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shook　this　formidable　machine。



The　treasury　was　exhausted　by　the　Roman　war　and　by　all　that　had　been

squandered　and　lost　in　the　bargaining　with　the　Barbarians。

Nevertheless　soldiers　must　be　had；　and　not　a　government　would　trust

the　Republic！　Ptolemaeus　had　lately　refused　it　two　thousand　talents。

Moreover　the　rape　of　the　veil　disheartened　them。　Spendius　had　clearly

foreseen　this。



But　the　nation；　feeling　that　it　was　hated；　clasped　its　money　and　its

gods　to　its　heart；　and　its　patriotism　was　sustained　by　the　very

constitution　of　its　government。



First；　the　power　rested　with　all；　without　any　one　being　strong　enough

to　engross　it。　Private　debts　were　considered　as　public　debts；　men　of

Chanaanitish　race　had　a　monopoly　of　commerce；　and　by　multiplying　the

profits　of　piracy　with　those　of　usury；　by　hard　dealings　in　lands　and

slaves　and　with　the　poor；　fortunes　were　sometimes　made。　These　alone

opened　up　all　the　magistracies；　and　although　authority　and　money　were

perpetuated　in　the　same　families；　people　tolerated　the　oligarchy

because　they　hoped　ultimately　to　share　in　it。



The　societies　of　merchants；　in　which　the　laws　were　elaborated；　chose

the　inspectors　of　the　exchequer；　who　on　leaving　office　nominated　the

hundred　members　of　the　Council　of　the　Ancients；　themselves　dependent

on　the　Grand　Assembly；　or　general　gathering　of　all　the　rich。　As　to　the

two　Suffets；　the　relics　of　the　monarchy　and　the　less　than　consuls；

they　were　taken　from　distinct　families　on　the　same　day。　All　kinds　of

enmities　were　contrived　between　them；　so　that　they　might　mutually

weaken　each　other。　They　could　not　deliberate　concerning　war；　and　when

they　were　vanquished　the　Great　Council　crucified　them。



The　power　of　Carthage　emanated；　therefore；　from　the　Syssitia；　that　is

to　say；　from　a　large　court　in　the　centre　of　Malqua；　at　the　place；　it

was　said；　where　the　first　bark　of　Phoenician　sailors　had　touched；　the

sea　having　retired　a　long　way　since　then。　It　was　a　collection　of

little　rooms　of　archaic　architecture；　built　of　palm　trunks　with

corners　of　stone；　and　separated　from　one　another　so　as　to　accommodate

the　various　societies　separately。　The　rich　crowded　there　all　day　to

discuss　their　own　concerns　and　those　of　the　government；　from　the

procuring　of　pepper　to　the　extermination　of　Rome。　Thrice　in　a　moon

they　would　have　their　beds　brought　up　to　the　lofty　terrace　running

along　the　wall　of　the　court；　and　they　might　be　seen　from　below　at

table　in　the　air；　without　cothurni　or　cloaks；　with　their　diamond…

covered　fingers　wandering　over　the　dishes；　and　their　large　earrings

hanging　down　among　the　flagons；all　fat　and　lusty；　half…naked；

smiling　and　eating　beneath　the　blue　sky；　like　great　sharks　sporting　in

the　sea。



But　just　now　they　were　unable　to　dissemble　their　anxiety；　they　were

too　pale　for　that。　The　crowd　which　waited　for　them　at　the　gates

escorted　them　to　their　palaces　in　order　to　obtain　some　news　from　them。

As　in　times　of　pestilence；　all　the　houses　were　shut；　the　streets　would

fill　and　suddenly　clear　again；　people　ascended　the　Acropolis　or　ran　to

the　harbour；　and　the　Great　Council　deliberated　every　night。　At　last

the　people　were　convened　in　the　square　of　Khamon；　and　it　was　decided

to　leave　the　management　of　things　to　Hanno；　the　conqueror　of

Hecatompylos。



He　was　a　true　Carthaginian；　devout；　crafty；　and　pitiless　towards　the

people　of　Africa。　His　revenues　equalled　those　of　the　Barcas。　No　one

had　such　experience　in　administrative　affairs。



