The Roman Case For War
I have explained the pleas advanced by the Carthaginians; I must now state what is alleged on the contrary by
the Romans, For though it is true that in this particular interview, owing to their anger at the fall of
Saguntum, they did
not use these arguments, yet they were appealed to on many
occasions, and by many of their citizens.
First,
they argued that the treaty of Hasdrubal could
not be ignored, as the Carthaginians had the assurance to do:
for it did not contain the clause, which that of Lutatius did,
making its validity conditional on its ratification by the people
of
Rome; but Hasdrubal made the agreement absolutely and
authoritatively that "the Carthaginians should not cross the
Iber in arms."
Next they alleged that the clause in the treaty respecting
Sicily, which by their own admission stipulated that "the allies
of neither party should be attacked by the other," did not refer
to then existing allies only, as the Carthaginians interpreted it;
for in that case a clause would have been added, disabling either
from making new alliances in addition to those already existing,
or excluding allies, taken subsequently to the making of the
treaty, from its benefits. But since neither of these provisions
was made, it was plain that both the then existing allies, and
all those taken subsequently on either side, were entitled to
reciprocal security. And this was only reasonable. For it
was not likely that they would have made a treaty depriving them of the power, when opportunity offered, of taking
on such friends or allies as seemed to their interest; nor,
again, if they had taken any such under their protection,
was it to be supposed that they would allow them to be
injured by any persons whatever. But, in fact, the main thing
present in the minds of both parties to the treaty was, that
they should mutually agree to abstain from attacking each
other's allies, and on no account admit into alliance with
themselves the allies of the other: and it was to subsequent
allies that this particular clause applied, "Neither shall enlist
soldiers, or impose contributions on the provinces or allies of
the other; and all shall be alike secure of attack from the
other side."