Strabo,

L. 3.

fmall Ifle of the fame Name upon the Weftern Coaft of Andalufia, about twenty-fix Miles from Gibraltar. Hercules's pushing his Conquefts to this Place, and stopping at it as the Extremity of the World, is a known Story. He erected here two Pillars as Monuments of his Victories, according to the Custom of that Age. The Place has always preferv'd the Name, tho' the Pillars are ruin'd by the Injury of Time. Authors are divided in their Sentiments as to the Place where thefe Pillars were built. Bætica was the most fertile, rich and best peopled Part of Spain. Two hundred Towns were numbered in it, and it was here that the Turdetani, or Turduli, had their Habitation. Upon the Betis food three large Cities, Caftulo towards the Source, *Cordoua. Corduba* lower down, the Country of Lucan and Seville. the two Senecas, laftly Hifpalis *.

Ibid.

LUSITANIA is bounded on the Weft by the *Duero. Ocean, on the North by the River Darius *, and *Guadi- on the South by the River Anas*. Between these two Rivers is the Tagus. Lufitania is the Portugal of this Day, with a Part of the Old and New Cafile.

ána.

gon.

TARRAGONENSIS comprehended the reft of Spain, that is to fay, the Kingdoms of Murcia and Valentia, Catalonia, Arragon, Navarre, Bifcay, Afturias, Gallicia, the Kingdom of Leon, Tarra. and the greateft Part of the two Caftiles. Tarraco, a very confiderable City, gave its Name to this Part of Spain. Very near it lay Barcino *. Its Name gives room to a Conjecture that it was built by Barca, Father of the great Hannibal. The most renown'd People of this Part of Spain were the Celtiberi, be * Ebro. yond the River Iberus. The Cantabri, where Bif cay now lies; the Carpetani, whofe Capital was Toledo, the Ovitani, &c.

* Barcelo

na.

SPAIN, abounding with Mines of Gold and Silver, and peopled with a warlike Race of Men, had fufficient to incite at once the Avarice and the Ambition

Ambition of the Carthaginians, more Merchants in-
deed than Conquerors by the Conftitution of their
Republick. They doubtlefs were not unacquainted
that their Phenician Ancestors, as Diodorus informs L. 5.
us, taking Advantage of the happy Ignorance of the
Spaniards, concerning the immenfe Riches hid in the
Bowels of their Land, firft took from them these
precious Treasures in exchange for Commodities of
the lowest Value. They forefaw likewife, that if
this Country cou'd once be reduc'd under their Obe-
dience, it wou'd plentifully furnish them with difci-
plin'd Troops for the Conqueft of other Nations,
as it actually fell out.

The Carthaginians first fet foot in Spain in Affi- Juftin. stance of the Inhabitants of Cadiz, who were attack'di. 44. c. 5. by the Spaniards. That City, as well as Utica and Diod. 1. 5. Carthage, was a Colony of Tyrus, and even more ancient than either. The Tyrians having built it, confecrated it to the Worship of Hercules, and erected a magnificent Temple in Honour of him, which became famous in After-ages. The happy Success of their first Expedition gave the Carthaginians a Thirst of carrying their Arms into Spain.

IT is not precisely known in what Age they entered Spain, nor how far they pufh'd their first . Conquefts. It is very likely that they mov'd flowly at first, having to do with a warlike Nation, which defended it felf with great Refolution. Nor wou'd they ever have accomplish'd their Defign, as Strabo L. 3. obferves, had the Spaniards form'd one State, and mutually affifted one another. But every Canton, every People being entirely detach'd from their Neighbours, without any Commerce or Tie, they muft neceffarily fall a Prey to the Enemy one after another. This Separation on one hand occafion'd their Ruin, and on the other, protracted the War, and made the Conqueft more difficult ; in like & Such a Divifion of Britain finguli pugnant universi vincunretarded likewife, and facilitated tur. Tacit.

the Roman Conqueft of it. Dum

manner,

Polyb.

manner it has been remark'd that tho' Spain was the first Province attack'd by the Romans upon the Continent, it was the laft fubdu'd by them ", and took not their Yoke entirely till after a vigorous Oppofition of more than two hundred Years.

IT appears from the Accounts of Polybius and Livy, relating to the Wars of Amilcar, Afdrubal and Hannibal in Spain, which will be related in their Order, that the Carthaginians had but little advanc'd in their Conqueft of that Nation before this Time, and that the greater Part of it remain'd unfubdu'd. But in the Space of twenty Years they compleated the Conqueft of almoft the whole Country.

AT the Time that Hannibal march'd for Italy, L. 3. all the Coast of Africk, from the Philenorum Are, p. 266. by the grand Syrtis, to the Pillars of Hercules, was 1.1.p.13 in Subjection to the Carthaginians. Paffing the Ed. Gro- Straits they conquer'd all the Western Coaft of

nov.

