie called up in to cope with those troops which Asia had in tin endeavoured to resist. They adopted a scheme i of imytin thy of their natioLal character. They scl one Hamilc.:r, (simian, J Ilhodanus.) a man eminent fur his eloquence aml ski.. in negotiation, iv no, representing himself as an exile hum his native country, procured, through the inte re emir)" of Parmenio, an introduction to Alexander, and c bt Lied permission to accompany hint in all his expeditio .s. He was thus enabled to do his country signal service, by com municating all Alexander's plans, and appears to have managed this most difficult duty with the utmost ad dress ; nevertheless his barbarous and ungrateful coun try requited him by a cruel death, upon a charge that he had failed to do all that was in his power.
After a few years, we find the Carthaginians again embroiled in the affairs of Sicily.
Agathocles, (Justin, lib. xxii. c. 1. Diod. Sic. lib. six. sub init.) by an almost singular union of courage, arti fice, and good fortune, had raised himself from the lowest condition to the sovereignty of Syracuse. But this un hoped for advancement failed to satisfy his ambition. By degrees he contrived to make himself master of the Grecian dependencies in Sicily, and now threatened to be come to the Carthaginians a more formidable opponent than they had hitherto been called on to encounter. In the first instance, his cause had been espoused by the Carthaginian commander in Sicily ; but the senate quick ly saw the impolicy of this conduct, and found that they were fanning a flame by which themselves would in the end be consumed.
They determined to strengthen their forces in Sicily a considerable reinforcement was therefore dispatched, but the fleet was overtaken by a storm, and many ships of war and transports were lost. Notwithstanding this severe reverse, the Carthaginian general found himself at the head of 40,000 foot, and 5000 horse. With these he succeeded in defeating Agathocles near Himera, (B. C. 309). Their success in this engagement was principally owing, as Diodorus (lib. xxx.) informs us, to the skill of the slingers from the Balearic Isles. This victory involved many important consequences. All the principal places yielded to the conqueror, and Agatho cles, in despair, shut himself up in Syracuse. The Car
thaginians invested the place with their whole force ; when Agathocles, finding himself deprived of all re sources, and on the point of falling into the enemies' hands, adopted the spirited and almost incredible deter mination of carrying the war at once into Africa. The mouth of the harbour was closely blockaded by the Car thaginian fleet, yet Agathoeles watched his opportunity so artfully, and availed himself of circumstances so adroitly, that he managed to elude their vigilance, and sailed straight for Africa. The Carthaginian admiral was not slow in the pursuit, but did not come up with the Syracusan fleet till they were in sight of the African coast. A partial engagement ensued, but Agathocles was not to be diverted from his main object; he made good his landing, and then, under pretence of fulfilling a vow he had made to Ceres and Proserpine, he set lire to his ships. (Justin. xxii. and Diod. xx.) The consternation at Carthage, when the news of this descent of Agathocles arrived, was excessive. The flower of their army was in Sicily ; their city was wholly unprepared for defence, and the country, which had now for a long period been exempt Iron the calamities of war, was filled with dismay and confusion. Agathocles advanced to Tunis, and ravaged the whole neighbour hood of Carthage. In this conjuncture, Hann° and Bo milcar were appointed to command the fortes, which bad been hastily brought together ; and eager to check the tyrant's destructive ravages, they instantly took the field. They advanced with no small confidence, for their army consisted of forty thousand, while that of Agatho cles did not amount to fourteen thousand men. This confidence was their (lc st•nction; they w( re routed. }Tan no was slain, and lionfilcar, with difficulty, drew off the shattered remains of his army. Diodorus attributes this discomfiture in a great degree to the treachery of Bo milcar, who covertly aimed at the sovereign authority, and who wished to convert this invasion of Agathocles into an instrument for effecting his design.
The citizens of Carthage were extremely disheartened by the result of this engagement, as they persuaded themselves that the tutelar deities of their country must have taken part against them. To appease these offend ed deities, they resolved to renew their offerings to the Tyrian Hercules; and as they had failed in the exact performances of the sacrifices to Saturn, they made hor rible atonement, by selecting two hundred infants of the noblest families for immolation; and more than three hundred persons of both sexes voluntarily offered them selves victims to their bloody idol.