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Market£»¡¡now¡¡belonged¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Barbarians£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡Samnites¡¡were
finishing¡¡off¡¡the¡¡dying¡¡with¡¡blows¡¡of¡¡stakes£»¡¡or¡¡else¡¡with¡¡one¡¡foot¡¡on
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use£»¡¡and¡¡many¡¡were¡¡throwing¡¡stones¡¡with¡¡the¡¡hand¡¡like¡¡shepherds£»¡¡the
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led¡¡on¡¡the¡¡Barbarians¡£¡¡Two¡¡pouches¡¡hung¡¡at¡¡his¡¡hips£»¡¡he¡¡thrust¡¡his
left¡¡hand¡¡into¡¡them¡¡continually£»¡¡while¡¡his¡¡right¡¡arm¡¡whirled¡¡round
like¡¡a¡¡chariot¡wheel¡£
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fangs£»¡¡the¡¡two¡¡fore¡paws¡¡were¡¡crossed¡¡upon¡¡his¡¡breast£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡claws
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marched¡¡along¡¡mowing¡¡down¡¡the¡¡Carthaginians¡¡around¡¡him¡£¡¡Those¡¡who
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been¡¡flung¡¡from¡¡the¡¡summit¡¡cumbered¡¡the¡¡steps¡¡and¡¡were¡¡heaped¡¡up
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high¡£
Matho¡¡shouted¡¡a¡¡command¡¡and¡¡all¡¡the¡¡shields¡¡sank¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡helmets£»¡¡he
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It¡¡was¡¡the¡¡great¡¡helepolis¡¡surrounded¡¡by¡¡a¡¡crowd¡¡of¡¡soldiers¡£¡¡They
were¡¡dragging¡¡it¡¡with¡¡both¡¡hands£»¡¡hauling¡¡it¡¡with¡¡ropes£»¡¡and¡¡pushing
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He¡¡had¡¡calculated¡¡that¡¡it¡¡would¡¡come¡¡directly¡¡towards¡¡him£»¡¡against
what¡¡was¡¡the¡¡most¡¡invulnerable¡¡place¡¡in¡¡the¡¡wall£»¡¡which¡¡was¡¡for¡¡that
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seemed¡¡to¡¡cause¡¡Hamilcar¡¡no¡¡anxiety¡£
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the¡¡inclination¡¡of¡¡the¡¡helepolis£»¡¡which¡¡was¡¡going¡¡to¡¡pieces¡¡with
creakings¡¡in¡¡all¡¡its¡¡joints¡£
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compact¡¡crowd¡£¡¡The¡¡Carthaginians¡¡descended¡¡from¡¡the¡¡rampart£»¡¡and£»
assailing¡¡them¡¡in¡¡the¡¡rear£»¡¡killed¡¡them¡¡at¡¡leisure¡£¡¡But¡¡the¡¡chariots
furnished¡¡with¡¡sickles¡¡hastened¡¡up£»¡¡and¡¡galloped¡¡round¡¡the¡¡outskirts
of¡¡the¡¡multitude¡£¡¡The¡¡latter¡¡ascended¡¡the¡¡wall¡¡again£»¡¡night¡¡came¡¡on£»
and¡¡the¡¡Barbarians¡¡gradually¡¡retired¡£
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further¡¡away¡¡like¡¡a¡¡great¡¡purple¡¡pool¡£
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made¡¡by¡¡the¡¡streams¡¡of¡¡lead¡¡might¡¡be¡¡distinguished¡¡on¡¡the¡¡walls¡£¡¡A
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were¡¡rising£»¡¡and¡¡rolling¡¡with¡¡them¡¡sparks¡¡which¡¡were¡¡lost¡¡in¡¡the¡¡dark
sky¡£
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bottom¡£
What¡¡was¡¡to¡¡be¡¡done¡¡now£¿¡¡Moreover£»¡¡the¡¡Barbarians¡¡were¡¡countless£»¡¡and
