f suppliants, who
desired no other conditions, than that the Romans would please to spare
the lives of all those who should be willing to leave the citadel: which
request was granted them, only the deserters were excepted. Accordingly,
there came out fifty thousand men and women, who were sent into the fields
under a strong guard. The deserters, who were about nine hundred, finding
they would not be allowed quarter, fortified themselves in the temple of
AEsculapius, with Asdrubal, his wife, and two children; where, though their
number was but small, they might have held out a long time, because the
temple stood on a very high hill, upon rocks, the ascent to which was by
sixty steps. But at last, exhausted by hunger and watching, oppressed with
fear, and seeing their destruction at hand, they lost all patience; and
abandoning the lower part of the temple, they retired to the uppermost
story, resolved not to quit it but with their lives.

In the mean time, Asdrubal, being desirous of saving his own life, came
down privately to Scipio, carrying an olive branch in his hand, and threw
himself at his feet. Scipio showed him immediately to the deserters, who,
transported with rage and fury at the sight, vented millions of
imprecations against him, and set fire to the temple. Whilst it was
kindling, we are told, that Asdrubal's wife, dressing herself as
splendidly as possible, and placing herself with her two children in sight
of Scipio, addressed him with a loud voice: "I call not down," says she,
"curses upon thy head, O Roman; for thou only takest the privilege allowed
by the laws of war: but may the gods of Carthage, and thou in concert with
them, punish, according to his deserts, the false wretch, who has betrayed
his country, his gods, his wife, his children!" Then directing herself to
Asdrubal, "Perfidious wretch," says she, "thou basest of men! this fire
will presently consume both me and my children; but as to thee, unworthy
general of Carthage, go--adorn the gay triumph of thy conqueror--suffer, in
the sight of all Rome, the tortures thou so justly deservest!" She had no
sooner pronounced these words, than, seizing her children, she cut their
throats, threw them into the flames, and afterwards rushed into them
herself; in which she was imitated by all the deserters.

With regard to Scipio,(905) when he saw this famous city, which had been
so flourishing for seven hundred years, and might have been compared to
the grea