He　decreed　the　enrolment　of　all　healthy　citizens；　he　placed　catapults

on　the　towers；　he　exacted　exorbitant　supplies　of　arms；　he　even　ordered

the　construction　of　fourteen　galleys　which　were　not　required；　and　he

desired　everything　to　be　registered　and　carefully　set　down　in　writing。

He　had　himself　conveyed　to　the　arsenal；　the　pharos；　and　the　treasuries

of　the　temples；　his　great　litter　was　continually　to　be　seen　swinging

from　step　to　step　as　it　ascended　the　staircases　of　the　Acropolis。　And

then　in　his　palace　at　night；　being　unable　to　sleep；　he　would　yell　out

warlike　manoeuvres　in　terrible　tones　so　as　to　prepare　himself　for　the

fray。



In　their　extremity　of　terror　all　became　brave。　The　rich　ranged

themselves　in　line　along　the　Mappalian　district　at　cockcrow；　and

tucking　up　their　robes　practised　themselves　in　handling　the　pike。　But

for　want　of　an　instructor　they　had　disputes　about　it。　They　would　sit

down　breathless　upon　the　tombs　and　then　begin　again。　Several　even

dieted　themselves。　Some　imagined　that　it　was　necessary　to　eat　a　great

deal　in　order　to　acquire　strength；　while　others　who　were

inconvenienced　by　their　corpulence　weakened　themselves　with　fasts　in

order　to　become　thin。



Utica　had　already　called　several　times　upon　Carthage　for　assistance；

but　Hanno　would　not　set　out　until　the　engines　of　war　had　been　supplied

with　the　last　screws。　He　lost　three　moons　more　in　equipping　the　one

hundred　and　twelve　elephants　that　were　lodged　in　the　ramparts。　They

were　the　conquerors　of　Regulus；　the　people　loved　them；　it　was

impossible　to　treat　such　old　friends　too　well。　Hanno　had　the　brass

plates　which　adorned　their　breasts　recast；　their　tusks　gilt；　their

towers　enlarged；　and　caparisons；　edged　with　very　heavy　fringes；　cut

out　of　the　handsomest　purple。　Finally；　as　their　drivers　were　called

Indians　（after　the　first　ones；　no　doubt；　who　came　from　the　Indies）　he

ordered　them　all　to　be　costumed　after　the　Indian　fashion；　that　is　to

say；　with　white　pads　round　their　temples；　and　small　drawers　of　byssus；

which　with　their　transverse　folds　looked　like　two　valves　of　a　shell

applied　to　the　hips。



The　army　under　Autaritus　still　remained　before　Tunis。　It　was　hidden

behind　a　wall　made　with　mud　from　the　lake；　and　protected　on　the　top　by

thorny　brushwood。　Some　Negroes　had　planted　tall　sticks　here　and　there

bearing　frightful　faces；human　masks　made　with　birds'　feathers；　and

jackals'　or　serpents'　heads；which　gaped　towards　the　enemy　for　the

purpose　of　terrifying　him；　and　the　Barbarians；　reckoning　themselves

invincible　through　these　means；　danced；　wrestled；　and　juggled；

convinced　that　Carthage　would　perish　before　long。　Any　one　but　Hanno

would　easily　have　crushed　such　a　multitude；　hampered　as　it　was　with

herds　and　women。　Moreover；　they　knew　nothing　of　drill；　and　Autaritus

was　so　disheartened　that　he　had　ceased　to　require　it。



They　stepped　aside　when　he　passed　by　rolling　his　big　blue　eyes。　Then

on　reaching　the　edge　of　the　lake　he　would　draw　back　his　sealskin

cloak；　unfasten　the　cord　which　tied　up　his　long　red　hair；　and　soak　the

latter　in　the　water。　He　regretted　that　he　had　not　deserted　to　the

Romans　along　with　the　two　thousand　Gauls　of　the　temple　of　Eryx。



Often　the　sun　would　suddenly　lose　his　rays　in　the　middle　of　the　day。

Then　the　gulf　and　the　open　sea　would　seem　as　motionless　as　molten

lead。　A　cloud　of　brown　dust　stretching　perpendicularly　would　speed

whirling　along；　the　palm　trees　would　bend　and　the　sky　disappear；　while

stones　would　be　hear