Meaning of Surrender
I have spoken before about what this implies, but I
What is implied by their surrender. See 20, 9-10. |
must in this place also briefly remind my readers
of its import. Those who thus surrender themselves to the Roman authority, surrender all
territory and the cities in it, together with all men and women
in all such territory or cities, likewise rivers, harbours, temples,
and tombs, so that the Romans should become actual lords of
all these, and those who surrender should remain lords of
nothing whatever. On the Carthaginians making a surrender
to this effect, they were summoned into the Senate-house and
the Praetor delivered the Senate's decision, which was to this
effect: "They had been well advised, and
therefore the Senate granted them freedom and
the enjoyment of their laws; and moreover, all
their territory and the possession of their other
property, public or private."
The Senate re-grant their liberty and territory to the Carthaginians, |
The Carthaginian envoys were
much relieved when they heard this; thinking that, where the
alternatives were both miserable, the Senate had treated
them well in conceding their most necessary and important
requirements.
but on condition of giving 300 hostages, and obeying certain orders not yet expressed. |
But presently the Praetor went
on to state that they would enjoy these concessions on condition of sending three hundred
hostages to Lilybaeum within thirty days, sons
of members of the Hundred
1 or the Senate, and
obeying such commands as should be imposed on them by the
consuls. This dashed their satisfaction for a time, because
they had no means of knowing what orders were to be given
them through the consuls; however, they started at once,
being anxious to report what had occurred to their countrymen
with all speed. When they arrived in Carthage and stated the
facts, the citizens considered that the envoys had in all respects
acted with proper caution; but they were greatly alarmed and
distressed by the fact that in the answer no mention was made
of the city itself.