uently advancing up to its very walls by day as well as by
night.

Hanno had marched to the relief of Utica, and gained a considerable
advantage, which, had he made a proper use of it, might have proved
decisive: but entering the city, and only diverting himself there, the
mercenaries, who had retreated to a neighbouring hill covered with trees,
hearing how careless the enemy were, poured down upon them; found the
soldiers straggling in all parts; took and plundered the camp, and seized
upon all the supplies that had been brought from Carthage for the relief
of the besieged. Nor was this the only error committed by Hanno; and
errors, in such critical junctures, are much the most fatal. Hamilcar,
surnamed Barca, was therefore appointed to succeed him. This general
answered the idea which had been entertained of him; and his first success
was the obliging the rebels to raise the siege of Utica. He then marched
against their army which was encamped near Carthage; defeated part of it,
and seized almost all their advantageous posts. These successes revived
the courage of the Carthaginians.

The arrival of a young Numidian nobleman, Naravasus by name, who, out of
esteem for the person and merit of Barca, joined him with two thousand
Numidians, was of great service to that general. Animated by this
reinforcement, he fell upon the rebels, who had cooped him up in a valley;
killed ten thousand of them, and took four thousand prisoners. The young
Numidian distinguished himself greatly in this battle. Barca took into his
troops as many of the prisoners as were desirous of being enlisted, and
gave the rest free liberty to go wherever they pleased, on condition that
they should never take up arms any more against the Carthaginians;
otherwise, that every man of them, if taken, should be put to death. This
conduct proves the wisdom of that general. He thought this a better
expedient than extreme severity. And indeed where a multitude of mutineers
are concerned, the greatest part of whom have been drawn in by the
persuasions of the most hotheaded, or through fear of the most furious,
clemency seldom fails of being successful.

Spendius, the chief of the rebels, fearing that this affected lenity of
Barca might occasion a defection among his troops, thought the only
expedient left him to prevent it, would be, to strike some signal blow,
which would deprive them of all hopes of being ever reconciled to the
enemy. With this view, after h