sell
them; and some fair Lacedaemonian women were taken by New Carthaginians
in marriage.

A few persisted in following the armies. They ran on the flank of the
syntagmata by the side of the captains. They called to their husbands,
pulled them by the cloak, cursed them as they beat their breasts, and
held out their little naked and weeping children at arm's length. The
sight of them was unmanning the Barbarians; they were an embarrassment
and a peril. Several times they were repulsed, but they came back again;
Matho made the horsemen belonging to Narr' Havas charge them with the
point of the lance; and on some Balearians shouting out to him that they
must have women, he replied: "I have none!"

Just now he was invaded by the genius of Moloch. In spite of the
rebellion of his conscience, he performed terrible deeds, imagining that
he was thus obeying the voice of a god. When he could not ravage the
fields, Matho would cast stones into them to render them sterile.

He urged Autaritus and Spendius with repeated messages to make haste.
But the Suffet's operations were incomprehensible. He encamped at
Eidous, Monchar, and Tehent successively; some scouts believed that they
saw him in the neighbourhood of Ischiil, near the frontiers of Narr'
Havas, and it was reported that he had crossed the river above Tebourba
as though to return to Carthage. Scarcely was he in one place when he
removed to another. The routes that he followed always remained unknown.
The Suffet preserved his advantages without offering battle, and while
pursued by the Barbarians seemed to be leading them.

These marches and counter marches were still more fatiguing to the
Carthaginians, and Hamilcar's forces, receiving no reinforcements,
diminished from day to day. The country people were now more backward
in bringing him provisions. In every direction he encountered taciturn
hesitation and hatred; and in spite of his entreaties to the Great
Council no succour came from Carthage.

It was said, perhaps it was believed, that he had need of none. It was
a trick, or his complaints were unnecessary; and Hanno's partisans, in
order to do him an ill turn, exaggerated the importance of his victory.
The troops which he commanded he was welcome to; but they were not
going to supply his demands continually in that way. The war was quite
burdensome enough! it had cost too much, and from pride the patricians
belonging to his faction supported him but slackly.

Th