The enemy were in the utmost alarm. All things had succeeded ill with
them, their forces had been defeated by sea and land, and upwards of two
hundred towns had surrendered to the conqueror. Besides, the Numidians
made greater havoc in their territories than even the Romans. They
expected every moment to see their capital besieged. And their affliction
was increased by the concourse of peasants with their wives and children,
who flocked from all parts to Carthage for safety: which gave them
melancholy apprehensions of a famine in case of a siege. Regulus, afraid
of having the glory of his victories torn from him by a successor, made
some proposal of an accommodation to the vanquished enemy; but the
conditions appeared so hard, that they could not listen to them. As he did
not doubt his being soon master of Carthage, he would not abate any thing
in his demands; but, by an infatuation which is almost inseparable from
great and unexpected success, he treated them with haughtiness; and
pretended, that every thing he suffered them to possess, ought to be
esteemed a favour; adding this farther insult, "That they ought either to
overcome like brave men, or learn to submit to the victor."(676) So harsh
and disdainful a treatment only fired their resentment; and they resolved
rather to die sword in hand, than to do any thing which might derogate
from the dignity of Carthage.

Reduced to this fatal extremity, they received, in the happiest juncture,
a reinforcement of auxiliary troops out of Greece, with Xanthippus the
Lacedaemonian at their head, who had been educated in the discipline of
Sparta, and learnt the art of war in that renowned and excellent school.
When he had heard the circumstances of the last battle, which were told
him at his request; had clearly discerned the occasion of its being lost;
and perfectly informed himself in what the strength of Carthage consisted;
he declared publicly, and repeated it often, in the hearing of the rest of
the officers, that the misfortunes of the Carthaginians were owing
entirely to the incapacity of their generals. These discourses came at
last to the ear of the public council; the members of it were struck with
them, and they requested him to attend them. He enforced his opinion with
such strong and convincing reasons, that the oversights committed by the
generals were visible to every one; and he proved as clearly, that, by a
conduct opposite to the former, they would not only secu