A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

GISCO. GITIADAS. 269
2. Son of Hanno, and probably the father of shown towards his prisoners might produce among
HIamilcar, the adversary of Agathocles. He is their followers, determined to cut them off from
mentioned by Diodorus (xvi. 81) as being in exile all hopes of pardon by involving them in the guilt
at the time of the great defeat sustained by the of an atrocious cruelty. For this purpose they held
Carthaginians at the river Crimissus (B. C. 339). a general assembly of their forces, in which, after
According to Polyaenus he had been banished, as alarming them by rumours of treachery, and exasimplicated in the designs of his brother Hamilcar perating them by inflammatory harangues, they
to possess himself of the sovereign power (Polyaen. induced them to decree, on the proposal of the
v. 11, see also Justin. xxii. 7); but it appears Gaul Autaritus, that all the Carthaginian prisoners
that he had previously distinguished himself, both should be put to death. The sentence was iammeby his courage and skill as a general, and after the diately executed in the most cruel manner upon
disaster just alluded to the Carthaginians thought Gisco and his fellow-captives, seven hundred in
fit to recal him from exile, and send him, at the number. (Polyb. i. 79, 80.)
head of a fresh army of mercenaries, to restore 4. Father of Hasdrubal, who was general inc
their affairs in Sicily. But though he succeeded Spain, together with Hasdrubal and Mago, the
in cutting off two bodies of mercenary troops, in two sons of Hamilcar Barca. (Liv. xxiv. 41;
the service of Syracuse, he was unable to prevent Polyb. ix.. 11.) It is not improbable that this
the destruction of Mamercus of Catana, and Hice- Gisco may be the same with the preceding one.
tas of Leontini, the two chief allies of the Car- Livy also calls the Hamilcar who was governor of
thaginians; and shortly afterwards the ambassa- Malta at the beginning of the second Punic war,
dors who had been sent from Carthage succeeded son of Gisco (Liv. xxi. 51); but whether this refers
in concluding a treaty with Timoleon, by which to the same person we have no means of ascelthe river Halycus was fixed as the boundary of the rtainilg.
contending powers (B. c. 338). After this victory 5. An officer in the service of Hannibal, of
we hear no more of Gisco. (Plut. Timol. 30-34; whom a storyis told by Plutarch (Fab. Miao. 15),
Diod. xvi. 81, 82; Justin. xxii. 3, 7.) that having accompanied his general to reconnoitre
3. Commander of the Carthaginian garrison at the enemy's army just before the battle of Cannae,
Lilybaeum, at the end of the first Punic war. (Po- Gisco expressed his astonishment at their numbers.
lyb. i. 66.) It appears that he must have succeeded To which Hannibal replied: " There is one thing
Himilco in this command, but at what period we yet more astonishing-that in all that number of
are not informed. After the conclusion of peace men there is not one named Gisco."
(B. C. 241), Hamilcar Barca having brought 6. One of the three ambassadors sent by Handown his troops from Eryx to Lilybaeum, re- nibal to Philip, king of Macedonia, in B. C. 215,
signed his command in disgust, and left to Gisco who fell into the hands of the Romans. (Liv.
the charge of conducting them from thence to Car- xxiii. 34.) He may perhaps be the same with the
thage. The latter prudently sent them over to preceding.
Africa in separate detachments, in order that they 7. A Carthaginian who came forward in the
might be paid off and disbanded severally; but assembly of the people to harangue against the
the Carthaginian government, instead of following conditions of peace proposed by Scipio, after the
this wise course, waited till the whole body were battle of Zama, B. c. 202. Hannibal, who knew
reunited in Africa, and then endeavoured to induce that all was lost, and that it was useless to object
them to compromise the amount due to them for to the terms offered, when there were no means of
arrears. The consequence was, the breaking out obtaining better, forcibly Interrupted him, and
of a general mutiny among them, which ultimately dragged him down from the elevated position he
led to the sanguinary civil war known by the name had occupied to address the assembly; an act
of the Inexpiable. The mutinous troops, to the which he afterwards excused, by saying, that he
number of 20,000, having occupied the city of had been so long employed in war, he had forgotten
Tunis, only twelve miles from Carthage, Gisco, the usages of peaceful assemblies. (Liv. xxx. 37.)
who during his command in Sicily had made him- The same circumstance is related by Polybius (xv.
self highly popular with the army, was deputed to 19), but without mentioning the, name of the
them, with full powers to satisfy all their demands. speaker.
But this concession came too late. Those who had 8. Son of Hamilcar (which of the many persons
taken the lead in the meeting, apprehensive of of that name we know not) was one of the chief
being given up to vengeance, should any com- magistrates at Carthage atthe time of the disputes
position be effected, now exerted all their endea- which led to the third Punic war. Ambassadors
yours to inflame the -minds of the soldiery, and having been sent from Rome to adjust the differurge them to the most unreasonable demands. ences between the Carthaginians and Masinissa
Spendius and Matho, two of the most active of the (B. c. 152), the senate of Carthage was disposed to
ringleaders, had been appointed generals, and it submit to their dictation; but Gisco, by his violent
was at their instigation that the troops, exasper- harangues, so inflamed the minds of his hearers
ated by an imprudent reply of Gisco to some of against the Romans, that the ambassadors even
their demands, fell upon that general, seized the became apprehensive for their personal safety, and
treasures that he had brought with him, and threw fled from the city. (Liv. Epit. xlviii.)
him and his companions into prison. (Polyb. i. 9. Surnamed Strytanus, one of the ambassadors
66-70.) From this time the mercenaries, who sent from Carthage to Rome, with offers of subwere joined by almost all the native Africans sub- mission, in order to avert the third Punic war,
ject to Carthage, waged open war against that B.C. 149. (Polyb. xxxvi. 1.) [E. H. B.]
city. Gisco and his fellow-prisoners remained in GI'TIADAS (rTrmlaas), a Lacedaemonian arcaptivity for some time, until Spendius and Matho, chitect, statuary, and poet. He completed the
alarmed at the successes of Hamilcar Barca, -and temple of Athena Poliouchos at Sparta, and ornaapprehensive of the effects which the lenity he had mented it with works in bronze, from which it was