The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-25
JEWELS SAVE 4 CITY.
How thew omen Of Carthage Ransomed
the City with Their Treasures.

At various times in the history
of the world the jewels of women
have played an important part in
shaping the destiny of men and
even nations. Jewish history and
that of the neighbors 6f the ancient
Jews is frequently enlivened by
narratives in which gems and jew
els have a prominent place. Such
Egyptian history as has been gath
cred by the researches of modern
scholars is net deyoid of references
to jewels, and the annals Of ancient
Rome are fruitful of information
concerning the sacrifices, thefts,
contributions, capture and other
dispositions of jewelry peculiar to
the times when it was to all intents
and purposes money.
The Carthaginians> were not be-
hind the Greeks or the Romans in
either the beauty or the value of
their ornaments Of precious metal.
They We'd with others in their de-
votion to their city. and their wo-
men have supplied the world with
many examples of undaunted cour-
age and answering devotion to
their country. The mothers, wives
and sweethearts of Carthage have
given the world some of its noblest
examples of patriotic self denial.
Carthage, about 146 B. c., was re-
garded by the Romans as danger
Gus rival. She conducted an exten-
sive commerce with all the more
advanced nations Of the earth, es-
pecially the Greeks, Jews, Persians
and Egyptians. Her treasures of
art in the form of jewels and other
articles, constructed in whole or in
part of gems and precious metals,
excited the cupidity of the Romans,
who determined to destroy Garth
age or plunder it of the wealth 1t
had been accumulating. Carthage
had too much gold and silver and
too little iron within her walls.
When the siege began bowstrings
were scarce, and arrows were not so
, numerous as they should have been
The arrows were easily made of bits
of metal and wood, but to find
thongs was not so easy, until one
of the beautiful women for which
the city was noted cut off her long
and luxuriant hair and woye it into
/ bow strings. Her example was
quickly followed by others, bu'
while the Carthaginian men We're
making arrows and the women were
weaving bow-strings, the Romano
were battering down their city walls
The people Of Carthage resisted
THE siege valiantly and for long
while, but the Romans at last en-
tered and their commander demand
ed a large amount of gold and silver
in default of the payment Of which
he threatened to burn the city ane
put its defenders to the sword. Their
the women of Carthage gathered ir
front of the temple and divestet
+, themselves of their jewels. Others
came with such of the utensils O
their homes and their artistic dec
orations as were composed of The
precious stones and metals, and il
a little while Carthage was relieved
of the immediate destruction tina
threatened her. Her wealth anG
art had gone to enrich the Golfers
of her captors, but her men and hel
truly heroic women were for time
at least allowed to live in their city
in peace. The glory and wealth o
Carthage had departed, and he
Jewels had saved her women from
bondage and her defenders from the
sword. In the wars that followed
however, the city was pillaged anc
destroyed by the armies Of Rome
| Iouolar'a WoatIy