was flain by a Roman foldier. Marcellus was not a little grieved at his death. A paffion for letters, at that time, began to prevail among the higher ranks of people at Rome. He therefore ordered his body to be honourably buried, and a tomb to be erected to his memory, which his own works have long furvived. Syracufe was twenty-two miles in compafs, and the plunder of it immense.

The wars in Italy, during this time were attended with various fuccefs. Tarentum was betrayed to Hannibal, but the caftle ftill held out. The Romans invefted Capua, which foon after furrendered. The heads of the revolt were put to death, and the common people fold. This city, on account of the richness of the foil, was reserved for the use of husbandmen, labourers and artificers, without any fhew of government of its own, as it formerly had.

Valerius Lævinus, one of the confuls, for the next year, being fent into Sicily, reduced that ifland to the Roman obedience. This was the first time that the Romans had been mafters of all Sicily. Marcellus alfo greatly harraffed Hannibal's troops and repulfed him in feveral rencounters; at laft, however, he was flain in an ambuscade. Marcellus was called the word, and Fabius the buckler, of Rome.

The Romans admired the character of these great men, but faw fomething more divine in the young Scipio. The fuccefs of this young hero confirmed the popular opinion, that he was of divine extraction,and held converfe with the gods. Scipio was made conful, and fent into Africa. The Numidians alfo fent a powerful army under a fecond Afdrubal and Syphax to the affiftance of the Carthaginians. Scipio furprised the camp of the enemy in the night, and by this artifice gained a complete victory. Syphax was foon after taken prifoner by Mafinifla, king of Numidia, and carried to Rome. On this fuccefs of the Romans in Africa, Hannibal was called home, after he had paffed fifteen years in that country, to the great dread and terror of the Romans. On his return, Hannibal took the command of the African army at Zama, diftant from Carthage about five days journey. The Roman army was alfo in a neighbouring plain, and the two generals had an interview, but nothing was agreed on. Scipio charged the Carthaginians with perfidy and injuftice; upon which both fides prepared for battle,

The fate of Rome and Carthage was now to be decided, Never was a more memorable battle fought, whether we regard the generals, the armies, the two ftates that contended, or the empire that was in difpute, The difpofition Hannibal

made of his men is faid, by the fkilful in the art of war, to be fuperior to any even of his former arrangements. He encouraged the various nations of his army, by the different motives which led them to the field; to the mercenaries, he promifed a difcharge of their arrears, and double pay with plunder in cafe of victory; the Gauls he infpired, by aggravating their natural hatred to the Romans; the Numidians, by reprefenting the cruelty of their new king; and the Carthaginians, by reminding them of their country, their glory, the danger of fervitude, and their defire of freedom.

Scipio, on the other hand, with a chearful countenance, defired his legions to rejoice, for that their labours and their dangers were now near at an end; that the gods had given Carthage into their hands; and that they fhould foon return triumphant to their friends, their wives, and their children. The battle began with the elephants on the fide of the Carthaginians; thefe animals being terrified at the cries of the Romans, and wounded by the flingers and archers, turned upon their drivers, and caufed much confufion in both wings of their army, in which the cavalry was placed. Being thus deprived of the affiftance of the horse, in which their greatest ftrength confifted, the heavy infantry joined on both fides. The Romans were more vigorous and powerful in the fhock, the Carthaginians more active and ready. However, they were unable to withstand the continued preffure of the Roman fhields, but at firft gave way a little, and this foon brought on a general flight. The rear guard who had orders from Hannibal to oppofe those who fled, now began to attack their own forces; fo that the body of the infantry fuftained a double encounter, of those who caufed their flight, and thofe who endeavoured to prevent it. At length the general finding it impoffible to reduce them to order, directed that they fhould fall behind, while he brought up his fresh forces to oppose the purfuers. Scipio, upon this immediately founded a retreat, in order to bring up his men a fecond time in good order. And now the combat began afresh, between the flower of both armies. The Carthaginians, however, having been deprived of the fuccour of their elephants, and their horfe, and their enemies being stronger of body were obliged to give ground. In the mean time, Mafiniffa, who had been in pursuit of their cavalry, returning and attacking them in the rear, compleated their defeat. A total rout enfued; twenty thousand men were killed in the battle or the purfuit, and as many were taken prifoners. Hannibal, who had done all that a great general, and an undaunted foldier could per

form,

form, fled with a small body of horfe to Adrumetum, fortune feeming to delight in rendering ineffectual his ability, his valour, and experience.

This victory brought on a peace. The Carthaginians, by Hannibal's advice, offered conditions to the Romans, which they dictated not as rivals, but as fovereigns. By this treaty, the Carthaginians were obliged to quit Spain, and all the islands of the Mediteranean fea. They were bound to pay ten thousand talents in fifty years; to give hoftages for the delivery of their fhips and their elephants; to restore Mafiniffa all the territories that had been taken from him, and not to make war in Africa, but by the permiffion of the Romans. Thus ended the fecond Punic war, feventeen years after it had begun. Carthage ftill continued an empire, but without power to defend its poffeffions, and only waiting the pleafure of the conqueror, when they fhould think proper to put a period to its continuance. After the depreffion of this mighty dominion, the Romans were feldom engaged, except in petty wars, and while they obtained great victories; whereas before, they had obtained but trifling advantages, and were engaged in dangerous wars,

СНАР. ХХХІІІ.

