separate and strong fortresses. Marcellus, however, made
himself master of the fort of Euryalus, and had closely invested
Achradina, when the Carthaginian army under Himilco and Hippocrates
advanced to the relief of the city. Their efforts were, however, in
vain; all their attacks on the camp of Marcellus were repulsed, and they
were unable to effect a junction with Epicydes and the Syracusan
garrison. The unhealthiness of the country soon gave rise to a
pestilence which carried off both the Carthaginian generals and led to
the entire break-up of the army. Shortly afterward the treachery of a
leader of Spanish mercenaries in the Syracusan service opened to
Marcellus the gates of Achradina, and in the general attack that ensued
he made himself master of the island of Ortygia also. The city was given
up to plunder, and Archimedes was slain by a Roman soldier, being so
intent upon a mathematical problem at the time that he did not answer a
question that was asked him. He was deeply regretted by Marcellus, who
gave orders for his burial, and befriended his surviving relatives.[35]

The booty found in the captured city was immense: besides the money in
the royal treasury, which was set apart for the coffers of the state,
Marcellus carried off many of the works of art with which the city had
been adorned, to grace his own triumph and the temples at Rome. This was
the first instance of a practice which afterward became so general; and
it gave great offense not only to the Greeks of Sicily, but to a large
party at Rome itself.

The fall of Syracuse was followed, though not immediately, by the
subjugation of the whole island by the Romans; but these successes were
counterbalanced by the defeat and death of the two Scipios in Spain. We
have already seen that P. Scipio, when he landed at Massilia and found
himself unable to overtake Hannibal in Gaul, sent his brother Cneius
with the army into Spain, while he himself returned to Italy. In the
following year (B.C. 217) Publius himself crossed over into Spain, where
he found that his brother had already obtained a firm footing. They
continued in Spain for several years, during which they gained many
victories, and prevented Hasdrubal from marching into Italy to support
his victorious brother. When Hasdrubal was recalled to Africa to oppose
Syphax, one of the Numidian kings, who was carrying on war against
Carthage, the Scipios availed themselves of his absence to strengthen
their po