arms and by one another, were nearly
helpless. They were immediately thrown into complete confusion, and
were overwhelmed and carried down by the current in great numbers.
Some of them succeeded in landing below, on Hannibal's side; but, in
the mean time, the main body of his army had returned, and was ready
to receive them, and they were trampled under foot by the elephants,
which it was the custom to employ, in those days, as a military force.
As soon as the river was cleared, Hannibal marched his own army across
it, and attacked what remained of the enemy on their own side. He
gained a complete victory, which was so great and decisive that he
secured by it possession of the whole country west of the Iberus,
except Saguntum, and Saguntum itself began to be seriously alarmed.

The Saguntines sent embassadors to Rome to ask the Romans to interpose
and protect them from the dangers which threatened them. These
embassadors made diligent efforts to reach Rome as soon as possible,
but they were too late. On some pretext or other, Hannibal contrived
to raise a dispute between the city and one of the neighboring tribes,
and then, taking sides with the tribe, he advanced to attack the city.
The Saguntines prepared for their defense, hoping soon to receive
succors from Rome. They strengthened and fortified their walls, while
Hannibal began to move forward great military engines for battering
them down.

Hannibal knew very well that by his hostilities against this city he
was commencing a contest with Rome itself, as Rome must necessarily
take part with her ally. In fact, there is no doubt that his design
was to bring on a general war between the two great nations. He began
with Saguntum for two reasons: first, it would not be safe for him to
cross the Iberus, and advance into the Roman territory, leaving so
wealthy and powerful a city in his rear; and then, in the second
place, it was easier for him to find pretexts for getting indirectly
into a quarrel with Saguntum, and throwing the odium of a declaration
of war on Rome, than to persuade the Carthaginian state to renounce
the peace and themselves commence hostilities. There was, as has been
already stated, a very strong party at Carthage opposed to Hannibal,
who would, of course, resist any measures tending to a war with Rome,
for they would consider such a war as opening a vast field for
gratifying Hannibal's ambition. The only way, therefore, was to
provoke a war by aggre