d men in all,) they watched
the motions of Hamilcar's army, but carefully kept their own on the hills;
and avoided coming down into the plains, because the enemy would there
have had too great an advantage over them, on account of their elephants
and cavalry. Hamilcar, more skilful in the art of war than they, never
exposed himself to any of their attacks; but taking advantage of their
oversights, often dispossessed them of their posts, if their soldiers
straggled but ever so little; and harassed them a thousand ways. Such of
them as fell into his hands, were thrown to wild beasts. At last, he
surprised them at a time when they least expected it, and shut them up in
a post which was so situated, that it was impossible for them to get out
of it. Not daring to venture a battle, and being unable to get off, they
began to fortify their camp, and surrounded it with ditches and
intrenchments. But an enemy among themselves, and which was much more
formidable, had reduced them to the greatest extremity: this was hunger,
which was so raging, that they at last ate one another; Divine Providence,
says Polybius, thus revenging upon themselves the barbarous cruelty they
had exercised on others. They now had no resource left; and knew but too
well the punishments which would be inflicted on them, in case they should
fall alive into the hands of the enemy. After such bloody scenes as had
been acted by them, they did not so much as think of peace, or of coming
to an accommodation. They had sent to their forces encamped at Tunis for
assistance, but with no success. In the mean time the famine increased
daily. They had first eaten their prisoners, then their slaves; and now
their fellow-citizens only were left. Their chiefs, now no longer able to
resist the complaints and cries of the multitude, who threatened to
massacre them if they did not surrender, went themselves to Hamilcar,
after having obtained a safe conduct from him. The conditions of the
treaty were, that the Carthaginians should select any ten of the rebels,
to treat them as they should think fit, and that the rest should be
dismissed with only one suit of clothes for each. When the treaty was
signed, the chiefs themselves were arrested and detained by the
Carthaginians, who plainly showed, on this occasion, that they did not
pride themselves upon their good faith and sincerity. The rebels, hearing
that their chiefs were seized, and knowing nothing of the convention,
suspected