Hannibal
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Hannibal (Hanba’al = “mercy of Baal”) Barca (1): (d. 406 BC). Carthaginian general. He was the son of Gesco, and the grandson of Hasbrubal Barca (1). Hannibal had a life-long hatred of the Greeks because of the defeat of his grandfather at Himera in 480 BC. In 410 BC, an opportunity for revenge presented itself when a war broke out between Greek Selinus and Elymian Segesta. The latter appealed for help to their ally, Carthage, while Selinus did the same with Syracuse, the most powerful Greek city in Sicily.
In 409 or 408 BC, Hannibal arrived in Sicily with a large army and launched an attack on Selinus and captured the city. This, however, was only his first step against the Greeks. Moving eastwards, he captured Himera, the site of Hasdrubal’s defeat and death seventy-two years earlier. Hannibal then committed an act meant both to avenge the death of Hasdrubal and instill fear in his Greek enemies. Taking 3,000 Greek captives, he had them tortured and sacrificed to the spirit of his grandfather. He then returned to Carthage where he was welcomed as a hero.
While Hannibal was in Carthage, Syracuse was torn apart by a civil war which disrupted the city and left it without effective leadership. The Carthaginians took advantage of the situation, sending Hannibal back to Sicily in 406 BC. He established a new city, Thermae, on the north coast of the island, populating it with the Greek survivors of the now-destroyed Himera. He then launched a new invasion of Greek Sicily, leading his army against Akragas. His force consisted of Carthage’s best elite troops, along with Iberian, Campanian, Baleric and Libyan mercenaries. Akragas was well-defended with a force of its own, supported by Greek Siciliot allies from Syracuse, Gela, Kamarina, Messana, and several Greek cities from Magna Graecia. They also had units of paid Greek and Campanian mercenaries. Both armies were well-matched and Hannibal was unable to break the city’s defense. As the Carthaginians laid siege to Akragas, their camp was struck with plague. As the sickness spread, it claimed many lives including Hannibal. His command was taken over by his relative, Himilco, who, in the spring of 405 BC, finally captured Akragas. The campaign which began as Hannibal’s personal vendetta against the Greeks continued on after his death. In the end, the Carthaginians failed to drive the Greeks from Sicily but secured Carthage’s hold on the western part of the island.