The Mercenary War was a uprising of mercenaries in the employ of Carthage in the 3rd century BC. The revolt was a consequence of delays in payment following the defeat of Carthage in the First Punic War. A mercenary is a soldier who fights, or engages in warfare primarily for private gain, usually with little regard for ideological, national or political considerations. ... A map of the central Mediterranean Sea, showing the location of Carthage (near modern Tunis). ... // Events The first two Punic Wars between Carthage and Rome over dominance in western Mediterranean Rome conquers Spain Gaulish migration to Macedonia, Thrace and Galatia 281 BCE Antiochus I Soter, on the assassination of his father Seleucus becomes emperor of the Seleucid empire. ... The First Punic War was fought between Carthage and the Roman Republic from 264 to 241 BC. It was the first of three major wars between the two powers for supremacy in the Mediterranean Sea. ...

Course of the Revolt

After the First Punic War concluded in 241 BC, Carthage demobilized its mercenary force in Sicily, and the soldiers were brought to Carthage to receive their discharge and final pay. Although the commander, Gisgo, sent the troops in batches to minimize the chances of disorder, payment was delayed by the Carthaginian government and eventually all the troops were brought together at Sicca 170 km south-west of the city. The combined force demanded payment, then advanced on Tunis, close to Carthage itself, to put pressure on the government. Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC - 240s BC - 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 246 BC 245 BC 244 BC 243 BC 242 BC - 241 BC - 240 BC 239 BC 238... Sicilian disambiguates here; see also Sicilian language or Sicilian Defence. ...

Carthage relented and gave in to their demands, which in total exceeded the terms of their original contracts. Despite the more generous settlement, two mercenaries, Spendius and Matho, organized a rebellion, based on speculation that after the foreigners left Africa, Carthage would be unwilling, or simply unable, to pay those remaining. In 240 BC Gisgo and other officials were taken prisoner by the mercenary leadership and open warfare ensued. Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC - 240s BC - 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC Years: 245 BC 244 BC 243 BC 242 BC 241 BC - 240 BC - 239 BC 238 BC...

The Libian population, discontent with Carthaginian rule, supported the rebels. Carthage still had some mercenaries from the group at Tunis, and was able to deploy the mercenaries still in Sicily and also hire fresh troops. Initially neither side had any clear advantage, and a mercenary siege of Utica, the largest Carthaginian city after Carthage itself, resulted in the Battle of the Bagradas River which ended in Carthage's favour. The conflict escalated when the mercenary leadership tortured and killed its Carthaginian prisoners. These atrocities were intended to prevent any possibility of a negotiated settlement, and in response the Carthaginians committed similar actions. Tripolitania is a historic region of western Libya, centered around the coastal city of Tripoli. ... For the Boston area punk band see Siege (band). ... This article is about the ancient city of Utica in Tunisia. ... In 239 BC, Hamilcar Barca was called out of retirement to replace the routed Hanno the Great following an embarrasing defeat at Utica. ...

Hamilcar Barca, general from the campaigns in Sicily, was given supreme command, and eventually defeated the rebels in 237 BC. But the conduct of the war was barbaric even by the standards of the time. Polybius called it a 'truceless war', without any concept of rules of warfare and exceeding all other conflicts in cruelty, ending only with the total annihilation of one of the opponents. Hamilcar Barca (about 270 - 228 BC), or Barcas (Canaanite baraq lightning), was a Carthaginian general and statesman, father of Hannibal. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC - 230s BC - 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC Years: 242 BC 241 BC 240 BC 239 BC 238 BC - 237 BC - 236 BC 235 BC... Polybius (ca 203 BC - 120 BC, Greek Πολυβιος) was a Greek historian of the Mediterranean world famous for his book called The Histories or The Rise of the Roman Empire, covering the period of 220 BC to 146 BC. // Personal experiences As the former tutor of Scipio Aemilianus , the famous adopted...

Relations with Rome

Initially, a smaller mercenary revolt occurred on Sardinia, and that army took control of the island. When the conflict in Africa began to go against the mercenaries there, the Sardinian troops appealed to Rome for protection. However, it was in Rome's self-interest for Carthage to achieve stability and to recover economically so it could continue paying the indemnities imposed after the First Puinc War. Rome rejected the appeal, and indirectly supported its former adversary by releasing Carthaginian prisoners and prohibiting trade with the mercenaries. However, in 238 BC-237 BC, Rome annexed Sardinia on the pretext that Carthage had ceased to have a presence there and had abandoned the island. Weakened by both the First Punic War and the Mercenary War, Carthage surrendered Sardinia and a further indemnity. Sardinia (Sardigna, Sardinna or Sardinnia in the Sardinian language, Sardegna in Italian, Sardenya in Catalan), is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (Sicily is the largest), between Italy, Spain and Tunisia, south of Corsica. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC - 230s BC - 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC Years: 243 BC 242 BC 241 BC 240 BC 239 BC - 238 BC - 237 BC 236 BC... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC - 230s BC - 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC Years: 242 BC 241 BC 240 BC 239 BC 238 BC - 237 BC - 236 BC 235 BC...

The seizure of Sardinia and the outrageous extra indemnity fueled resentment in Carthage. The loss of Sardinia also encouraged Hamilcar, together with his sons Hasdrubal and Hannibal to establish a power base outside Rome's sphere of influence in Hispania, which later became the source of wealth and manpower for Hannibal's initial campaigns in the Second Punic War. Hasdrubal was the name of several Carthaginian generals, among whom the following are the most important: 1. ... Hannibals feat in crossing the Alps with war elephants passed into European legend: a fresco detail, 1510, Capitoline Museum, Rome Hannibal (from Punic, literally Baal is merciful to me, 247 BC – 182 BC) was a politician, statesman and considered one of the greatest military commanders of ancient Carthage, best... A sphere of influence is a metaphorical region of political influences surrounding a country or a region of economic influence around an urban area. ... Roman aqueduct in Segovia Hispania was the name given by the Romans to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal, Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar) and to two provinces created there in the period of the Roman Republic: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. ... Hannibals feat in crossing the Alps with war elephants passed into European legend: a fresco detail, 1510, Capitoline Museum, Rome Hannibal (from Punic, literally Baal is merciful to me, 247 BC – 182 BC) was a politician, statesman and considered one of the greatest military commanders of ancient Carthage, best... The Second Punic War was fought between Carthage and Rome from 218 to 202 BC. It was the second of three major wars fought between the former Phoenician colony of Carthage, and the Roman Republic, then still confined to the Italian Peninsula. ...

Mercenary War in Literature and Popular Culture

Salammbô is a novel by Gustave Flaubert set before and during the revolt. A number of other works are based on Flaubert's novel. ... Popular culture, or pop culture, is the vernacular (peoples) culture that prevails in any given society. ... Salammbô is a fantasy 1862 novel by Gustave Flaubert. ... Gustave Flaubert Gustave Flaubert (December 12, 1821 – May 8, 1880) was a French novelist who is counted among the greatest Western novelists. ... Salammbô is the name of several literary and dramatic works: Salammbô, the original novel by Gustave Flaubert (1862) Salammbô, an opera composed by Ernest Reyer based on Flauberts novel (1890). ...

References

• Harden, Donald (1962). The Phoenicians, Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0140213759.

• Warmington, B. H. (1960). Carthage, Robert Hale & Company. SBN 7091 0953 9.