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

328 IAMILCAR. HAMILCAR.
fleet the shores of Bruttium, suddenly landed on the 56G-62,- 66; Diod. Exc. xxiv.; Zonar. viii. 16;
north coast of Sicily, and established himself with 17; Corn. Nep. Hamile. 1.)
his whole army on a mountain named Hercte (now He himself returned to Carthage, filled with imcalled Monte Pellegrino), in the midst of the placable animosity against Rome, and brooding over
enemy's country. and in the immediate neighbour- plans for future vengeance under more favourable
hood of Panormus, one of their most important circumstances. (Polyb. iii. 9.) But all such procities. Here he succeeded in maintaining his jects were for a time suspended by a danger nearer
ground, to the astonishment alike of friends and home. The great revolt of the mercenary troops,
foes, for nearly three years. The natural strength headed by Spendius and Matho, which broke out
of the position defied all the efforts of the enemy, immediately after their return from Sicily, and in
and a small, but safe and convenient, harbour at which they were quickly joined by almost all the
the foot of the mountain enabled him not only to native Africans, brought Carthage in a moment to
secure his own communications by sea, but to send the brink of ruin. Hamilcar was not at first emout squadrons which plundered the coasts of Sicily ployed against the insurgents; whether this arose
and Italy even as far north as Cumae. By land, from the predominance of the adverse party, or that
meanwhile, he was engaged in a succession of he was looked upon as in some measure the author
almost continual combats with the Romans, which of the evils that had given rise to the insurrection,
did not, indeed, lead to any decisive result, but from the promises he had been compelled to make
served him as the means of training up a body of to the mercenaries under his command, and which
infantry which should be a match for that of there were now no means of fulfilling, we know
Rome, while he so completely paralysed the whole not; but the incapacity of Hanno, who first took
power of the enemy as to prevent their making the field against the rebels, soon became so appaany vigorous attempts against either Drepanum or rent, that all parties concurred in the appointment
Lilybaeum. So important did it appear to the of Hamilcar to succeed him. He found affairs in a
Romans to expel him from his mountain fastness, state apparently almost hopeless: Carthage itself
that they are said to have at one time assembled a was not actually besieged, but all the passes which
force of 40,000 men at the foot of the rock of secured its communication with the interior were
Hercte.. (Diod. Exc. Hoeselc. xxiii. p. 506.) Yet in the hands of the insurgents, who were also
Hamilcar still held out; and when, at length, he masters of all the open country, and were actively
relinquished his position, it was only to occupy engaged in besieging Utica and Hippo, the only
one still more extraordinary and still more galling towns that still remained faithful to the Carthagito the enemy. In 244 he abruptly quitted Hercte, nians. The forces placed at the disposal of Haand, landing suddenly at the foot of Mount Eryx, milcar amounted to only 10,000 men and 70
seized on the town of that name, the inhabitants elephants; but with these he quickly changed the
of which he removed to Drepanum, and converted face of affairs, forced the passage of the river Bait into a fortified camp for his army. The Romans gradas, defeated the enemy with great slaughter,
still held the fort on the summit of the mountain, and re-opened the communications with the interior.
while one of their armies lay in a strongly in- He now traversed the open country unopposed, and
trenched camp at the foot of it. Yet in this still reduced many towns again to the subjection of
more confined arena did Hamilcar again defy all Carthage. On one occasion, indeed, he seems to
their exertions for two years more; during which have been surprised and involved in a situation of
period he had not only to contend against the much difficulty, but was saved by the opportune
efforts of his enemies, but the disaffection and accession of Naravas, a Numidian chief, with whose
fickleness of the mercenary troops under his com- assistance he totally defeated the rebels under
mand, especially the Gauls. In order to retain Spendius and Autaritus. Many captives having
them in obedience, he was obliged to make them fallen into his hands on this occasion, Hamilcar
large promises, the difficulty of fulfilling which treated them with the utmost lenity, receiving into
was said to have been afterwards one of the main his army all that were willing to enlist, and discauses of the dreadful war in Africa. (Polyb. i. 66, missing the rest in safety to their homes, on conii. 7; Appian, Hisp. 4.) But while he thus con- dition of their not bearing arms against him again.
tinued to maintain his ground in spite of all oh- But this clemency was so far from producing the
stacles, the Romans, despairing of effecting any desired effect, that it led Spendius and Matho, the
thing against him by land, determined to make, leaders of the insurgents, from apprehension of the
one great effort to recover the supremacy by sea. influence it might exercise upon their followers, to
A powerful fleet was sent out under Lutatius the most barbarous measures, and they put to death
Catulus, and the total defeat of the Carthaginian Gisco and all their other prisoners, in order, by
admiral Hanno off the Aegates, in B. C. 241, de- this means, to put an end to all hopes of reconcilicided the fate of the war. [HANNO, No. 11; CA- ation or pardon. This atrocity drove Hamilcar to
TULUS.] The Carthaginian government now re- measures of retaliation, and he henceforth put to
ferred it to Hamilcar to determine the question of death, without mercy, all the prisoners that fell
war or peace; and seeing no longer any hopes of into his hands. (Polyb. i. 75-81; Diod. Exc.
ultimate success, he reluctantly consented to the Vales. xxv. 2.) The advantages hitherto gained by
treaty, by which it was agreed that the Cartha- Barca were now almost counterbalanced by the
ginians should evacuate Sicily. Lutatius had at defection of Utica and Hippo; and Hanno having
first insisted that the troops on Mount Eryx been (for what reason we know not) associated
should lay down their arms; but this was peremp- with him in the command, the dissensions which
torily refused by Hamilcar, and the Roman con- broke out between thle two generals effectually presul was forced to, abandon the demand. Hamilcar vented their co-operating to any successful -result.
descended with his army to Lilybaeum, where he These disputes were at length terminated by the
immediately resigned the command, leaving it to Carthaginian government leaving it to the army
Gisco to conduct the troops to Africa, (Pqlyb. i. to decide which of the two generals should resign,