25.  Those vessels, therefore, of gold and silver, which their luxury had taken such pride in, were converted into arms.  The women parted also with their ornaments, and even cut off their hair to be converted into strings for the bowmen.  As’drubal, who had been lately condemned for opposing the Romans, was now taken from prison to head their army; and such preparations were made, that when the consuls came before the city, which they expected to find an easy conquest, they met with such resistance as quite dispirited their forces and shook their resolution. 26.  Several engagements were fought before the walls, with disadvantage to the assailants; so that the siege would have been discontinued, had not Scip’io AEmilia’nus, the adopted son of Africa’nus, who was now appointed to command it, used as much skill to save his forces after a defeat, as to inspire them with fresh hopes of a victory. 27.  But all his arts would have failed, had he not found means to seduce Phar’nes, the master of the Carthaginian horse, who came over to his side.  The unhappy townsmen soon saw the enemy make nearer approaches; the wall which led to the haven was quickly demolished; soon after the forum itself was taken, which offered to the conquerors a deplorable spectacle of houses nodding to their fall, heaps of men lying dead, hundreds of the wounded struggling to emerge from the carnage around them, and deploring their own and their country’s ruin.  The citadel soon after surrendered at discretion. 28.  All now but the temple was subdued, and that was defended by deserters from the Roman army, and those who had been most forward to undertake the war.  These expected no mercy, and finding their condition desperate, set fire to the building, and voluntarily perished in the flames.  This was the end of one of the most renowned cities in the world, for arts, opulence, and extent of dominion; it had rivalled Rome for above a hundred years, and, at one time, was thought to have the superiority.

[Illustration:  Destruction of Carthage.]

29.  The conquest of Carthage was soon followed by many others.  The same year Corinth, one of the noblest cities of Greece, was levelled to the ground.  Scip’io also having laid siege to Numan’tia, the strongest city in Spain, the wretched inhabitants, to avoid falling into the hands of the enemy, fired the city, over their own heads; and all, to a man, expired in the flames.  Thus Spain became a Roman province, and was governed thenceforward by two annual praetors.

Questions for Examination.

1.  With whom were the Romans at war besides Carthage, and who assisted in it?

2.  What was the success of Philip in this war?

3.  What was the consequence of peace with Philip?

4.  Who next fell under the displeasure of the Romans?

5.  What was the result?

6.  Were his offers accepted?

7.  Did Antiochus boldly face the Romans?