[Frag.  XLI]

[Sidenote:  B.C. 273 (a.u. 481)] ¶Ptolemy, nicknamed Philadelphus, king of Egypt, when he learned that Pyrrhus had fared poorly and that the Romans were growing, sent gifts to them and made a compact.  The Romans, accordingly, pleased that a monarch living so very far away should have come to respect them, despatched ambassadors to him in turn.  From him the envoys, too, received magnificent gifts; but when they had offered these to the treasury, they would not accept them. (Ursinus, p.374.  Zonaras, 8, 6.)

[Frag.  XLII]

[Sidenote:  B.C. 266 (a.u. 488)]¶Though the Romans were faring in this manner and were constantly rising to greater heights they showed no haughtiness as yet:  on the contrary, they surrendered to the Appolloniatians (Corinthian colonists on the Ionian Gulf) Quintus Fabius, a senator, because he had insulted some of their ambassadors.  The people of this town, however, did him no harm, and even sent him home. (Valesius, p.590.  Zonaras, 8, 7.)

[Frag.  XLIII]

1. ¶The causes responsible for the dispute between the two were—­on the side of the Romans that the Carthaginians had assisted the Tarentini, on the side of the Carthaginians, that the Romans had made a treaty of friendship with Hiero.  But these they merely put forward as excuses, as those are inclined to do who in reality are desirous of advancing their own interests but pause before a reputation for such action.  The truth is different.  As a matter of fact, the Carthaginians, who had long been powerful, and the Romans, who were now growing rapidly, kept viewing each other with jealousy; and they were incited to war partly by the desire of continually getting more, according to the instinct of the majority of mankind, most active when they are most successful, and partly also by fear.  Each alike thought that the one sure salvation for her own possessions lay in obtaining what the other held.  If there had been no other reason, it was most difficult, nay, impossible, for two nations that were free, powerful, and proud, and separated from each other, so to speak, only a very short distance (considering the speed of voyages) to rule any outside tribes and yet keep their hands off each other.  But a mere accident of the kind that befell broke the truce they had been keeping and dashed them together in war. (Mai, p.178.  Zonaras, 8, 8.)

2. ¶The conflict, according to report, concerned Messana and Sicily, but in reality both parties perceived that from this region danger threatened their native land, and they thought that the island, lying, as it did, between them, would furnish to the side that conquered it a safe base for operations against the other party. (Mai, p.179.  Zonaras, 8, 8.)