a very noble city, the ornament of the Hither Spain, (Florus); celebrated for the long war of 20 years which it maintained against the Romans. The benefits and injustice of the Romans during this war was truly disgraceful to them, and altogether unworthy of a great and powerful people. The inhabitants obtained some advantages over the Roman forces, till Scipio Africanus was empowered to finish the war and to see the destruction of Numantia. He began the siege with an army of 60,000 men, and was bravely opposed by the besieged, who were no more than 4000 men able to bear arms. Both armies behaved with uncommon valour, and the courage of the Numantines was soon changed into despair and fury. Their provisions began to fail, and they fed upon the flesh of their horses, and afterwards on that of their dead companions, and at last they were obliged to draw lots to kill and devour one another. The melancholy situation of their affairs obliged them to surrender to the Roman general. Scipio demanded them to deliver themselves up on the morrow; they refused, and when a longer time had been granted to their petitions, they retired and set fire to their houses and destroyed themselves, so that not even one remained to adorn the triumph of the conqueror. Some historians, however, deny that; and assert, that a number of Numantines delivered themselves into Scipio's hands, and that 50 of them were drawn in triumph at Rome, and the rest sold as slaves. The fall of Numantia was more glorious than that of Carthage or Corinth, though the place was much inferior to them. It was taken by the Romans, A.U.C. 629; and the conqueror obtained the surname of Numantius.