Page 513 escap'd; and at that time endeavour'd to persuade the Mercenaries to a Defection: For he bawl'd it out that Timoleon was craz'd and distracted, and that he was leading the Soldiers to certain and unavoidable Destruction: The Number of the Carthaginian Army (he said) was six times more than they; and so well furnish'd with all things necessary for War, that none could compare with them; and yet he assur'd them of Victory, playing away the Lives of the Soldiers, as it were, at Dice, because he was not able to pay them their Arrears, which had been advancing for a long time together: He persuaded them therefore to return to Syracuse, and demand their Pay, and not follow Timoleon in that desperate Expedition.
This Discourse was not unpleasant to the Mercenaries; and while they were just ready to revolt, Timoleon, by Intreaties and large Promises, at length prevail'd, and put an end to the Mutiny. However, a Thousand Men follow'd Thracius, whose Punishment was deferr'd for the present. And in the mean time Timoleon writ to his Friends at Syracuse to receive the Deserters courteously, and pay the Mercenaries their Wages; and so by this means he altogether extinguish'd the Fire of Sedition; but excluded those obstinate Mutineers from the Glory of a famous Victory.
In the mean time, having with fair Words reduc'd the rest to their former Obedience, he march'd towards the Enemy, which lay encamp'd not far off. Then he call'd the Army together, and encourag'd them to the Battel, by setting forth and aggravating the Sloth and Cowardize of the Carthaginians, and putting them in mind of the Successes of Gelon. And when all with one Voice cry'd out for Fighting without delay with the Barbarians, at that very time pass'd by some Carriage-Horses loaden with Bundles of Persley to strew in the Tents. Timoleon thereupon declar'd, that it was an Omen of Victory; for (as he said) the Crown at the Istmian Games was made up of the same Herb. Hereupon the Soldiers, by the Command of Timoleon, made themselves Crowns of Parsley; and with these round their Heads, with great Joy march'd against the Enemy, as if the Gods had assur'd them of certain Victory; as by the Issue it appear'd so to be: For beyond all expectation they overcame their Adversaries, not only by their own Valour, but by the special Help and Assistance of the Gods. For Timoleon, with a well-appointed Body of Men, march'd down from the Tops of certain Hills to the River; and upon a sudden, being himself in the middle of the Battel, attack'd Ten thousand of the Barbarians that were but newly pass'd over. Upon which, there was a very sharp Engagement, in which the Valour and Activity of the Greeks so far prevail'd, that a mighty Slaughter was made among the Barbarians. Whilst those that first pass'd over took their Heels and fled, the whole Carthaginian Army came over the River, in order to repair their Loss. Hereupon the Battel was renew'd; and while the Carthaginians were with their Multitude hemming in the Grecians round, on a sudden there arose such a violent Storm of Hail, Thunder, and Lightning, with a raging Tempest of furious Winds, which beat upon the Backs of the Grecians, but fell foul upon the Face of the Barbarians: So that Timoleon's Army with ease endur'd this tempestuous Shock; but the Carthaginians not able to bear the pressure of so many Adversaries, being at the same time hewn down by the Grecians, quit the Field and fled: And the whole Body made to the River, where both Foot, Horse, and Chariots were in that confusion mix'd one amongst another, and trodden under-foot one by another, and pierc'd through their Bodies by one another's Swords and Spears, as that a miserable Slaughterwas made without all possibility of Relief. Others being forc'd in heaps into the River by the Enemy's Horse, and pursu'd close at their backs, after receiving many Wounds, there perish'd. And many, though they were never toutch'd by the Enemy's Sword; yet through Fear, and the Throng and Difficulties of passage over the River, being press'd, in heaps one upon another, there breath'd out their last. And that which contributed no little to the common Destruction, the River was swollen to that excessive heighth, that many (especially such as attempted to swim over the Water with their Arms) were drown'd. In conclusion, Two thousand and five hundred, who made up the Sacred Brigade of the Carthaginians, and for Valour and the Glory of their Arms, and greatness of their Estates, excell'd all the rest, fought valiantly, and were cut off every Man. Of the rest of the common Soldiers there were slain at least Ten thousand, and above Fifteen thousand taken Prisoners. Many of the Chariots being broken in pieces in the Fight, only Two hundred fell into the hands of the Grecians; but all the Bag and Baggage. The greatest part of the Arms were lost in the River: But a Thousand Brigandines and Ten thousand Shields were brought into the Tent of Timoleon; of which some were hung up in the Temples at Syracuse, and others distributed among the Confederates; others were sent to Corinth, and order'd to be dedicated to Neptune. And although very rich Spoils were taken (for that the Carthaginians abounded in Gold and Silver, Plate, and other Furniture of great value, according to
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.