Claudius Had Under His Command A Fine And
Formidable Fleet Of 120 Galleys; With These He Sailed From Before Lilibaeum
In The Night Time, Having Taken On Board A Great Number Of The Best Troops
Employed In The Blockade Of That Place.
At break of day, Asdrubal, the
Carthaginian admiral, was surprized to perceive the hostile fleet
approaching Drepanon:
He formed his plan immediately, preferring an
immediate engagement to the certainty of being shut up in the harbour.
Accordingly, with ninety ships, he sailed out, and drew them up behind some
rocks which lay near the harbour. As the Romans had not perceived him come
out, they continued to sail on without forming themselves into line of
battle, when as they were about to enter the harbour, the Carthaginians
attacked them, with such celerity and vigour, that, being taken quite
unprepared, they were thrown into confusion. Claudius might still have
saved his fleet by immediate flight, but this he absolutely refused to do,
notwithstanding the strong and urgent remonstrances of his officers. By
great exertions the Roman fleet was formed into line of battle, on a lee
shore, and close to rocks and shoals. It was on this occasion, that the
Romans' veneration for auguries was so dreadfully shocked, by Claudius
exclaiming, when the sacred chickens refused to feed, "If they will not
feed, let them drink," at the same time ordering them to be thrown into the
sea. The bad omen, and the sacrilegious insult, added to the situation in
which they were placed, and their want of confidence in Claudius, seemed to
have paralysed the efforts of the Romans:
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