from their body with iron rakes or harrows, and then threw them
headlong from the top of the battlements. So inhuman a treatment filled
the Carthaginians with horror: however, he did not spare even them; but
murdered many senators who had ventured to oppose his tyranny.

Scipio,(898) finding himself absolute master of the isthmus, burnt the
camp, which the enemy had deserted, and built a new one for his troops. It
was of a square form, surrounded with large and deep intrenchments, and
fenced with strong palisades. On the side which faced the Carthaginians,
he built a wall twelve feet high, flanked at proper distances with towers
and redoubts; and on the middle tower, he erected a very high wooden fort,
from whence could be seen whatever was doing in the city. This wall was
equal to the whole breadth of the isthmus, that is, twenty-five
stadia.(899) The enemy, who were within bow-shot of it, employed their
utmost efforts to put a stop to this work; but, as the whole army were
employed upon it day and night, without intermission, it was finished in
twenty-four days. Scipio reaped a double advantage from this work: first,
his forces were lodged more safely and commodiously than before: secondly,
he cut off all provisions from the besieged, to whom none could now be
brought but by sea; which was attended with many difficulties, both
because the sea is frequently very tempestuous in that place, and because
the Roman fleet kept a strict guard. This proved one of the chief causes
of the famine which raged soon after in the city. Besides, Asdrubal
distributed the corn that was brought, only among the thirty thousand men
who served under him, caring very little what became of the rest of the
inhabitants.

To distress them still more by the want of provisions, Scipio attempted to
stop up the mouth of the haven by a mole, beginning at the above-mentioned
neck of land, which was near the harbour.(900) The besieged, at first,
looked upon this attempt as ridiculous, and accordingly they insulted the
workmen: but, at last, seeing them make an astonishing progress every day,
they began to be afraid; and to take such measures as might, if possible,
render the attempt unsuccessful. Every one, to the women and children,
fell to work, but so privately, that all that Scipio could learn from the
prisoners, was, that they had heard a great noise in the harbour, but did
not know the occasion of it. At last, all things being ready, the
Carthag