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Hamilcar IKing of Carthage, who ruled in the early 5th century BC.
Date of Birth: .
Country:  Dive |
Content:
- Hamilcar: The King of Carthage
- Ancestry and Rise to Power
- The Sicilian Expedition
- Battle of Himera and Demise
Hamilcar: The King of Carthage
Hamilcar, the illustrious King of Carthage, reigned during the early 5th century BCE. As the son of the renowned navigator Hanno, he inherited a legacy of maritime prowess. His grandfather, Mago I, established the Magonid dynasty, the ruling dynasty of Carthage.
Ancestry and Rise to Power
According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Hamilcar was born to a Greek mother from Syracuse. His exceptional bravery earned him the throne. As the suffet (chief magistrate) of Carthage, Hamilcar led a formidable army in 480 BCE.
The Sicilian Expedition
Allied with Terillus, the exiled tyrant of Himera, and Anaxilas, the ruler of Rhegium, Hamilcar embarked on a military campaign to overthrow Gelon, the tyrant of Syracuse. Rumours suggest that he aligned with King Xerxes I of Persia to support Persia's war against Greece.
Battle of Himera and Demise
As chronicled by Herodotus, the Carthaginians encountered defeat at the hands of the Sicilian Greeks on the same day that the Persians were defeated at the Battle of Salamis. Hamilcar's fate remains shrouded in mystery. According to Herodotus, he vanished during the battle. However, Carthagenian accounts claim that he sacrificed himself by leaping into a fire after witnessing the defeat of his army.
