FROM “THE EMBASSIES” Y.R. 502 
BOTH Romans and Carthaginians were destitute of money; B.C. 252 and the Romans could no longer build ships, being exhausted by taxes, yet they levied foot soldiers and sent them to Africa and Sicily from year to year, while the Carthaginians sent an embassy to Ptolemy, the son of Ptolemy the son of Lagus, king of Egypt, seeking to borrow 2000 talents. He was on terms of friendship with both Romans and Carthaginians, and he sought to bring about peace between them. As he was not able to accomplish this, he said: It behooves one to assist friends against enemies, but not against friends. No other mention of this embassy, says Schweighäuser, is found in any ancient writings that have come down to us.