Spain along the Ocean to the Pyrenean Hills. The
Coaft, which lies upon the Mediterranean, was like-
wife almost wholly fubdu'd by them; here they built
New Carthage; and they were Mafters of all the
Country as far as the Iberus which bounded their
Dominion. Such then was the Extent of their
Empire. In the Heart of the Country fome Places
held out against all their Efforts.

Conquefts of the Carthaginians in Sicily.

THE Carthaginian Wars in Sicily are more known. I fhall relate here those which were waged from the Reign of Xerxes, who engag'd the Carthaginians to carry their Arms into Sicily, to the first Punic War. This Space includes near two hundred and twenty Years from the Year of the World 3520 to 3738.

h Hifpania prima Romanis inita Provinciarum quæ quidem continentis fint, poftrema omni

um perdomita eft, Liv. L. 28. . 12.

In the Beginning of thefe Wars Syracufe, the most confiderable and powerful City of Sicily, had put the fovereign Power into the Hands of Gelon, Hiero, and Thrafybulus, three Brothers who fucceeded one another. After them a Democracy, or popular Government, was establish'd, and fubfifted more than fixty Years. From this Time the two Dionyfius's, Timoleon and Agathocles, had the Sway in Syracufe. Pyrrhus was afterwards call'd into Sicily, but held it but few Years. Such was the Government of Sicily during the Wars, of which I am going to treat. They will give us great Light into the Power of the Carthaginians when they began the War upon the Romans.

SICILY is the largest and moft confiderable Ifle in the Mediterranean. Its Figure is triangular, and has therefore given it the Name of Trinacria and Triquetra. The Eastern Side, which lies against the Ionian or Grecian Sea, extends from Cape Pachinum ** Paffado. to Pelorum *. Cities the moft celebrated on this* Il Faro. Coaft are Syracufa, Tauromenium, Meffana. The Northern Coaft, which looks to Italy, extends from Cape Pelorum to Cape Lilybæum *. Cities the moft* Capo celebrated on this Coaft are Myla, Hymera, Pan-Boéo. ormus, Eryx, Motya, Lilybæum. The Southern Coaft, which looks to Africk, extends from Cape Lilybaum to Pachynum. Cities the most celebrated on this Coaft are Selinus, Agrigentum, Gela, Camarina. This Ifle is feparated from Italy by a Strait of not above Heylin. a Mile and a half, which is known by the Name of Strabo,1, 6. the Faro or Strait of Mefina, the Paffage from Lilybaum to Africk is only 1500 Furlongs, that is, about fixty-five Leagues.

IT is not precifely known in what Age the Car- A. M. thaginians made their firft Attempts upon Sicily. 3496. It is only certain that they already poffefs'd fone Carth. Part of it when they entered into a Treaty with the 380. Rome245. Romans the fame Year that the Kings were expell'd, Before and Confuls fubftituted in their Room, twenty-eight chrift

Years 508.

Polyb.

L. 3.
P. 245.

Edit.

Years before Xerxes fell upon Greece. This Treaty, the first of which we find any mention between & feq. these two People, fpeaks of Africk and Sardinia as belonging to the Carthaginians; whereas the ConGronov. ventions, with regard to Sicily, fall only upon those Parts of the Ifle which pay'd Obedience to them. By this Treaty it is expressly ftipulated that neither the Romans nor their Allies fhall fail beyond the Fair Promontory i which was near Carthage, and that the Merchants, who fhall refort to that City for Traffick, fhall pay no other Duty than what is allow'd to the common Cryer and Regifter.

Idem, P. 246.

Diod.

M.

3520. Carth. 399.

By this fame Treaty one fees that the Carthaginians were careful not to give the Romans any Entrance into the Countries depending upon them, nor any Knowledge of their Tranfactions: As if the Carthaginians even then took Umbrage at the rifing Power of the Romans, and already harbour'd in their Breafts the fecret Seeds of that Jealoufig and Dif trust which were one Day to break out in Wars long and cruel, and only to be extinguifh'd by the Ruin of one of the Empires, fo fierce were their mutual Hatred and Animofity.

SOME Years after this firft Treaty the Carthagi11,16. nians made an Alliance with Xerxes King of Perfia. This Prince who aim'd at nothing less than the Extirpation of Greece, which he look'd upon as an irreconcilable Enemy, believ'd he cou'd not fucceed in his Undertaking, without engaging Carthage in his Party, which was even then formidable by its Power. The Carthaginians, who always kept in View their Delign of feizing the Remainder of Sicily, greedily fnatch'd the favourable Opportunity of finishing its Reduction A Treaty therefore was concluded;

Rome

264. Before Chrift 484.

i The Reafon of this Refraint Polybius takes to be the Unwil lingness of the Carthaginians, that the Romans frou'd have any Knowledge of the Countries lying

more Southwards, that their Fertility might be kept a Secret from that enterprising People. Polyb. 1. 3. p. 247. Edit. Gronov.

and