Polybius - "The Histories (Book I)" (Chap. 10) lyrics

1 The Mamertines had previously, as I above narrated, lost their support from Rhegium and had now suffered complete disaster at home for the reasons I have just stated. Some of them appealed to the Carthaginians, proposing to put themselves and the citadel into their hands. 2 While others sent an emba**y to Rome, offering to surrender the city and begging for a**istance as a kindred people. 3 The Romans were long at a loss, the succour demanded being so obviously unjustifiable. 4 For they had just inflicted on their own fellow-citizens the highest penalty for their treachery to the people of Rhegium, and now to try to help the Mamertines, who had been guilty of like offence not only at Messene but at Rhegium also, was a piece of injustice very difficult to excuse. 5 But fully aware as they were of this, they yet saw that the Carthaginians had not only reduced Libya to subjection, but a great part of Spain besides, and that they were also in possession of all the islands in the Sardinian and Tyrrhenian Seas. 6 They were therefore in great apprehension lest, if they also became masters of Sicily, they would be most troublesome and dangerous neighbours, hemming them in on all sides and threatening every part of Italy. 7 That they would soon be supreme in Sicily, if the Mamertines were not helped, was evident; for once Messene had fallen into their hands. 8 They would shortly subdue Syracuse also, as they were absolute lords of almost all the rest of Sicily. 9 The Romans, foreseeing this and viewing it as a necessity for themselves not to abandon Messene and thus allow the Carthaginians as it were to build a bridge for crossing over to Italy, debated the matter for long.