ained in his command. Therefore, now let all set to work, each in his
own sphere. The populace must be stirred up. We have a small majority
in the council, but the middle class, the men who will vote, are with
Hanno. Some have been bought with his gold, some of the weak fools dream
that Carthage can be great simply as a trading power without army
or navy, and think only of the present advantage they would gain by
remission of taxation. It is these we have to fear, and we must operate
upon them by means of the populace.

"If the people gather in the streets and shout for Hannibal, these
cowards will hesitate. They are accessible only in their moneybags, and
rather than risk a riot they would vote for the destruction of Moloch's
temple. Giscon and Adherbal, do you go to the barracks, get as many
of your comrades together as are of our way of thinking, talk to the
soldiers of the glories of Hamilcar Barca, of the rich booty they won
under him, of the glory of their arms when he led them, tell them that
in Hannibal they have their old commander revived, and that Hanno and
his companions seek only to have him removed, because they fear that the
luster of his deeds will overshadow them.

"Urge that he is the elect of the army of Spain, that the voice of the
soldiers has acclaimed him, and that the troops here should join their
voices to those of their comrades in Spain. They too may ere long have
to take share in the war, and would it not be far better for them to be
led by a soldier like Hannibal than by Hanno, whose incapacity has been
proved a score of times, and who is solely chosen because he is rich,
and because he has pandered to the fat traders and lazy shopkeepers?

"Do you, Stryphex, go to the weavers' quarter; you have influence there.
Work upon the men, point out to them how, since Hamilcar and Hasdrubal
have conquered Spain, and the gold and silver from the mines have poured
into Carthage, their trade has flourished. Before that gold was scarce
known in the city, none could purchase their choice productions, their
wages would scarce keep the wolf from the door. Show them that under
Hanno disaster will be sure to befall our arms, that the Iberians will
reconquer their soil, that the mines will be lost, and we shall have to
return to the leather money of twenty years back."

So one by one Hamilcar despatched the groups round him on various
missions, until Malchus alone remained.

"You, Malchus, can, as you sugg