404 HISTORY OF GREECE. thousand Libyans or Africans ; and eight hundred Campanian mer- cenaries, who had been formerly in the pay and service of the Athe- nians before Syracuse, but had quitted that camp before the final catastrophe occurred. 1 In spite of the reinforcement and the imposing countenance of Carthage, the Selinuntines, at this time in full power and prosper- ity, still believed themselves strong enough to subdue Egesta. Under such persuasion, they invaded the territory with their full force. They began to ravage the country, yet at first with order and precaution ; but presently, finding no enemy in the field to op- pose them, they became careless, and spread themselves about for disorderly plunder. This was the moment for which the Eges- taeans and Carthaginians -were watching. They attacked the Seli- nuntines by surprise, defeated them with the loss of a thousand men, and recaptured the whole booty. 2 The war, as hitherto carried on, was one offensive on the part of the Selinuntines, for the purpose of punishing or despoiling their ancient enemy Egesta. Only so far as was necessary for the de- fence of the latter, had the Carthaginians yet interfered. But against such an interference the Selinuntines, if they had taken a prudent measure of their own force, would have seen that they were not likely to achieve any conquest. Moreover, they might perhaps have obtained peace now, had they sought it ; as a con- siderable minority among them, headed by a citizen named Em- pedion, 3 urgently recommended: for Selinus appears always to have been on more friendly terms with Carthage than any other Grecian city in Sicily. Even at the great battle of Himera, the Selinun- tine troops had not only not assisted Gelon, but had actually fought in the Carthaginian army under Hamilkar ; 4 a plea, which, had it been pressed, might probably have had weight with Hannibal. But this claim upon the goodwill of Carthage appears only to have rendered them more confident and passionate in braving her force and in prosecuting the war. They sent to Syracuse to ask for aid, which the Syracusans, under present circumstances, promised to send them. But the promise was given with little cordiality, as appears by the manner in which they fulfilled it, as well as front ' Diodor. xiii, 43, 14. 2 Diodor. xiii, 44. 3 Diodor. xiii, 59. 4 Diodor. xiii, 55 ; xi. 21