The Third Punic War, which terminated in the Destruction of Carthage.

HE ambition of the Romans now exceeded all bounds.

TH

Elated with fuccefs, they aspired at the conquest of the world. War was declared against Philip 11. king of Macedon, who was defeated by Flaminius, and fubjected to the payment of tribute. By the fubjection of Macedon, the Romans had an opportunity of fhewing their generofity. They ordered freedom, and a liberty to live according to their own laws and inftitutions, to be proclaimed to all the ftates of. Greece, that had been fubjected to the dominion of the kings of Macedon.

Antiochus, king of Syria, was next brought to bow to the Roman eagles, though aided by Hannibal the avowed enemy of Rome. Peace was granted to Antiochus, on condition that he should pay fifteen thoufand talents for the expence of the war, and give up all the countries on this fide Mount

Taurus

Taurus in Greece. The fate of the two generals, Hannibal and Scipio, was foon after determined. Scipio, was charged with taking money of Antiochus for the peace he lately made with him, and retired to Liternum in Campania, where he died, exclaiming in fevere terms against his ungrateful coun→ try. His great rival Hannibal was demanded of Prufias, king of Bithymia, by the Roman ambaffadors. Prufias was under the neceffity of obeying; and Hannibal, rather than fall into the hands of his enemies, poifoned himself.

The war of Syria forms an important era in the Roman hiftory. From this period the ancient Roman character began to decline. The age of fimplicity, frugality, and illuftrious poverty, was paft. A fevere people began to change their manners. The victorious nation at once adopted the vices of the vanquished; the fpoils of the Eaft introduced a tafte for luxury; and, as frequently has happened in hiftory, Afia corrupted Europe.

The evils that follow in the train of luxury began now to be felt. The wealth of the world had flowed into Rome; but it centered in a few hands. Individuals at the head of armis, or in the government of Provinces, had amaffed riches; but an immenfe populace were in poverty. The fplendor of foreign conqueft could not conceal their domeftic mifery. From this mixture of private opulence, and public wretchednefs, diforders daily increafed, and new troubles afterwards arofe that threatened a revolution to the republic.

In the year before Chrift 166, a final period was put to the Macedonian empire, by Paulus Æmilius, in the eleventh year of Perfeus, fon of Philip. In an engagement at Pydna, Emilius entirely defeated the army of the enemy, and befides many thousand prifoners, acquired an immenfe treasure.

The most exquifite ftatues, paintings, and other noble works of Greece, were fent to Rome. Thefe graced the triumph of Æmilius; and a judicious hiftorian obferves, "that Rome was now the most magnificent fpot in the

* world. *"

In thefe conquefts, however, the Romans ftill allowed the ancient inhabitants to poffefs their territory. They did not even change the form of government. The conquered nations became the allies of the Roman people; but this denomination, under a fpecious name, concealed a condition very fergile, and inferred that they fhould fubmit to whatever was required of them.

Father Catron.

Carthage

Carthage ftill continued the main object of Roman jea Joufy. A difagreement between Mafiniffa and the Carthaginians, about the limits of their territories, furnifhed a fresh pretence of quarrel. The decifion was referred to the Romans, who obliged the Carthaginians to give up to Mafiniffa the country in difpute. This gave rife to the third Punic

war.

Carthage was now a ftate that only fubfifted by the mercy of the conquerors, and was to fall at the flightest breath of their indignation. Cato the cenfor, for fome time past never poke in the fenate upon public bufinefs, but he ended his Speech by inculcating the neceffity of its deftruction *. His opinion prevailed. It was therefore declared in the fenate, that Carthage must be destroyed; and both the Confuls were fent with orders to this purpose.

The Carthaginians, affrighted at the preparations of the Romans, immediately condemned those who had broken the league, and humbly offered any reasonable fatisfaction. To thefe fubmiffions, the fenate only returned an evafive answer, demanding three hundred hoftages within thirty days, as a fecurity for their future conduct. The hoftages were fent within the limited time; and on the arrival of the confuls at Utica, the Carthaginians fent deputies to wait upon them, in order to know their pleasure. The conful Cenforinus demanded all their arms, which were immediately delivered up. They then, with tears and all poffible fubmiffion, begged for mercy, and defired to know their laft doom. The confuls told them, that they were commanded to leave their city, which they had orders to level with the ground; and that they had permiffion to build another in any part of their territories, within ten miles of the fea.

This fevere command they received with all the concern and diftrefs of a defpairing people. They implored for a refpite from fuch a hard fentence. They ufed tears and lamentations. But finding the confuls inexorable, they departed with a gloomy refolution, prepared to fuffer the utmost extremities, and to fight to the laft for their feat of empire, and their ancient habitations.

Upon returning home, and devulging the ill fuccefs of their commiffion, a general fpirit of refiftance feemed to infpire the whole people. They, now too late, began to fee the danger of riches in a state, when it had no longer power to defend them. Thofe veffels, therefore, of gold and filver, which