rayed that his expedition to Sicily might be
prosperous and successful. He then laid before him the state of the
island and the designs of the Carthaginians, and promised that with
the same spirit with which he had in his youth assisted the Romans
during the former war, he would now assist them in his old age; that
he would gratuitously furnish supplies of corn and clothing to the
legions and naval crews of the consul; adding, that great danger
threatened Lilybaeum and the maritime states, and that a change of
affairs would be acceptable to some of them. For these reasons it
appeared to the consul that he ought to make no delay, but to repair
to Lilybaeum with his fleet. The king and the royal squadron set out
along with him, and on their passage they heard that a battle had been
fought at Lilybaeum, and that the enemy's ships had been scattered and
taken.

51. The consul having dismissed Hiero with the royal fleet, and left
the praetor to defend the coast of Sicily, passed over himself from
Lilybaeum to the island Melita, which was held in possession by the
Carthaginians. On his arrival, Hamilcar, the son of Gisgo, the
commander of the garrison, with little less than two thousand
soldiers, together with the town and the island, are delivered up to
him: thence, after a few days, he returned to Lilybaeum, and the
prisoners taken, both by the consul and the praetor, excepting those
illustrious for their rank, were publicly sold. When the consul
considered that Sicily was sufficiently safe on that side, he crossed
over to the islands of Vulcan, because there was a report that the
Carthaginian fleet was stationed there: but not one of the enemy was
discovered about those islands. They had already, as it happened,
passed over to ravage the coast of Italy, and having laid waste the
territory of Vibo, were also threatening the city. The descent made by
the enemy on the Vibonensian territory is announced to the consul as
he was returning to Sicily: and letters were delivered to him which
had been sent by the senate, about the passage of Hannibal into Italy,
commanding him as soon as possible to bring assistance to his
colleague. Perplexed with having so many anxieties at once, he
immediately sent his army, embarked in the fleet, by the upper sea to
Ariminum; he assigned the defence of the territory of Vibo, and the
sea-coast of Italy, to Sextus Pomponius, his lieutenant-general, with
twenty-five ships of war: he made up a flee