The Siege of Aspis
After the battle the Romans took in a fresh supply of
victual, repaired and refitted the ships they had captured,
bestowed upon the crews the attention which they had
deserved by their victory, and then put to sea with a view
of continuing their voyage to Libya. Their leading ships made
the shore just under the headland called the Hermaeum, which
is the extreme point on the east of the Gulf of Carthage, and
runs out into the open sea in the direction of Sicily. note There
they waited for the rest of the ships to come up, and having
got the entire fleet together coasted along until
they came to the city called Aspis. Here they
disembarked, beached their ships, dug a trench,
and constructed a stockade round them; and on the inhabitants of the city refusing to submit without compulsion,
they set to work to besiege the town. Presently those of the
Carthaginians who had survived the sea-fight came to land
also; and feeling sure that the enemy, in the flush of their
-- 34 --
victory, intended to sail straight against Carthage itself, they
began by keeping a chain of advanced guards at outlying
points to protect the capital with their military and naval
forces. But when they ascertained that the Romans had
disembarked without resistance and were engaged in besieging Aspis, they gave up the idea of watching for the
descent of the fleet; but concentrated their forces, and devoted themselves to the protection of the capital and its
environs.
Meanwhile the Romans had taken Aspis, had placed in it a note
garrison to hold it and its territory, and had
besides sent home to Rome to announce the
events which had taken place and to ask for instructions as
to the future,—what they were to do, and what arrangements
they were to make. Having done this they made active
preparations for a general advance and set about plundering
the country. They met with no opposition in this: they
destroyed numerous dwelling houses of remarkably fine construction, possessed themselves of a great number of cattle;
and captured more than twenty thousand slaves whom they
took to their ships. In the midst of these proceedings the
messengers arrived from Rome with orders that one Consul
was to remain with an adequate force, the other was to bring
the fleet to Rome. note Accordingly Marcus was
left behind with forty ships, fifteen thousand
infantry, and five hundred cavalry; while
Lucius put the crowd of captives on board, and
having embarked his men, sailed along the coast of Sicily
without encountering any danger, and reached Rome.
