Blows were soon exchanged, and ere long a pitched battle was raging.

The fishermen and sailors threw themselves into the thick of it, and for ten minutes a desperate fight raged in the forum.

Soon the battle extended, as bodies of men belonging to either faction encountered each other as they hurried towards the forum.
Street frays were by no means unusual in Carthage, but this was a veritable battle.

Hanno had at its commencement, accompanied by a strong body of his friends, ridden to Byrsa, and had called upon the soldiers to come out and quell the tumult They, however, listened in sullen silence, their sympathies were entirely with the supporters of Hannibal, and they had already received orders from their officers on no account to move, whosoever might command them to do so, until Hamilcar placed himself at their head.
The general delayed doing this until the last moment.

Hannibal's friends had hoped to carry their object without the intervention of the troops, as it was desirable in every way that the election should appear to be a popular one, and that Hannibal should seem to have the suffrages of the people as well as of the army.