26.47
As
many as 10,000 freemen were made prisoners. Those who were citizens
were set free and Scipio gave them back their city and all the property which
the war had left them. There were some 2000 artisans; these Scipio allotted
to the public service, and held out to them hopes of recovering their liberty if
they did their best in the tasks which the war demanded. The rest of the
able-bodied population and the sturdiest of the slaves he assigned to the fleet
to make up the complement of rowers. He also augmented his fleet by five
vessels which he had seized. Besides all this population there were the
Spanish hostages; these he treated with as much consideration as though
they had been children of the allies of Rome. An enormous amount of
munitions of war was also secured; 120 catapults of the largest size and 281
smaller ones, 23 of the heavier ballistae and 52 lighter ones, together with an
immense number of scorpions of various calibre, as well as missiles and other
arms. 73 military standards were also captured. A vast quantity of gold and
silver was brought to the general, including 287 golden bowls, almost all of
which were at least a pound in weight, 18,300 pounds of silver plate and
coinage, the former comprising a large number of vessels. This was all
weighed and counted and then made over to the quaestor C. Flaminius, as
were also 10,000 bushels of wheat and 270 pecks of barley. In the harbour
63 transports were captured, some of them with their cargoes of corn and
arms, as well as bronze, iron, sails, esparto grass, and other articles required
for the fleet. Amidst such an enormous supply of military and naval stores,
the actual city itself was regarded as the least important capture of all.