414 mSTORV OF GREECE. size and equipment of the farm buildings, the largj outlay for artificial irrigation, the agreeable country-houses belonging to wealthy Carthaginians, etc., all excited the astonishment, and stimulated the cupidity, of Agathokles and his soldiers. More- over, the towns were not only very numerous, but all open and unfortified, except Carthage itself and a few others on the coast.^ The Carthaginians, besides having little fear of invasion by sea, were disposed to mistrust their subject cities, which they ruled habitually with harshness and oppression.^ The Liby- Phenicians appear to have been unused to arms — a race of timid cultivators and traffickers, accustomed to subjection and practised in the deceit necessary for lightening it.3 Agathokles, having marched through this land of abundance, assaulted Me- galepolis without delay. The inhabitants, unprepared for attack, distracted with surprise and terror, made little resistance. Agathokles easily took the town, abandoning both the persons of 'Justin, xxii. 5. "Hue accedere, quod urbes castellaque Afiicse non maris cinctae, non in inontibus positse sint: sed in planis campis sine ullis iniinimentis jaceant: quas orancs raetu excidii facile ad belli societatem perlici posse."
- Seven centuries and more after these events, we read that the Vandal
king Genscric conquered Afiica from the IJomans — and that he demolish- ed the fortifications of all the other towns except Carthage alone — from the like feeling of mistrust. This demolition materially facilitated the con- quest of the Vandal kingdom by Belisarius, two generations afterwards (Procopius, Bell. Vandal, i. 5 ; i. 15). ^ Livy (xxix. 25). in recounting the landing of Scipio in the Carthagini- an territory in the latter years of the second Punic war, says, " Emporia nt peterent, gubernatoribus edixit. Fertilissimus ager, eoque abundans omni- um copia rerum est regio, et imbelles (quod plerumque in uberi agro evenit) barbari sunt: priusque quam Carthagine subveniretur, opprimi vidchantur posse." About the h.arshness of the Carthaginian rule over their African subjects. Bee Diodor. xv. 77 ; Polyb. i. 72. In reference to tlie above passage of Po lybius, however, we ought to keep in mind — That in describing this harsh- ness, he speaks with express and exclusive reference to the conduct of the Car- thaginians towards their subjects during the first Punic war (against Rome), when the Carthaginians themselves were hard pressed by the Romans and required everything that they could lay hands upon for self-defence. This passage of Polybius has been sometimes cited as if it attested the ordinary character and measure of Carthaginian dominion ; which is contrary to the intention f the author.
