t of
the inventiveness of Archimedes thought to take it by famine after a
regular investment. This duty he assigned to Pulcher while he himself
turned his attention to those who had participated in the revolt of
Syracuse. Any who yielded were granted pardon, but those who resisted
he treated harshly, and he captured a number of the cities by force,
some also by betrayal. In the meantime Himilco had come from Carthage
with an army, had occupied Agrigentum and Heraclea and had reached
Syracuse. There he was first defeated, then was in turn victorious,
and finally was beaten by a sudden assault on the part of Marcellus.

IX, 5.--Thereafter Marcellus was still investing Syracuse. Hannibal
was passing his time in Calabria. [Sidenote: B.C. 212 (_a.u._ 542)]
The Romans, moreover, had again experienced many and disagreeable
reverses. The consuls had received a setback near Capua, Gracchus had
died in Lucania, Tarentum and other cities had revolted, Hannibal,
previously cowed, remained in Italy and had marched upon Rome, and
both the Scipios had perished. Elated by these events Hannibal
undertook to render assistance to Capua. He went as far as Beneventum,
then, ascertaining that Claudius had returned from Samnium into
Lucania on account of the death of Gracchus, he became afraid that the
Romans might secure control of parts of it, and he advanced no farther
but turned to meet Claudius.--Upon the death of the Scipios the whole
of Spain was thrown into disorder. Some towns voluntarily went over to
the Carthaginians and others under compulsion, even if they did later
swing back to the Roman side.

Marcellus, finding that he was accomplishing naught by assault on
Syracuse, thought of the following scheme. There was a vulnerable spot
in the Syracusans' wall, which they called Galeagra; it had never
before been recognized as such, but the fact was at this time
discovered. He waited till the whole town of Syracuse celebrated an
all night festival to Artemis and then bade some soldiers scale the
wall at that point. After that some gates were opened by them and, as
soon as a few others had gone in, all, both inside and outside, at a
given signal raised a shout and struck their spears upon their
shields, and the trumpeters blew a blast, with the result that utter
panic overwhelmed the Syracusans, who were anyway somewhat the worse
for drink, and the city was captured with the exception of Achradina
and what is called the "island." Marc