Speech of Mago Brettius
At this juncture they say that Mago Brettius delivered a
manly and statesmanlike speech. He said:
"The Carthaginians had two opportunities of
taking counsel in regard to themselves and their
country, one of which they had let pass; for in good truth it
was no use now to question what was going to be enjoined on them by the consuls, and why it was that the
Senate had made no mention of the city: they should have
done that when they made the surrender. Having once made
that, they must clearly make up their mind to the necessity of
submitting to every possible injunction, unless it should prove
to be something unbearably oppressive or beyond what they
could possibly expect. If they would not do this, they must
now consider whether they preferred to stand an invasion and
all its possible consequences, or, in terror of the attack of the
enemy, accept without resistance every order they might impose
upon them." note But as the imminence of war and
the uncertainty of the future made every one
inclined to submit to these injunctions, it
was decided to send the hostages to Lilybaeum. Three
hundred young men were forthwith selected and sent to Lilybaeum amidst loud expressions of sorrow and tears, each of
them being escorted by his nearest friends and relations, the
whole scene being made especially moving by the lamentations
of the women. On landing at Lilybaeum the hostages were
at once handed over by the consuls to Quintus Fabius
Maximus, who had been appointed to the command in Sicily
at that time. By him they were safely conveyed to Rome and
confined in the dockyard of the six-benched ships.
