use. A contest ensued between
the Roman and Carthaginian parties in Syracuse, but the former
ultimately prevailed, and Epicydes and Hippocrates, two brothers whom
Hannibal had sent to Syracuse to espouse his interests, had to quit the
city, and took refuge at Leontini. Such was the state of affairs when
the Consul Marcellus arrived in Sicily (B.C. 214). He forthwith marched
against Leontini, which Epicydes and Hippocrates defended with a
considerable force. He took the city by storm, and, though he spared the
inhabitants, executed in cold blood 2000 Roman deserters whom he found
among the troops that had formed the garrison. This sanguinary act at
once alienated the minds of the Sicilians, and alarmed the mercenary
troops in the service of Syracuse. The latter immediately joined
Hippocrates and Epicydes, who had made their escape to Herbessus; the
gates of Syracuse were opened to them by their partisans within the
walls, and the party hostile to Rome was thus established in the
undisputed command of that city. Marcellus now appeared before Syracuse
at the head of his army, and, after a fruitless summons to the
inhabitants, proceeded to lay siege to the city both by sea and land.
His attacks were vigorous and unremitting, and were directed especially
against the quarter of Achradina[33] from the side of the sea; but,
though he brought many powerful military engines against the walls,
these were rendered wholly unavailing by the superior skill and science
of Archimedes, which were employed on the side of the besieged. All the
efforts of the assailants were baffled; and the Roman soldiers were
inspired with so great a dread of Archimedes and his engines,[34] that
Marcellus was compelled to give up all hopes of carrying the city by
open force, and to turn the siege into a blockade. The siege was
prolonged far on into the summer of B.C. 212, nor did there appear any
prospect of its termination, as the communications of the besieged by
sea were almost entirely open. In this state of things Marcellus
fortunately discovered a part of the walls more accessible than the
rest; and, having prepared scaling ladders, effected an entrance at this
point during the night which followed a great festival, and thus made
himself master of Epipolae. The two quarters called Tyche and Neapolis
were now at his mercy, and were given up to plunder; but Epicydes still
held the island-citadel and the important quarter of Achradina, which
formed two