26.40
Laevinus' arrival in Sicily had been
looked forward to by all the friendly cities, both those who had been old
allies of Rome, and those who had recently joined her. His first and most
important task was the settlement of the affairs of Syracuse, which, as peace
had only quite recently been established, were still in confusion. When he
had accomplished this task he marched to Agrigentum, where the embers of
war were still smouldering, and a Carthaginian garrison still in occupation.
Fortune favoured his enterprise. Hanno was in command, but the
Carthaginians placed their chief reliance on Muttines and his Numidians. He
was scouring the island from end to end and carrying off plunder from the
friends of Rome; neither force nor stratagem could keep him from entering
Agrigentum and leaving it on his raids whenever he chose. His reputation as
a dashing officer was beginning to eclipse that of the commandant himself,
and at last created so much jealousy that even the successes he gained were
unwelcome to Hanno, because of the man who gained them. It ended in his
giving the command of the cavalry to his own son in the hope that by
depriving Muttines of his post he would also destroy his influence with the
Numidians. It had just the opposite effect, for the ill-feeling created only
made Muttines more popular, and he showed his resentment at the injustice
done to him by at once entering into secret negotiations with Laevinus for
the surrender of the city. When his emissaries had come to an understanding
with the consul and arranged the plan of operations, the Numidians seized
the gate leading to the sea after driving off or massacring the men on guard,
and admitted a Roman force which was in readiness into the city. As they
were marching in serried ranks into the forum and the heart of the city,
amidst great confusion, Hanno, thinking it was only a riotous disturbance
caused by the Numidians, such as had often happened before, went to allay
the tumult. When, however, he saw in the distance a larger body of troops
than the Numidians amounted to, and when the well-known battle shout of
the Romans reached his ears, he at once took to flight before a missile could
reach him. Escaping with Epicydes through a gate on the other side of the
city, and attended by a small escort, he reached the shore. Here they were
fortunate enough to find a small ship, in which they sailed across to Africa,
abandoning Sicily, for which they had fought through so many years, to their
victorious enemy. The mixed population of Sicilians and Carthaginians
whom they had left behind, made no attempt at resistance, but rushed away
in wild flight, and, as the exits were all closed, they were slaughtered round
the gates. When he had gained possession of the place, Laevinus ordered the
men who had been at the head of affairs in Agrigentum to be scourged and
beheaded; the rest of the population he sold with the plunder, and sent all the
money to Rome.
When the fate of the Agrigentines became generally known
throughout Sicily, all the cities at once declared for Rome. In a short time
twenty towns were clandestinely surrendered and six taken by storm, and as
many as forty voluntarily surrendered on terms. The consul meted out
rewards and punishments to the chief men in these cities, according to each
man's deserts, and now that the Sicilians had at last laid arms aside he
obliged them to turn their attention to agriculture. That fertile island was not
only capable of supporting its own population, but had on many occasions
relieved the scarcity in Rome, and the consul intended that it should do so
again if necessary. Agathyrna had become the seat of a motley population,
numbering some 4000 men, made up of all sorts of characters -refugees,
insolvent debtors -most of them had committed capital offences at the time
when they were living in their own cities and under their own laws and
afterwards when similarity of fortunes arising from various causes had drawn
them together at Agathyrna. Laevinus did not think it safe to leave these men
behind in the island, as a material for fresh disturbances, whilst things were
settling down under the newly established peace. The Regians too would
find a body so experienced in brigandage as they were, very useful;
accordingly Laevinus transported them all to Italy. As far as Sicily was
concerned, the state of war was put an end to this year.
