Scipio Knew That When The Tide Ebbed, The Port
Of New Carthage Would Become Dry And Accessible By Land; But
His soldiers,
and even his officers, were ignorant of the nature of the tides, and they
firmly believed that Neptune
Had wrought a miracle in their favour, when,
according to Scipio's prediction, the tide retired, and the army was thus
enabled to capture the town, the walls of which on that side were extremely
low, the Carthaginians having directed all their attention and efforts to
the opposite side. The capture of New Carthage depressed, in a great
degree, the spirits, as well as weakened the strength of the Carthaginians
in Spain: eighteen galleys were captured in the port, besides 113 vessels
laden with naval stares; 40,000 bushels of wheat, 260,000 bushels of
barley, a large number of warlike machines of all descriptions, 260 cups of
gold, most of which weighed a pound, 18,300 pounds weight of silver,
principally coin, besides brass money, were among the spoils.
About the year of Rome 556, Scipio had succeeded in reducing all Spain. It
does not appear, however, that the Romans were thus enabled greatly to
extend their commerce; indeed, at this period, we have no evidence that any
other town in Spain, except Gades, possessed any considerable trade. This
island and city were situated in a gulph of the same name, between the
straits of Gibraltar and the river Boetis; and, from the remotest period of
which we possess any records, was resorted to by foreigners for the
purposes of commerce. Gradually, however, the inhabitants of Spain, under
the Roman government, enriched themselves and their conquerors by their
industry: large quantities of corn, wine, and oil were exported, besides
wax, honey, pitch, vermilion, and wool. The oil and wool were deemed equal,
if not superior, to those of any other part of the world: the excellent
quality of the wool is a strong fact, against an opinion entertained by
many, that the fineness of the Spanish was originally derived from the
exportation of some English sheep to Spain, since it appears to have been
celebrated even in the time of the Romans: how important and lucrative an
object it was considered, may be collected from the attention that was paid
to the breed of sheep; a ram, according to Strabo, having been sold for a
talent, or nearly 200_l_. Horace incidentally gives evidence of the
commercial wealth of Spain in his time, when he considers the master of a
Spanish trading vessel and a person of great wealth as synonimous terms.
As Hannibal still continued in Italy, the senate of Rome resolved to send
Scipio into Italy, with a discretionary power to invade Africa from that
island. He lost no time in equipping a fleet for these purposes, and his
efforts were so well seconded by the zeal and activity of the provinces and
cities, many of which taxed themselves to supply iron, timber, cloth for
sails, corn, &c. that, in forty days after the timber was felled, Scipio
had a fleet of thirty new galleys.
Soon after he landed in Sicily, he resolved to invade Africa: for this
purpose his fleet was collected in the port of Lilibaeum. Never was
embarkation made with more order and solemnity: the concourse of people who
came from all parts to see him set sail, and wish him a prosperous voyage,
was prodigious. Just before he weighed anchor, he appeared on the poop of
his galley, and, after an herald had proclaimed silence, addressed a solemn
prayer to the gods. It is foreign to our purpose to give any account of the
campaign in Africa, which, it is well known, terminated in the utter defeat
of the Carthaginians, who were obliged to sue for peace. This was granted
them on very severe terms: all the cities and provinces which they
possessed in Africa previously to the war, they were indeed permitted to
retain, but they were stripped of Spain, and of all the islands in the
Mediterranean; all their ships of war, except ten galleys, were to be
delivered up to the Romans; and, for the future, they were not to maintain
above that number at one time: even the size of their fishing boats and of
their trading vessels was regulated. In the course of fifty years ten
thousand talents were to be paid to the Romans. During a short truce which
preceded the peace, the Carthaginians had seized and plundered a Roman
squadron, which had been dispersed by a storm, and driven near Carthage; as
a satisfaction for this, they were obliged to pay the Romans 25,000 pounds
weight of silver. The successful termination of the second Punic war gave
to the Romans complete dominion of the sea, on which they maintained
generally 100 galleys. Commerce flourished, particularly that most
important branch, the trade in corn, with which Rome, at this period, is
said to have been so plentifully furnished, that the merchants paid their
seamen with it.
The power of the Romans at sea was now so well established, that no foreign
power could hope to attack, or resist them, unless they were expert
navigators, as well as furnished with a numerous fleet. Under this
impression, Philip king of Macedon, who had long been jealous and afraid of
them, applied himself sedulously to maritime affairs. As it was about this
period that the Romans began to turn their thoughts to the conquest of
Greece, it may be proper to take a retrospective view of the maritime
affairs and commerce of that country. An inspection of the map of Greece
will point out the advantages which it possessed for navigation and
commerce. Lying nearly in the middle of the Mediterranean, with the sea
washing three of its sides; possessed of almost innumerable inlets and
bays, it was admirably adapted to ancient commerce. Its want of large and
navigable rivers, which will always limit its commerce in modern times,
presented no obstacle to the small vessels in which the ancients carried on
their trade; as they never navigated them during the winter, and from their
smallness and lightness, they could easily drag them on shore.
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