Why New Carthage is a Desirable Target
He therefore rejected that idea altogether: but being
note
informed that New Carthage was the most important source of supplies to the enemy and
of damage to the Romans in the present war, he
had taken the trouble to make minute inquiries about it during
the winter from those who were well informed. He learnt
that it was nearly the only town in Iberia which possessed a
harbour suitable for a fleet and naval force; that it lay
very conveniently for the Carthaginians to make the sea
passage from Libya; that they in fact had the bulk of their
money and war material in it, as well as their hostages from
the whole of Iberia; that, most important of all, the number of fighting men garrisoning the citadel only amounted
to a thousand,—because no one would ever suppose that,
while the Carthaginians commanded nearly the whole of
Iberia, any one would conceive the idea of assaulting this
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town; that the other inhabitants were exceedingly numerous,
but all consisted of craftsmen, mechanics, and fisher-folk, as
far as possible removed from any knowledge of warfare. All
this he regarded as being fatal to the town, in case of the
sudden appearance of an enemy. Nor did he moreover fail
to acquaint himself with the topography of New Carthage, or
the nature of its defences, or the lie of the lagoon: but by
means of certain fishermen who had worked there he had
ascertained that the lagoon was quite shallow and fordable at
most points; and that, generally speaking, the water ebbed
every day towards evening sufficiently to secure this. These
considerations convinced him that, if he could accomplish his
purpose, he would not only damage his opponents, but gain a
considerable advantage for himself; and that, if on the other
hand he failed in effecting it, he would yet be able to secure
the safety of his men owing to his command of the sea, provided he had once made his camp secure,—and this was easy,
because of the wide dispersion of the enemy's forces. He
had therefore, during his residence in winter quarters, devoted
himself to preparing for this operation to the exclusion of
every other: and in spite of the magnitude of the idea which
he had conceived, and in spite of his youth, he concealed it
from all except Gaius Laelius, until he had himself decided to
reveal it.
