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

474 HIMILCO. HI;MILCO.
lieved fro'm this'difficiilty, and soon -recove'redthe to shift himself up with his army within the walls
advantage. The famine, which now made itself of that city. Himilco, thus finding no enemy to
felt in its turn in the besieged city, the dissensions oppose him in the field, advanced at once with his
of -the Sicilian generals, and the incapacity or army to the very gates of Syracuse, and encamped
treachery of some among them, at length led to on the same ground previously occupied by the
the abandonment of Agrigentum, of which Himilco Athenians under Nicias, while his fleet of 208
thus -became master, after a siege protracted for triremes, besides a countless swarm of transports,
nearly eight months. (Diod. xiii. 80-89; Xen. occupied, and almost filled, the great port. For
Hell. i. 5. ~ 21, ii. 2. ~ 24.) Here he took up his 30 days Himilco ravaged the neighbouring country
quarters for the winter, and in the spring of 405 unopposed, and repeatedly offered battle to the
advanced against Gela, to which he laid siege. Syracusans; but though he made himself master of
Dionysius, then just established as tyrant of Syra- one of the suburbs, he does not appear to have
cuse, led a large force to its relief, but was defeated made any vigorous attacks on the city itself.
in the first encounter, on which he at once with- Meanwhile, a fever, caused by the marshy nature
drew, taking with him the whole population, not of the ground in which he was encamped and the
only of Gela, but of Camarina' also. The cities, great heat of the summer, broke out in his army,
thus abandoned, naturally fell, without a struggle, and soon assumed the'character of a malignant
into the hands of Himilco; but of -his farther ope- pestilence. This visitation was attributed by the
rations we know nothing, except that a pestilence Greeks to the profanation of their temples; and
broke out in his army, which led him to make Dionysius took advantage of the confidence thus
offers of peace to the Syracusans. These were inspired to make a sudden attack upon the Cargladly accepted, and the terms of the treaty were thaginian camp both by sea and land, which proved
highly advantageous to Carthage, which retained, completely successful; a great part of their fleet
in addition to its former possessions, Selinus, Hi- was either sunk, burnt, or captured; and Himilco,
mera, -and Agrigentum, besides which Gela and despairing of retrieving his fortune, imnmediately
Camarina were to pay her tribute, and remain un- sent proposals to Dionysius for a secret capitulafortified. (Diod. xiii. 91, 108-114.) tion, by which he himself, together with the native
Himilco now returned to Africa, but his army Carthaginians under his command, should be percarried with it the seeds of pestilence, which mitted to depart unmolested, on payment of a sum
quickly spread from the -soldiers to the inhabitants, of 300 talents. These terms were gladly accepted
and committed dreadful ravages, which appear to by the Syracusans, and Himilco made his escape
have extended through a period of several years. under cover of the night, leaving all the forces of
Carthage was thus sorely weakened, and wholly his allies and mercenary troops at the mercy of
unprepared for war, when, in 397, Dionysius, who Dionysius. But though he thus secured his perhad spent several years in preparations, sent a sonal safety, as well as that of the Carthaginian
herald to declare war in form against the Cartha- citizens in his army, a termination at once so ignoginians. They were thus unable to prevent his minious and so disastrous to a catmspaign that had
victorious progress from one end of the island to the promised so much, caused him, on his return to
other, or even to;avert the fall of Motya, their Carthage, to be overwhelmed with obloquy, until
chief, and almost their:last, strong-hold in Sicily. at length unable to bear the weight of odium that
All that Himilco,, who still held the chief command, he had incurred, he put an end to his life by
and who was about this time advanced to the voluntary abstinence. (Diod. xiv. 41, 47-76
dignity. of king or suffete (Diod. xiv. 54), could Justin. xix. 2.)
do, was to attempt the destruction of Dionysius's 4. One of the generals appointed by the Car-'
fleet, by attacking it suddenly with 100 triremes, thaginians to conduct the war in Africa against
when most of the ships were drawn up on shore; Archagathus, the son of Agathocles. He totally
but foiled in this, he was obliged to return to defeated the division of the Syracusan forces under
Africa. Meanwhile, however, he had been actively the command of Eumachus, and put them almost
engaged in preparations, and by the following all to the sword. After this -he occupied the passes:
spring (B. C. 396), he had assembled a numerous and strongholds in the neighbourhood of Tunis, so
fleet and an army of 100,000 men, with which he as completely to blockade Archagathus in that
landed at Panormus, though not without heavy city. (Diod. xx. 60, 61.) What part he took in
loss, having been attacked on the voyage by Lep- the subsequent operations against Agathocles him —
tines, and many of his ships sunk. But once self is not mentioned.
arrived in Sicily, he quickly regained the advantage, 5. Commander of the Carthaginian forces at
recovered possession of Eryx and Motya, and com- Lilybaeum during the first Punic war. At what
pelled Dionysius to fall back towards the eastern time he was sent to Sicily does not appear, but we
side of the island, on which the Sicanians imme- find him in command of Lilybaeum when the
diately declared in favour of Carthage. Romans, after the great victory of Metellus over:
- Thus again master of the western part of Sicily, Hasdrubal (B. c. 250), determined to form the siege
Himilco advanced along the north coast both with of that important fortress. Himilco appears to
his fleet and army; and having effected his march have done all that an energetic and able officer
without opposition as far as Messana, surprised could do: the forces under his command amounted
that city during the absence of most of the inhabit- to only 10,000 regular troops, while the Romans
ants, and levelled it to the ground; after which he are said to have brought not less than 110,000
directed his march southwards, against Syracuse men to the siege; but this must, of course, include
itself. Dionysius had advanced with a large anny all who took part in the works, not merely the
to meet him, but the defection of his Sicilian fighting men. Both consuls (C. Atilius and L,
allies, and the total defeat of his fleet by that of Manlius) were with the Roman army, and they
the Carthaginians under Mago, excited his appre- carried on their operations- with the utmost vigour,
hensions fot the safety of Syracuse, and he hastened endeavouring to block up the port by a great mole,