people　were　at　table　before　a　slender　meal　with　their　hearts　big　with
  sighs。　These　cruel　projectiles　bore　engraved　letters　which　stamped
  themselves　upon　the　flesh；and　insults　might　be　read　on　corpses　such
  as　〃pig；〃　〃jackal；〃　〃vermin；〃　and　sometimes　jests：　〃Catch　it！〃　or　〃I
  have　well　deserved　it！〃
  The　portion　of　the　rampart　which　extended　from　the　corner　of　the
  harbours　to　the　height　of　the　cisterns　was　broken　down。　Then　the
  people　of　Malqua　found　themselves　caught　between　the　old　enclosure　of
  Byrsa　behind；　and　the　Barbarians　in　front。　But　there　was　enough　to　be
  done　in　thickening　the　wall　and　making　it　as　high　as　possible　without
  troubling　about　them；　they　were　abandoned；　all　perished；　and　although
  they　were　generally　hated；　Hamilcar　came　to　be　greatly　abhorred。
  On　the　morrow　he　opened　the　pits　in　which　he　kept　stores　of　corn；　and
  his　stewards　gave　it　to　the　people。　For　three　days　they　gorged
  themselves。
  Their　thirst；　however；　only　became　the　more　intolerable；　and　they
  could　constantly　see　before　them　the　long　cascade　formed　by　the　clear
  falling　water　of　the　aqueduct。　A　thin　vapour；　with　a　rainbow　beside
  it；　went　up　from　its　base；　beneath　the　rays　of　the　sun；　and　a　little
  stream　curving　through　the　plain　fell　into　the　gulf。
  Hamilcar　did　not　give　way。　He　was　reckoning　upon　an　event；　upon
  something　decisive　and　extraordinary。
  His　own　slaves　tore　off　the　silver　plates　from　the　temple　of　Melkarth；
  four　long　boats　were　drawn　out　of　the　harbour；　they　were　brought　by
  means　of　capstans　to　the　foot　of　the　Mappalian　quarter；　the　wall
  facing　the　shore　was　bored；　and　they　set　out　for　the　Gauls　to　buy
  Mercenaries　there　at　no　matter　what　price。　Nevertheless；　Hamilcar　was
  distressed　at　his　inability　to　communicate　with　the　king　of　the
  Numidians；　for　he　knew　that　he　was　behind　the　Barbarians；　and　ready　to
  fall　upon　them。　But　Narr'　Havas；　being　too　weak；　was　not　going　to　make
  any　venture　alone；　and　the　Suffet　had　the　rampart　raised　twelve　palms
  higher；　all　the　material　in　the　arsenals　piled　up　in　the　Acropolis；
  and　the　machines　repaired　once　more。
  Sinews　taken　from　bulls'　necks；　or　else　stags'　hamstrings；　were
  commonly　employed　for　the　twists　of　the　catapults。　However；　neither
  stags　nor　bulls　were　in　existence　in　Carthage。　Hamilcar　asked　the
  Ancients　for　the　hair　of　their　wives；　all　sacrificed　it；　but　the
  quantity　was　not　sufficient。　In　the　buildings　of　the　Syssitia　there
  were　twelve　hundred　marriageable　slaves　destined　for　prostitution　in
  Greece　and　Italy；　and　their　hair；　having　been　rendered　elastic　by　the
  use　of　unguents；　was　wonderfully　well　adapted　for　engines　of　war。　But
  the　subsequent　loss　would　be　too　great。　Accordingly　it　was　decided
  that　a　choice　should　be　made　of　the　finest　heads　of　hair　among　the
  wives　of　the　plebeians。　Careless　of　their　country's　needs；　they
  shrieked　in　despair　when　the　servants　of　the　Hundred　came　with
  scissors　to　lay　hands　upon　them。
  The　Barbarians　were　animated　with　increased　fury。　They　could　be　seen
  in　the　distance　taking　fat　from　the　dead　to　grease　their　machines；
  while　others　pulled　out　the　nails　and　stitched　them　end　to　end　to　make
  cuirasses。　They　devised　a　plan　of　putting　into　the　catapults　vessels
  filled　with　serpents　which　had　been　brought　by　the　Negroes；　the　clay
  pots　broke　on　the　flag…stones；　the　serpents　ran　about；　seemed　to
  multiply；　and；　so　numerous　were　they；　to　issue　naturally　from　the
  walls。　Then　the　Barbarians；　not　satisfied　with　their　invention；
  improved　upon　it；　they　hurled　all　kinds　of　filth；　human　excrements；
  pieces　of　carrion；　corpses。　The　plague　reappeared。　The　teeth　of　the
  Carthaginians　fell　out　of　their　mouths；　and　their　gums　were
  discoloured　like　those　of　camels　after　too　long　a　journey。
  The　machines　were　set　up　on　the　terrace；　although　the　latter　did　not
  as　yet　reach　everywhere　to　the　height　of　the　rampart。　Before　the
  twenty…three　towers　on　the　fortification　stood　twenty…three　others　of
  wood。　All　the　tollenos　were　mounted　again；　and　in　the　centre；　a　little
  further　back；　appeared　the　formidable　helepolis　of　Demetrius
  Poliorcetes；　which　Spendius　had　at　last　reconstructed。　Of　pyramidical
  shape；　like　the　pharos　of　Alexandria；　it　was　one　hundred　and　thirty
  cubits　high　and　twenty…three　wide；　with　nine　stories；　diminishing　as
  they　approached　the　summit；　and　protected　by　scales　of　brass；　they
  were　pierced　with　numerous　doors　and　were　filled　with　soldiers；　and　on
  the　upper　platform　there　stood　a　catapult　flanked　by　two　ballistas。
