Hippo and Utica Join the Rebels
Such being the position of their forces in the field, the
Carthaginians, finding themselves hemmed in on every side,
were compelled to have recourse to the help of the free states in
alliance with them. note Now Hiero, of Syracuse, had during this
-- 93 --
war been all along exceedingly anxious to do everything which
the Carthaginians asked him; and at this point
of it was more forward to do so than ever, from
a conviction that it was for his interest, with a
view alike to his own sovereignty and to his friendship with
Rome, that Carthage should not perish, and so leave the
superior power to work its own will without resistance. note And
his reasoning was entirely sound and prudent. It is never
right to permit such a state of things; nor to help any one to
build up so preponderating a power as to make resistance to
it impossible, however just the cause. note Not that the Romans
themselves had failed to observe the obligations
of the treaty, or were showing any failure of
friendly dispositions; though at first a question
had arisen between the two powers, from the following circumstance. At the beginning of the war, certain persons
sailing from Italy with provisions for the mutineers, the Carthaginians captured them and forced them to land in their own
harbour; and presently had as many as five hundred such persons in their prisons. This caused considerable annoyance at
Rome: but, after sending ambassadors to Carthage and recovering possession of the men by diplomatic means, the Romans
were so much gratified that, by way of returning the favour,
they restored the prisoners made in the Sicilian war whom they
still retained; and from that time forth responded cheerfully
and generously to all requests made to them. They allowed
their merchants to export to Carthage whatever from time to
time was wanted, and prohibited those who were exporting to
the mutineers. When, subsequently, the mercenaries in
Sardinia, having revolted from Carthage, invited their interference
on the island, they did not respond to the invitation; nor when
the people of Utica offered them their submission did they
accept it, but kept strictly to the engagements contained in
the treaty.
