charged with propofals, quite as captious as his proceedings themfelves: for they were nothing but fpecious and artful words, invented to give a colour to his treacherous defigns. They were to make an offer," that Timoleon might, if he thought pro

per, go and affift Icetes with his counsel, and "hare in his fucceffes: but that he must fend "back his fhips and troops to Corinth, fince the "war was almost finished, and the Carthaginians "were determined to prevent their paffage, and ready to repel force with force.”

The Corinthians, then, as foon as they arrived at Rhegium, meeting with this embaffy, and feeing the Carthaginians riding at anchor near them, were vexed at the infult: a general indignation was expreffed against Icetes, and fear for the Sicilians, whom they plainly faw left as a prize, to reward Icetes for his treachery, and the Carthaginians for affifting in setting him up tyrant. And it feemed impoffible for them to get the better, either of the barbarians who were watching them with double their number of fhips, or of the forces of Icetes, which they had expected would have joined them, and put themselves under their command.

Timoleon, on this occafion, coming to an interview with the ambaffadors and the Carthaginian commanders, mildly faid, "He would fubmit to "their proposal," for what could he gain by oppofing them?" but he was defirous that they would give them in publickly before the people of Rhegium, e'er he quitted that place, fince it was a Grecian city, and common friend to both par"ties. For that this tended to his fecurity, and "they themselves would ftand more firmly to their "engagements, if they took that people for wit"neffes to them."

This overture he made only to amuse them, intending all the while to steal a paffage, and the ma

giftrates

giftrates of Rhegium entered heartily into his fcheme; for they wished to fee the affairs of Sicily in Corinthian hands, and dreaded the neighbourhood of the barbarians. They fummoned therefore, an affembly, and fhut the gates, left the citi zens should go about any other bufinefs. Being convened, they made long speeches, one of them taking up the argument where another laid it down, with no other view than to gain time for the Corinthian galleys to get under fail; and the Carthaginians were easily detained in the affembly, as having no fufpicion, because Timoleon was prefent, and it was expected every moment that he would stand up and make his fpeech. But upon fecret notice that the other galleys had put to Sea, and his alone was left behind, by the help of the Rhegians who preft close to the Roftrum, and concealed him a mongst them, he flipt thro' the crowd, got down to to the fhore, and hoifted fail with all speed.

He foon arrived, with all his veffels at Tauromenium in Sicily, to which he had been invited some time before, and where he was now kindly received, by Andromachus, lord of that city. This Andromachus was father to Timaeus the hiftorian; and being much the best of all the Sicilian princes of his time, he both governed his own people agreeably to the laws and principles of juftice, and had ever avowed his averfion and enmity to tyrants. On this account he readily allowed Timoleon to make his city a place of arms, and perfuaded his people to co-operate with the Corinthians with all their force, in reftoring liberty to the whole island.

The Carthaginians at Rhegium, upon the breaking up of the affembly, feeing that Timoleon was gone,

The Carthaginians believed that the departure of those nine gallies for Corinth had beeen agreed on between the officers of both parties, and that the tenth was left behind to carry Timo. leon to Içetes.

3

gone, were vexed to find themselves outwitted; and it afforded no small diversion to the Rhegians, that +Phænicians should complain of any thing effected by guile. They difpatched, however, one of their gal leys with an ambaffador to Tauromenium, who represented the affair at large to Andromachus, infifting with much infolence and barbaric pride, that he fhould immediately turn the Corinthians out of his town; and at laft fhewing him his hand with the palm upwards, and then turning it down again, told him, if he did not comply with that condition, the Carthaginians would overturn his city, just as he had turned his hand. Andromachus only fmiled, and without making him any other answer, stretched out his hand, firft with one fide up, and then the other, and bade him, begone directly, if he did not chufe to have his ship turned upside down in the fame

manner.

