Hamilcar (
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Hamilcar (Abd-Melqart = “servant of Melqart”) Barca (1): (d. 480 BC). Carthaginian general. The son of Hanno Sabellus, a Carthaginian general, Hamilcar’s mother was a Greek from Syracuse. His brother, Hasdrubal, was also a well-known commander who campaigned in Sardinia. In 480 BC, Hamilcar was invited by Terillus, the deposed tyrant of Himera, to invade Greek Sicily and restore him to power. Hamilcar saw this as an opportunity for an even grander scheme and formed a large army and navy capable of conquering the entire island for Carthage. He advanced eastwards and laid siege to Himera, on the north coast of Sicily. The city was defended by Theron, the tyrant of Akragas, who appealed for help to Gelon of Syracuse. Gelon, knowing that he was no match for Hamilcar’s forces in a pitched battle, devised a ruse. Learning that Hamilcar was awaiting the arrival of Greek mercenaries, Gelon successfully pretended that his army was the awaited force. By the time the Carthaginians had discovered their mistake, Gelon men were inside the enemy camp. The surprise was total and the Carthaginians were completely routed. Hamilcar, who had been engaged in offering burnt sacrifices at a pyre when the attack took place, realized that his situation was hopeless. Rather than face capture, he threw himself into the flames and was completely comsumed.
Hamilcar’s son, Gesco, was unable to return home in Carthage because of his father’s disgrace and took refuge in the western Greek city of Selinus where he lived as an exile. Gesco’s son, Hannibal Barca (1), later avenged his grandfather’s defeat and death by leading his own invasion of Greek Sicily in 410 BC. When he captured Himera, Hannibal had 3,000 Greek captives cruelly tortured and offered up as human sacrifices to the honor of his grandfather Hamilcar.