Carthage, but himself also exacted as much as he could from the
inhabitants of Gades, plundering not only their treasury, but their
temples, and compelling them individually to bring contributions of
gold and silver, for the public service. As he sailed along the coast
of Spain, he landed his troops not far from New Carthage, and after
wasting the neighbouring lands, brought his fleet thence to the city.
Here, keeping his troops in the ships by day, he landed them by night,
and marched them to that part of the wall at which Carthage had been
captured by the Romans; for he had supposed both that the garrison
by which the city was occupied was not sufficiently strong for its
protection, and that some of the townsmen would act on the hope of
effecting a change. But messengers who came with the utmost haste
and alarm from the country, brought intelligence at once of the
devastation of the lands, the flight of the rustics, and the approach
of the enemy. Besides, the fleet had been observed during the day, and
it was evident that there was some object in choosing a station before
the city. Accordingly, the troops were kept drawn up and armed within
the gate which looks towards the lake and the sea. When the enemy,
rushing forward in a disorderly manner, with a crowd of seamen mingled
with soldiers, came up to the walls with more noise than strength;
the gate being suddenly thrown open, the Romans sallied forth with a
shout, and pursued the enemy, routed and put to flight at the first
onset and discharge of their weapons, all the way to the shore,
killing a great number of them; nor would one of them have survived
the battle and the flight, had not the ships, which had been brought
to the shore, afforded them a refuge in their dismay. Great alarm and
confusion also prevailed in the ships, occasioned by their drawing up
the ladders, lest the enemy should force their way in together with
their own men, and by cutting away their halsers and anchors that they
might not lose time in weighing them. Many, too, met with a miserable
death while endeavouring to swim to the ships, not knowing, in
consequence of the darkness, which way to direct their course, or what
to avoid. On the following day, after the fleet had fled back to the
ocean whence it had come, as many as eight hundred were slain between
the wall and the shore, and two thousand stand of arms were found.

37. Mago, on his return to Gades, not being allowed to enter the
pla