ple were strong upon the sea, but for this war of
invasion they must have an army, too. So he conceived the idea of
making Spain the basis of his military operations, and recruiting an
immense army from the Iberian Peninsula.

CHAPTER III.

The Carthaginian occupation of Spain had not extended much beyond the
coast, and had been rather in the nature of a commercial alliance with
a few cities. Now Hamilcar determined, by placating, and by bribes,
and if necessary by force, to take possession of the Peninsula for
his own purposes, and to make of the people a Punic nation under the
complete dominion of Carthage. So his first task was to win, or to
subdue, the Keltiberians. He built the city of New Carthage (now
Carthagena), he showed the people how to develop their immense
resources, and by promises of increased prosperity won the confidence
and sympathy of the nation, and soon had a population of millions from
which to recruit its army.

When his son Hannibal was nine years old, at his father's bidding he
placed his hand upon the altar and swore eternal enmity to Rome. The
fidelity of the boy to his oath made a great deal of history. He took
up the task when his father laid it down, inaugurated the second Punic
war (218-201 B.C.); and for forty years carried on one of the most
desperate struggles the world has ever seen; the hoary East in
struggle with the young West.

Saguntum was that ancient city in Valencia which was said to have
been founded by the Greeks long before Homer sang of Troy, or, indeed,
before Helen brought ruin upon that city. At all events its antiquity
was greater even than that of the Phenician cities in Spain, and
after being long forgotten by the Greeks it had drifted under
Roman protection. It was the only spot in Spain which acknowledged
allegiance to Rome; and for that reason was marked for destruction as
an act of defiance.

The Saguntines sent an embassy to Rome. These men made a pitiful and
passionate appeal in the Senate Chamber: "Romans, allies, friends!
help! help! Hannibal is at the gates of our city. Hannibal, the sworn
enemy of Rome. Hannibal the terrible. Hannibal who fears not the gods,
neither keeps faith with men. ["Punic faith" was a byword.] O Romans,
fathers, friends! help while there is yet time."

But they found they had a "protector" who did not protect. The
senators sent an embassy to treat with Hannibal, but no soldiers. So,
with desperate courage, the Sagunti