This was the way, then, that the naval battle resulted, and much spoil was taken. [Sidenote:  FRAG. 43^13] THE CARTHAGINIANS WOULD HAVE PUT HANNIBAL TO DEATH ON ACCOUNT OF THE DEFEAT, IF HE HAD NOT IMMEDIATELY ENQUIRED OF THEM WHETHER, GRANTED THAT THE BUSINESS WERE STILL UNTOUCHED, THEY WOULD BID HIM RISK A SEA-FIGHT OR NOT.  THEY AGREED THAT HE OUGHT TO FIGHT, FOR THEY PRIDED THEMSELVES UPON HAVING A SUPERIOR NAVY.  HE THEN ADDED:  “I, THEN, HAVE DONE NO WRONG, FOR I WENT INTO THE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SAME HOPES AS YOU.  IT WAS THE DECISION, BUT NOT THE FORTUNE OF THE BATTLE THAT HAPPENED TO BE WITHIN MY POWER.”  So he saved his life, but was deprived of his command.—­Duillius after securing a reinforcement of infantry rescued the people of Segesta, and Hamilcar would not venture to come into close conflict with him.  He strengthened the loyalty of the other friendly settlements and returned to Rome at the close of autumn.  Upon his departure Hamilcar took forcible possession of the place called Drepanum (it is a convenient roadstead), deposited there the objects of greatest value and transferred to it all the people of Eryx.  The city of the latter, because it was a strong point, he razed to the ground to prevent the Romans from seizing it and making it a base of operations for the war.  He captured some cities, too, some by force, some by betrayal; and if Gaius Florus who wintered there had not restrained him, he would have subjugated Sicily entire.

[Sidenote:  B.C. 259 (a.u. 495)] Lucius Scipio, his colleague, made a campaign against Sardinia and against Corsica.  These islands are situated in the Tyrrhenian sea only a short distance apart,—­so short a distance, in fact, that from a little way off they seem to be one.  His first landing place was Corsica.  There he captured by force Valeria, its largest city, and subdued the remainder of the region without effort.  As he was sailing toward Sardinia he descried a Carthaginian fleet and directed his course to it.  The enemy fled before a battle could be joined and he came to the city of Olbia.  There the Carthaginians put in an appearance along with their ships, and Scipio being frightened (for he had no infantry worthy the mention) set sail for home.

These were the days when the Samnites with the cooeperation of other captives and slaves in the city came to an agreement to form a conspiracy against Rome.  Numbers of them had been brought there with a view to their utilization in the equipment of the fleet.  Herius Potilius, the leader of the auxiliary force, found it out and pretended to be of like mind with them, in order that he might fully inform himself in regard to what they had determined.  As he was not able to give knowledge of the affair,—­for all those about him were Samnites,—­he persuaded them to gather in the Forum at a time when a senate meeting was being convened and denounce him with declarations that they were being wronged in the matter of the grain which they were receiving.  They did this and he was sent for as being the cause of the tumult; and he then laid bare to the Romans the plot.  For the moment they merely dismissed the protestants (after they had become quiet) but by night all of those who held slaves arrested some of them.  And in this way the entire conspiracy was overthrown.