oldiers unanimously proclaimed him
commander-in-chief, and the government at Carthage hastened to ratify an
appointment which they had not, in fact, the power to prevent. Hannibal
was at this time in the 26th year of his age. There can be no doubt that
he already looked forward to the invasion and conquest of Italy as the
goal of his ambition; but it was necessary for him first to complete the
work which had been so ably begun by his two predecessors, and to
establish the Carthaginian power as firmly as possible in Spain. This he
accomplished in two campaigns, in the course of which he brought all the
nations south of the Iberus into subjection to Carthage.

Early in the spring of B.C. 219 he proceeded to lay siege to Saguntum, a
city of Greek origin, founded by the Zacynthians. Though situated to the
south of the Iberus, and therefore not included under the protection of
the treaty between Hasdrubal and the Romans, Sagantum had concluded an
alliance with the latter people. There could be little doubt, therefore,
that an attack upon this city would inevitably bring on a war with Rome;
but for this Hannibal was prepared, or, rather, it was unquestionably
his real object. The immediate pretext of his invasion was the same of
which the Romans so often availed themselves--some injury inflicted by
the Saguntines upon one of the neighboring tribes, who invoked the
assistance of Hannibal. But the resistance of the city was long and
desperate, and it was not till after a siege of nearly eight months that
he made himself master of the place. During all this period the Romans
sent no assistance to their allies. They had, indeed, as soon as they
heard of the siege, dispatched embassadors to Hannibal, but he referred
them for an answer to the government at home, and they could obtain no
satisfaction from the Carthaginians, in whose councils the war-party had
now a decided predominance. A second embassy was sent, after the fall of
Saguntum, to demand the surrender of Hannibal, in atonement for the
breach of the treaty. After much discussion, Q. Fabius, one of the Roman
embassadors, holding up a fold of his toga, said, "I carry here peace
and war; choose ye which ye will." "Give us which you will," was the
reply. "Then take war," said Fabius, letting fall his toga. "We accept
the gift," cried the Senators of Carthage. Thus commenced the Second
Punic War.

[Illustration: Coin of Hiero.]

[Footnote 30: Gallicus ager.]

[Illus