  Then　Hamilcar　planted　crosses　for　those　who　should　speak　of　surrender；
  and　even　the　women　were　brigaded。　The　people　lay　in　the　streets　and
  waited　full　of　distress。
  Then　one　morning　before　sunrise　（it　was　the　seventh　day　of　the　month
  of　Nyssan）　they　heard　a　great　shout　uttered　by　all　the　Barbarians
  simultaneously；　the　leaden…tubed　trumpets　pealed；　and　the　great
  Paphlagonian　horns　bellowed　like　bulls。　All　rose　and　ran　to　the
  rampart。
  A　forest　of　lances；　pikes；　and　swords　bristled　at　its　base。　It　leaped
  against　the　wall；　the　ladders　grappled　them；　and　Barbarians'　heads
  appeared　in　the　intervals　of　the　battlements。
  Beams　supported　by　long　files　of　men　were　battering　at　the　gates；　and；
  in　order　to　demolish　the　wall　at　places　where　the　terrace　was　wanting；
  the　Mercenaries　came　up　in　serried　cohorts；　the　first　line　crawling；
  the　second　bending　their　hams；　and　the　others　rising　in　succession　to
  the　last　who　stood　upright；　while　elsewhere；　in　order　to　climb　up；　the
  tallest　advanced　in　front　and　the　lowest　in　the　rear；　and　all　rested
  their　shields　upon　their　helmets　with　their　left　arms；　joining　them
  together　at　the　edges　so　tightly　that　they　might　have　been　taken　for
  an　assemblage　of　large　tortoises。　The　projectiles　slid　over　these
  oblique　masses。
  The　Carthaginians　threw　down　mill…stones；　pestles；　vats；　casks；　beds；
  everything　that　could　serve　as　a　weight　and　could　knock　down。　Some
  watched　at　the　embrasures　with　fisherman's　nets；　and　when　the
  Barbarian　arrived　he　found　himself　caught　in　the　meshes；　and　struggled
  like　a　fish。　They　demolished　their　own　battlements；　portions　of　wall
  fell　down　raising　a　great　dust；　and　as　the　catapults　on　the　terrace
  were　shooting　over　against　one　another；　the　stones　would　strike
  together　and　shiver　into　a　thousand　pieces；　making　a　copious　shower
  upon　the　combatants。
  Soon　the　two　crowds　formed　but　one　great　chain　of　human　bodies；　it
  overflowed　into　the　intervals　in　the　terrace；　and；　somewhat　looser　at
  the　two　extremities；　swayed　perpetually　without　advancing。　They
  clasped　one　another；　lying　flat　on　the　ground　like　wrestlers。　They
  crushed　one　another。　The　women　leaned　over　the　battlements　and
  shrieked。　They　were　dragged　away　by　their　veils；　and　the　whiteness　of
  their　suddenly　uncovered　sides　shone　in　the　arms　of　the　Negroes　as　the
  latter　buried　their　daggers　in　them。　Some　corpses　did　not　fall；　being
  too　much　pressed　by　the　crowd；　and；　supported　by　the　shoulders　of
  their　companions；　advanced　for　some　minutes　quite　upright　and　with
  staring　eyes。　Some　who　had　both　temples　pierced　by　a　javelin　swayed
  their　heads　about　like　bears。　Mouths；　opened　to　shout；　remained
  gaping；　severed　hands　flew　through　the　air。　Mighty　blows　were　dealt；
  which　were　long　talked　of　by　the　survivors。
  Meanwhile　arrows　darted　from　the　towers　of　wood　and　stone。　The
  tollenos　moved　their　long　yards　rapidly；　and　as　the　Barbarians　had
  sacked　the　old　cemetery　of　the　aborigines　beneath　the　Catacombs；　they
  hurled　the　tombstones　against　the　Carthaginians。　Sometimes　the　cables
  broke　under　the　weight　of　too　heavy　baskets；　and　masses　of　men；　all
  with　uplifted　arms；　would　fall　from　the　sky。
  Up　to　the　middle　of　the　day　the　veterans　had　attacked　the　Taenia
  fiercely　in　order　to　penetrate　into　the　harbour　and　destroy　the　fleet。
  Hamilcar　had　a　fire　of　damp　straw　lit　upon　the　roofing　of　Khamon；　and
  as　the　smoke　blinded　them　they　fell　back　to　left；　and　came　to　swell
  the　horrible　rout　which　was　pressing　forward　in　Malqua。　Some
  syntagmata　composed　of　sturdy　men；　chosen　expressly　for　the　purpose；
  had　broken　in　three　gates。　They　were　checked　by　lofty　barriers　made　of
  planks　studded　with　nails；　but　a　fourth　yielded　easily；　they　dashed
  over　it　at　a　run　and　rolled　into　a　pit　in　which　there　were　hidden
  snares。　At　the　south…west　gate　Autaritus　and　his　men　broke　down　the
  rampart；　the　fissure　in　which　had　been　stopped　up　with　bricks。　The
  ground　behind　rose；　and　they　climbed　it　nimbly。　But　on　the　top　they
  found　a　second　wall　composed　of　stones　and　long　beams　lying　quite　flat
  and　alternating　like　the　squares　on　a　chess…board。　It　was　a　Gaulish
  fashion；　and　had　been　adapted　by　the　Suffet　to　the　requirements　of　the
  situation；　the　Gauls　imagined　themselves　before　a　town　in　their　own
  country。　Their　attack　was　weak；　and　they　were　repulsed。
  All　the　roundway；　from　the　street　of　Khamon　as　far　as　the　Green
  Market；　now　belonged　to　the　Barbarians；　and　the　Samnites　w