ly displayed great ill-will
towards them, as often as they had addressed them upon their disputes with
Masinissa.(863) To prevent the consequences of it, the Carthaginians, by a
decree of the senate, impeached Asdrubal, general of the army, and
Carthalo, commander of the auxiliary(864) forces, as guilty of high
treason, for being the authors of the war against the king of Numidia.
They then sent a deputation to Rome, to inquire what opinion that republic
entertained of their late proceedings, and what was desired of them. The
deputies were coldly answered, that it was the business of the senate and
people of Carthage to know what satisfaction was due to the Romans. A
second deputation bringing them no clearer answer, they fell into the
greatest dejection; and being seized with the strongest terrors, from the
recollection of their past sufferings, they fancied the enemy was already
at their gates, and imagined to themselves all the dismal consequences of
a long siege, and of a city taken sword in hand.

In the mean time, the senate debated at Rome on the measures it would be
proper for them to take; and the disputes between Cato the elder and
Scipio Nasica, who entertained totally different opinions on this subject,
were renewed.(865) The former, on his return from Africa, had declared, in
the strongest terms, that he had found Carthage, not as the Romans
supposed it to be, exhausted of men or money, or in a weak and humble
state; but, on the contrary, that it was crowded with vigorous young men,
abounded with immense quantities of gold and silver, and prodigious
magazines of arms and all warlike stores; and was so haughty and confident
on account of this force, that their hopes and ambition had no bounds. It
is farther said, that after he had ended his speech, he threw, out of the
lappet of his robe, in the midst of the senate, some African figs; and, as
the senators admired their beauty and size, "Know," says he, "that it is
but three days since these figs were gathered. Such is the distance
between the enemy and us."(866)

Cato and Nasica had each of them their reasons for voting as they
did.(867) Nasica, observing that the people had risen to such a height of
insolence, as led them into excesses of every kind; that their prosperity
had swelled them with a pride which the senate itself was not able to
check; and that their power was become so enormous, that they were able to
draw the city, by force, into every mad des