B. C. subjected the original inhabitants, Gelon became the first king (styled by the Greeks tyrant) of Syracuse. Neither the precise time 433. por cause of the first invasion of this island by the Carthaginians is ascertained. We are told, that a part of Sicily was in their posses→ sion as early as 505 B. C.; though twenty-eight years after they were totally dispossessed by Gelon. The numerous attempts, however, of the Carthaginians to regain their former possessions, gave rise to many and bloody wars between them and the Greeks; and prior to the year 323 B. C. we find them again possessed of a considerable part of the island, whence they could not henceforward be dislodged by the whole force of Greece. It may be proper to observe too, that, after the destruction of Tyre by Alexander, the Carthaginians had the command of almost all the commerce of the western world. Whether they had already made any settlements in Spain is not known; but it is certain that they traded to that country on account of its gold and silver mines, in the latter of which it was peculiarly abundant. It is also probable that they traded to Britain for the sake of its tin. SIXTH PERIOD, From the Death of Alexander to the Destruction of Carthage by the Romans. THE historical picture which the commencement of the sixth period presents, is that of all the eastern part of the world, from the confines of Italy to the river Indus, united into one VOL. I. F vast vast empire, yet without a head—a monumental pillar to the victories of Alexander, despoiled of its capital. The western world teems with fierce and savage nations, about to be brought in slavish subjection to the rival republics of Rome and of Carthage.-Alexander had named no successor; but had left behind him a victorious, hitherto an invincible army, commanded by experienced and ambitious officers, all aspiring to the supreme power. Amidst the terrible dissensions and conflicts to which such a state of things must be continually giving birth, every individual of the family of this great conqueror-his mother, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, were all cut off. At length four new empires arose out of the dominions of Alexander. To Cassander were assigned Macedonia and all Greece; to Antigonus, Asia Minor; to Seleucus, Babylon and the eastern provinces; and to Ptolemy Lagus, Egypt and the western ones. Antigonus, however, be301. ing soon defeated and killed by Seleucus and Lysimachus, at the battle of Ipsus, the greater part of his dominions fell to Seleucus: but several provinces, in the prevalence of these disorders, resolved to shake off the yoke of Macedonia; and hence were formed the kingdoms of Pontus, Bithynia, Pergamus, Armenia, and Cappadocia. The two most powerful and permanent empires were those of Syria and of Egypt; the first founded by Seleucus, the second by Ptolemy Lagus. Greece had gained little by all these commotions and revolutions: though it was prevented indeed from internal dissensions, it was subjected to a grievous oppression from its Macedonian tyrants. B. C. While the empire of Alexander was thus torn 253. in pieces, in the east, by the rival ambition of his successors, the Romans and Carthaginians were exerting all their efforts, and making rapid advances, in enslaving the nations of the west. Of the Italian states, the Romans added one after another to their empire, till they had reB. C. duced the whole of Italy under their dominion. They experienced but one check to the headlong torrent of their victories. This arose from Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, whose confident ambition conceived it an easy achievement to conquer all Italy. Accordingly, having B. C. entered that country, he maintained a war 271. for six years; when he was utterly overthrown by Curius Dentatus. The Romans having now conquered and secured every thing at home, their ever-restless and enterprising ambition stimulated them to look abroad for conquest and plunder. A pretext was not wanting. The Carthaginians, by being in possession of a great part of Sicily, and having also seized upon Corsica and Sardinia, were too near neighbours of the Romans not to excite their jealousy; and, agreeably to their most sanguine wishes, their assistance was now solicited by the Mamertines against Hiero king of Syracuse and the Carthaginians. They embraced the opportunity with the utmost alacrity, imme- B. C. diately commencing a war against the Car- 264. thaginians, which lasted twenty-three years. This is the first of the three Punic wars, so celebrated in the Roman history, which ended much to the disadvantage of Carthage, owing chiefly to the bad conduct of her generals. Its consequence was, the entire loss of Sicily, and soon after of Sardinia, to the Carthaginians, The Romans gained also another considerable advantage in this war: they were taught by it the art of fighting by sea. A Carthaginian vessel being wrecked on the coast of Italy, it was used as a model; and in three months a fleet was fitted out, and intrusted to the command of the consul Duillius, who, in the first naval engagement, came off victorious. The progress, and particularly the event, of this war demonstrated to Hamilcar Barcas, the only able Carthaginian general, that, unless the most vigorous measures were taken, Carthage must in the end fall a victim to the ambition of Rome. He conceived therefore, that the best, if not the only method of warding off this dreaded blow, would be, to raise themselves to an equality with Rome by completing the conquest of Spain; in which country they had already considerable possessions, whence they derived great advantage in consequence of the abundance and richness of its mines. Having therefore quelled a rebellion of mercenaries, who had besieged Carthage, he immediately engaged in the undertaking with great ardour; but his death prevented its completion. His son Asdrubal prosecuted his design with such vigour and success, that the Romans, jealous of his advances, prevailed upon him to enter into a treaty, by which it was stipulated, that the river Iberus should be the boundary of his conquests. It is probable that this treaty was never ratified by the senate of Carthage; and if it had, Hannibal, the son of Asdrubal, and his successor in the command, who had sworn perpetual enmity to the Romans, would never have been bound by any ratification which withheld him from his revenge. At the age of five-and-twenty being chosen general, he subdued in three years all the nations of Spain which continued hostile to the Carthaginian power; and, after a siege of eight months, took Saguntum. The fall of this city, which was in alliance with the Romans, kindled the second Punic war. Hannibal now crosses the Ebro, the Pyrenées, and the Alps, and pours, with dreadful irruption, down into Italy. He defeated P. Corn. Scipio and Sempronius near the Rhone, the Po, and the Trebia: then crossing the Apennines he invaded Etruria; and having conquered the consul Flaminius near the lake Thrasymenus, he soon after met the two consuls C. Terentius and L. Emilius at Canna, where he overthrew the Romans with almost unexampled carnage. Hannibal, after this signal victory, is chargeable with a very reprehensible fault, in delaying to march his army immediately to Rome; which, according to historians, must have fallen, in the general consternation, an unresisting sacrifice to his superior Fabius Maximus, who was created dictator on this emergency, refused to come to a general engagement, but continued to harass his enemy by ambuscades and countermarches. This prudent conduct allowed the Romans time to re arms. cover. Marcellus, however, was the first who, by gaining some advantage over the Carthaginian, convinced the Romans that Hannibal was not invincible. Being recalled, with his victorious army, from Sicily, which he had completely subdued, to oppose the common enemy, he engaged him in several successful conflicts; but at length fell by an ambuscade. Hannibal sent to Carthage for a reinforcement of troops. The senate of Car |