epart as quickly as possible and before their presence
should be reported lest in the disorder prevailing because of the
absence of the general they should lose their lives. The envoys
accordingly believed them and set off for Carthage. An assembly being
called some of the Carthaginians counseled maintaining peace with the
Romans, but the party attached to Hannibal affirmed that the
Saguntines were guilty of wrongdoing and the Romans were meddling with
what did not concern them. Finally those who urged them to make war
won the day.

Meanwhile Hannibal in the course of his siege was conducting vigorous
assaults. Many kept falling and many more were being wounded on
Hannibal's side. One day the Carthaginians succeeded in shaking down a
portion of the outer circuit and had been daring enough to enter
through the breach, when the Saguntines made a sortie and scared them
away. This gave the besieged strength and the Carthaginians fell back
in dejection. They did not leave the spot, however, till they had
captured the city, though the siege dragged on to the eighth month.
Many unusual events happened in that time, one of which was Hannibal's
being dangerously wounded. The place was taken in this manner. They
brought to bear against the wall an engine much higher than the
fortification and carrying heavy-armed soldiers, some visible, some
concealed. While the Saguntines, therefore, were quite strenuously
fighting against the men they saw, thinking them the only ones, those
hidden had dug through the wall from below and found their way inside.
The Saguntines overwhelmed by the unexpectedness of the event ran up
to the citadel and held a conference to see whether by any reasonable
concessions they might be preserved. But as Hannibal held out no
moderate terms and no assistance came to them from the Romans, they
begged for a cessation of the assaults until they should deliberate a
little about their position. During this respite they gathered
together the most highly prized of their treasures and cast them into
the fire; then such as were incapable of fighting committed suicide,
and those who were in their prime advanced in a body against their
opponents and in a desperate struggle were cut down.

VIII, 22.--For their sakes the Romans and the Carthaginians embarked
upon war. Hannibal after gaining numerous allies was hastening toward
Italy. The Romans on ascertaining this assembled in their senate-hall,
and many speeches were d