when¡¡their¡¡fatigue¡¡was¡¡over¡¡they¡¡would¡¡begin¡¡again¡£
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streets¡£¡¡Some¡¡said¡¡that¡¡they¡¡ought¡¡to¡¡send¡¡away¡¡the¡¡women£»¡¡the¡¡sick£»
and¡¡the¡¡old¡¡men£»¡¡others¡¡proposed¡¡to¡¡abandon¡¡the¡¡town£»¡¡and¡¡found¡¡a
colony¡¡far¡¡away¡£¡¡But¡¡vessels¡¡were¡¡lacking£»¡¡and¡¡when¡¡the¡¡sun¡¡appeared
no¡¡decision¡¡had¡¡been¡¡made¡£
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sleepers¡¡looked¡¡like¡¡corpses¡£
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remembered¡¡that¡¡they¡¡had¡¡not¡¡dispatched¡¡to¡¡Phoenicia¡¡the¡¡annual
offering¡¡due¡¡to¡¡Tyrian¡¡Melkarth£»¡¡and¡¡a¡¡great¡¡terror¡¡came¡¡upon¡¡them¡£
The¡¡gods¡¡were¡¡indignant¡¡with¡¡the¡¡Republic£»¡¡and¡¡were£»¡¡no¡¡doubt£»¡¡about
to¡¡prosecute¡¡their¡¡vengeance¡£
They¡¡were¡¡considered¡¡as¡¡cruel¡¡masters£»¡¡who¡¡were¡¡appeased¡¡with
supplications¡¡and¡¡allowed¡¡themselves¡¡to¡¡be¡¡bribed¡¡with¡¡presents¡£¡¡All
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very¡¡flesh¡¡of¡¡men£»¡¡belonged¡¡to¡¡him£»¡¡and¡¡hence¡¡in¡¡order¡¡to¡¡preserve¡¡it£»
the¡¡Carthaginians¡¡used¡¡to¡¡offer¡¡up¡¡a¡¡portion¡¡of¡¡it¡¡to¡¡him£»¡¡which
calmed¡¡his¡¡fury¡£¡¡Children¡¡were¡¡burned¡¡on¡¡the¡¡forehead£»¡¡or¡¡on¡¡the¡¡nape
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brought¡¡in¡¡much¡¡money¡¡to¡¡the¡¡priests£»¡¡they¡¡failed¡¡not¡¡to¡¡recommend¡¡it
as¡¡being¡¡easier¡¡and¡¡more¡¡pleasant¡£
This¡¡time£»¡¡however£»¡¡the¡¡Republic¡¡itself¡¡was¡¡at¡¡stake¡£¡¡But¡¡as¡¡every
profit¡¡must¡¡be¡¡purchased¡¡by¡¡some¡¡loss£»¡¡and¡¡as¡¡every¡¡transaction¡¡was
regulated¡¡according¡¡to¡¡the¡¡needs¡¡of¡¡the¡¡weaker¡¡and¡¡the¡¡demands¡¡of¡¡the
stronger£»¡¡there¡¡was¡¡no¡¡pain¡¡great¡¡enough¡¡for¡¡the¡¡god£»¡¡since¡¡he
delighted¡¡in¡¡such¡¡as¡¡was¡¡of¡¡the¡¡most¡¡horrible¡¡description£»¡¡and¡¡all
were¡¡now¡¡at¡¡his¡¡mercy¡£¡¡He¡¡must¡¡accordingly¡¡be¡¡fully¡¡gratified¡£
Precedents¡¡showed¡¡that¡¡in¡¡this¡¡way¡¡the¡¡scourge¡¡would¡¡be¡¡made¡¡to
disappear¡£¡¡Moreover£»¡¡it¡¡was¡¡believed¡¡that¡¡an¡¡immolation¡¡by¡¡fire¡¡would
purify¡¡Carthage¡£¡¡The¡¡ferocity¡¡of¡¡the¡¡people¡¡was¡¡predisposed¡¡towards
it¡£¡¡The¡¡choice£»¡¡too£»¡¡must¡¡fall¡¡exclusively¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡families¡¡of¡¡the
great¡£
The¡¡Ancients¡¡assembled¡£¡¡The¡¡sitting¡¡was¡¡a¡¡long¡¡one¡£¡¡Hanno¡¡had¡¡come¡¡to
it¡£¡¡As¡¡he¡¡was¡¡now¡¡unable¡¡to¡¡sit¡¡he¡¡remained¡¡lying¡¡down¡¡near¡¡the¡¡door£»
half¡¡hidden¡¡among¡¡the¡¡fringes¡¡of¡¡the¡¡lofty¡¡tapestry£»¡¡and¡¡when¡¡the
pontiff¡¡of¡¡Moloch¡¡asked¡¡them¡¡whether¡¡they¡¡would¡¡consent¡¡to¡¡surrender
their¡¡children£»¡¡his¡¡voice¡¡suddenly¡¡broke¡¡forth¡¡from¡¡the¡¡shadow¡¡like
the¡¡roaring¡¡of¡¡a¡¡genius¡¡in¡¡the¡¡depths¡¡of¡¡a¡¡cavern¡£¡¡He¡¡regretted£»¡¡he
said£»¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡none¡¡of¡¡his¡¡own¡¡bl