Page 326 side. But the Athenians at length ru'd this mischievous Advice which was so little to their advantage; for being thus deceiv'd with flattering Discourses fram'd only to please, they were brought so low, that they could never after recover their former Strength and Grandeur; but these things shall be hereafter related in their due Place. The Athenians therefore (being thus puff'd up with their Victories, and being very confident because Alcibiades was their General) concluded they should recover their former Esteem and Reputation in a short time.
Hannibal the Carthaginian invades Sicily. The miserable destruction of Selinunte. The ruin likewise of Himera. The Acts of Hermocrates in Sicily.
THE Affairs of this Year thus ended, Diocles was chosen Magistrate of Athens, and at Rome, Quintus Fabius and Caius Furius were Consuls. At that time Hannibal the Carthaginian General musters an Army out of Spain and Africa, and puts them on Borad Threescore long Gallies, and provides Fifteen Hundred Transport Ships, to convey Provision, Engines, Weapons, and all other things necessary for a Siege. Passing over the African Sea with his Navy, he arriv'd at Lilibeum, a Promontory in Sicily over against Africa. About the same time, some Selinuntine Horsemen being in those Parts, when they saw so great a Fleet make towards them, speeded away in all haste, to give intelligence to their Countrymen of the Approach of the Enemy. Upon which, the Selinuntines dispatch'd Messengers to Syracuse, to desire Aid. In the mean time Hannibal landed his Army, and markt out his Camp, beginning at a Pond call'd at that time Lilibeum; but many Years after, it gave name to a Town built in that Place.
Hannibal's whole Army (as Ephorus relates) consisted of Two Hundred Thousand Foot, and Four Thousand Horse. Timeus says, they were not much above an Hundred Thousand. He drew up all his Ships into the Creek near Motys, intending the Syracusians should hereby be assur'd, that he invaded not Sicily with a design to make War upon them either by Sea or Land. Then being join'd by the Aegestines and other Confederates, he rais'd his Camp from Lilibeum, and march'd towards Selinunte. When he came to the River Mazarus, he takes Emporium at the first Assault. Approaching afterwards nearer to the City, he divides his Army into Two Parts, and encamping round the City, raises his Engines and Batteries, and begins to assault the Town with great Vigour: For he built Six high Towers, and brought as many Battering Rams to the Walls, and with the multitude of his Darters and Slingers forc'd the Citizens from the Forts and Bulwarks. The Selinuntines had been now a long time disus'd from Sieges; and in regard they were the only People of Sicily that sided with the Carthaginians against Gelon, they little expected they should have been brought into such Dangers by them whom they had so far engag'd; and therefore were in great Consternation and Amazement, seeing the abundance of Engines, the greatness of the Army and imminent Danger wherewith they were inviron'd. Yet they were not altogether without hope; but expecting speedy Aid from Syracuse and other Confederate Cities, all the People as one Man join'd together, and drove the Enemy from the Walls. The Young Men couragiously slighted all Hazards: The Old Men ran from Place to Place upon the Walls to furnish the other from time to time with all things necessary for the defence, beseeching them not to suffer the Enemy to enter. The Women and Children brought Meat and Weapons to them who were fightfor their Country, not regarding that Modesty and Sobriety which in times
The Histories of Herodotus written in 440 BC is considered to be the founding work of history in Western literature. His history included stories and fables but he claimed to have traveled extensively and learned about many countries through direct observation.
The thesis of Stolen Legacy is that the Egyptians created what is wrongly called Greek philosophy. Dr. James argues that the African origin of Greek Philosophy is well known but rarely discussed. Ancient Greek historians such as Herodotus and Diodorus the Sicilian wrote in significant detail about the contributions of Egypt. Egyptian technology and libraries were unmatched and Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato studied there. The contribution of Africa to the intellectual foundation of modern knowledge is tremendous but unacknowledged.
The Library of History by Diodorus the Sicilian is one of the most highly regarded universal histories in antiquities. His work includes the history of Egypt, Asia, Africa, Greece and Europe. His book is a must read for research of ancient history.
Bible Study The King James Bible (kjv), World English Bible (web) and Bible in Basic English (bbe) are all examples of public domain books. The King James Bible (kjv) online uses the content from these books and open source software to enhance Bible study capabilities. The site includes the verse of the day, search tools, christian literature and links to related content. It demonstrates the use of open source to create a valuable service.