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

MAGO. MAGO. 90'
the passage of Pyrrhus. (Diod. Exc. Hoeschel. another that led to the dissensions and jealousies
xxii. 9, p. 496.) among the three generals, of which we hear as one
5. Son of Hamilcar Barca, and brother of the of the chief causes that led to the disasters of the
famous Haxnibal. He was the youngest of the Carthaginian arms. (Polyb. x. 6.) At length,'in
three brothers, and must have been quite a youth 209, it was determined at a council of the three
when he accompanied Hannibal into Italy, B. c. generals, held shortly after the battle of Baecula,
218. But his whole life had been spent in camps, that while Hasdrubal, the son of Barca, set out on
under the eye of his father or brother, and young his adventurous march into Italy, Mago and the
as he was, he had already given proofs not only of other Hasdrubal should carry on the war in Spain;
personal courage, but of skill and judgment in war, the former repairing in the first instance to the
sufficient to justify Hannibal in entrusting him Balearic islands, in order to raise fresh levies for
*with services of the most important character. The the approaching campaign. (Liv. xxvii. 20.) The
first occasion on which he is mentioned is the whole of the following year is a blank, so far as
passage of the Po, which he effected successfully the Spanish war is concerned; but in 207. we had
at the head of the cavalry: according to Caelius Mago in Celtiberia at the head of an army comAntipater, he and his horsemen crossed the river posed mainly of troops levied in that country, but
by swimming. (Liv. xxi. 47.) At the battle of to which Hanno, who had just arrived in Spain,
the Trebia shortly afterwards, he was selected by had lately joined his new army of Carthaginian
his brother to command the body of chosen troops and African troops. Their combined forces were;
placed in ambuscade among the thickets of the bed however, attacked by M. Silanus, one of the lieun
of the river, and by his well-timed attack on the tenants of Scipio, and totally' defeated; Hanno
rear of the Roman army contributed mainly to the himself was taken prisoner, while Mago, with a
success of the day. (Polyb. iii. 71, 74; Liv. xxi. few thousand men, effected his escape, and joined
54, 55; Frontin. Strateg. ii. 5. ~ 23.) We next Hasdrubal, the son of Gisco, in the south of Spain.
find him commanding the rear-guard during the Here they once more succeeded in assembling a
attempt to cross the Apennines,. and in the dan- numerous army, but the next year (B. C. 206) their
gerous and toilsome march through the marshes decisive defeat by Scipio at Silpia [HASDRUBAL,
of Etruria. At Cannae he was associated with his p. 358] crushed for ever all hope of re-establishing
brother in the command of the main body of the the Carthaginian power in Spain. (Liv. xxviii. 1,
Carthaginian army: such at least is the statement 2, 12 —16; Polyb. xi. 20-24; Appian, Ilisp.
of Polybius and Livy: Appian, on the contrary, 25-27; Zonar. ix. 8.) After this battle Mago
assigns him that of the right wing: in either case, retired to Gades, where he shut himself up with
it is clear that he held no unimportant post on that the troops under his command; and here he reggreat occasion. (Polyb. iii. 79, 114; Liv. xxii. 2, mained long after Hasdrubal had departed to
46; Appian. Annib. 20.) After the battle he was Africa, still keeping his eye upon the proceedings
detached by Hannibal with a considerable force, to of the Romans, and not without hope of recovering
complete the subjugation of Samnium: as soon as his footing on the main land; for which purpose he
he had effected this he marched southwards into was continually intriguing with the Spanish chiefs,
Bruttium, and after receiving the submission of and even it is said fomenting the spirit of discon,many cities in that part of Italy, crossed over in tent among the Roman troops themselves. The
person to Carthage, where he was the first to an- formidable insurrection of Indibilis and Mandonius,
nounce the progress and victories of his brother. and the mutiny of a part of the Roman army, for
The tidings naturally produced a great effect, and, a time gave him hopes of once more restoring the
notwithstanding the opposition of Hanno, the Car- Carthaginian power in that country; but all these
thaginian senate came to the resolution of sending a;ttempts proved abortive. His lieutenant Hanno
powerful reinforcements to Hannibal in Italy. A was defeated by L. Marcius, and Mago, who had
force of 12,000 foot and 1500 horse, with twenty himself repaired to his assistance with a fleet of
elephants and sixty ships, was accordingly assem- sixty ships, was compelled to return to Gades
bled, and placed under the command of Mago, but without effecting anything. At length, therefore,
just as he was about to sail intelligence arrived of he began to despair of restoring the fortunes of
the alarming state of the Carthaginian affairs in Carthage in Spain, and was preparing to return to
Spain, which induced the government to alter Africa, when he received orders from the Cartheir plan of operations, and Mago, with the forces thaginian senate to repair with such a fleet and
under his command, was despatched to the support army as he could still muster to Liguria, and thus
of his brother Hasdrubal in that country, B C. 215. transfer the seat of war once more into Italy. The
(Liv. xxiii. 1, 11, 13, 32; Appian, Iisp. 16; command was well suited to the enterprising chaZonar. ix. 2, 3.) racter of Mago; but before he finally quitted Spain
It is hardly necessary to point out in detail the he was tempted by intelligence of the defenceless
part borne by.Mago in the subsequent operations state of New Carthage to make an attempt on that
in Spain; a sketch of which is given under HAS- city, in which however he was repulsed with conDRUBAL, No. 6. We find him mentioned as co- siderable loss. Foiled in this quarter, he returned
operating in the siege of Illiturgi (B. c. 215), in the to Gades, but the gates of that city were now shut
defeat of the two Scipios (B. C. 212), and on several against him, an insult he is said to have avenged
other occasions. (Liv. xxiii. 49, xxiv. 41, 42, xxv. by putting to death their chief magistrates, whom
32, 39, xxvi. 20; Appian, Hisp. 24.) His position he had decoyed into his power, under pretence of
during these campaigns is not quite clear, but it a conference; after this he repaired to the Balearic.would seem that though frequently acting indepen- islands, in the lesser of which he took up his
dently, he was still in some degree subject to the quarters for the winter. (Liv. xxviii. 23, 30,
superior authority of his brother, as well as of Has- 31, 36, 37; Appian, Hisp. 31, 32, 34, 37;
drubal, the son of Gisco: perhaps it was the some- Zonar. ix. 10.) The memory of his sojourn
what ambiguous character of their relations to one there is still preserved, in. the name.of the
3 R4