24.36
Whilst
thus on the alert he fell in with Hippocrates, and the preparations he had
made to meet the Carthaginians served him in good stead against the
Syracusans. He caught them whilst forming their camp, dispersed and in
disorder, and for the most part unarmed. The whole of their infantry were
cut off, the cavalry offered but slight resistance and escaped with
Hippocrates to Acrae. That battle checked the Sicilians in their revolt from
Rome and Marcellus returned to Syracuse. A few days later Himilco, who
had been joined by Hippocrates, fixed his camp by the river Anapus, about
eight miles from Syracuse. A Carthaginian fleet of fifty-five vessels of war
sailed about the same time into the great harbour of Syracuse from the high
seas; and a Roman fleet, also, of thirty quinqueremes, landed the first legion
at Panormus. It looked as if the war had been wholly diverted from Italy, so
completely were both peoples devoting their attention to Sicily. Himilco fully
expected that the legion which had been landed at Panormus would fall into
his hands on its march to Syracuse, but he was disappointed as it did not
take the route he expected. Whilst he marched inland, the legion proceeded
along the coast, accompanied by the fleet, and joined Appius Claudius who
had come to meet it with a portion of his force. Now the Carthaginians
despaired of relieving Syracuse and left it to its fate. Bomilcar did not feel
sufficient confidence in his fleet as the Romans had one of double the
number, and he saw that by remaining there inactive he was only aggravating
the scarcity which prevailed amongst his allies, so he put out to sea and
sailed across to Africa. Himilco had followed upon Marcellus' track to
Syracuse, hoping for a chance of fighting before he was joined by superior
forces; and as no opportunity of doing so occurred and he saw that the
enemy were in great strength and safe within their lines round Syracuse he
marched away, not caring to waste time by looking on in idleness at the
investment of his allies. He also wished to be free to march wherever any
hope of defection from Rome summoned him that he might by his presence
encourage those whose sympathies were with Carthage. He began with the
capture of Murgantia, where the populace betrayed the Roman garrison, and
where a large quantity of corn and provisions of all kinds had been stored for
the use of the Romans.