*

Icetes hearing that Timoleon had made good his paffage, was much alarmed, and fent for a great number of the Carthaginian gallies. The Syracufans then began to despair of a deliverance; for they faw the Carthaginians mafters of their harbour, Icetes poffeffed of the city, and the citadel in the hands of Dionyfius; while Timoleon held only by a small border of the skirts of Sicily, the little town of Tauromenium, with a feeble hope and an inconfiderable force, having no more than a thoufand men, and provifions barely fufficient for them. Nor had the Sicilian ftates any confidence in him, plunged as they were in misfortunes, and exafperated against all that pretended to lead armies to their fuccour, particularly on account of the perfidy of Callippus and Pharax. The one was an Athenian,

+Fraus punica, Phænician fraud, had paffed into a proverb, *The Carthaginians had a hundred and fifty men of war, fifty thousand foot, and three hundred chariots.

Athenian, and the other a Lacedæmonian, and both came with profeffions to do great things for the liberty of Sicily, and for demolishing the tyrants; yet the Sicilians foon found that the reign of former oppreffors was comparatively a golden age, and reckoned those far more happy who died in fervitude than fuch as lived to fee fo difmal a kind of freedom. Expecting, therefore, that this Corinthian deliverer would be no better than those before him, and that the deceitful hand of art would reach out to them the fame bait of good hopes and fair promises, to draw them into fubjection to a new mafter, they all except the people of Adranum, fufpected the defigns of the Corinthians, and declined their propofals. Adranum was a small city, confecrated to the god Adranus, who was held in high veneration throughout all Sicily. Its inhabitants were at variance with each other; fome calling in Icetes and the Carthaginians, and others applying to Timoleon. Both generals, ftriving

*

which fhould get there firft, as fortune would have it arrived about the fame time. But Icetes had five thousand men with him, and Timoleon twelve hundred at the moft, whom he drew out of Tauromenium, which was forty-two miles and a half from Adranum. The first day he made but a short march, and pitched his tents in good time. The next day he marched forward at a great pace, though the road was very rugged, and towards evening was informed that Icetes had just reached the town, and was encamping before it. At the fame time his officers made the foremost divifion halt, to take fome refreshment, that they might be the more vigorous in the enfuing engagement. This, however, was against the opinion of Timoleon who intreated them to march forward as faft as poffible, and to attack

the

This deity, by his infignia afterwards mentioned, fhould feem to be Mars. His temple was guarded by a hundred dogs,

the enemy before they were put in order; it being probable, now they were just come off their march, that they were employed in pitching their tents and preparing their fupper. He had no fooner given this order, than he took his buckler and put himfelf at the head of them, as leading them on to undoubted victory.

His men, thus encouraged, followed him very chearfully, being now not quite thirty furlongs from Adranum. As foon as they came up, they fell upon the enemy, who were in great confufion, and ready to fly at their firft approach. For this reason not many more than three hundred were killed, but twice as many were made prisoners, and the camp was taken.

Upon this the people of Adranum opened their gates to Timoleon, and joined his party, declaring with terror and astonishment, that during the battle, the facred doors of the temple opened of their own accord, the fpear of their god was feen to shake to the very point, and his face dropt with fweat. These things did not forefhew that victory only, but the future fucceffes, to which this difpute was a fortunate prelude. For feveral cities, by their ambaffadors, immediately joined in alliance with Timoleon; and Mamercus, fovereign of Catana, a warlike and wealthy prince, entered into the confederacy. But what was ftill more material, Dionyfius himself, having bid adieu to hope, and unable to hold out much longer, defpifing Icetes, who was fo fhamefully beaten, and admiring the bravery of Timoleon, offered to deliver up to him and the Corinthians both himself and the citadel.

Timoleon accepted of this good fortune fo fuperior to his hopes, and fent Euclides and Telemachus, two Corinthian officers into the citadel, as he did four hundred men besides, not altogether, nor openly, for that was impoflible, because the enemy were upon their guard, but by ftealth, and a few at a time