Epikydes

Epikydes was an ancient Greek politician from Syracuse .

In addition to Syracuse, Epikydes also had Carthaginian citizenship. During the Second Punic War he was in Italy with Hannibal and was killed in 215 BC. Together with his brother Hippocrates sent to his homeland as envoy. Probably at her instigation, Syracuse concluded an alliance treaty with Carthage , which claimed all of Sicily for the former.

214 BC However, the Syracusian ruler was murdered by oligarchic politicians and his uncle Adranodoros and Themistos were elected general. Epikydes and his brother now asked to be allowed to travel to Lokroi and to receive protection from Syracuse, which they were granted. Soon afterwards, however, they began to pursue anti-Roman politics in Syracuse, which met with a response from the military and the people. After Adronodorus and Themistus were killed in an attempt to bring about a change based on this mood, Hippocrates and Epikydes were elected to their positions, but initially could not prevent negotiations from resuming with Rome . However, they managed to convince the city's mercenaries that it should be handed over to the Romans. The oligarchically ruled popular assembly decided to continue negotiations with Rome.

Hippocrates now took over the command of a force of 4,000 men, including 2,000 possibly Libyan or Iberian mercenaries, who were supposed to protect Leontinoi . From Leontinoi he attacked Roman territory and fought with Appius Claudius Pulcher's troops . The Roman politician Marcus Claudius Marcellus asked Syracuse to expel the two brothers. Epikydes consequently also came to Leontinoi and won the city with the argument that the Syracusians had concluded the treaties with the Romans over the head of the inhabitants of Leontinoi. Marcellus and Pulcher conquered Leontinoi and Hippocrates and Epikydes fled to Herbessus . The mood among the withdrawn Syracuse mercenaries, however, swayed in favor of Hippocrates 'and Epikydes' and they conquered Syracuse, where they were again elected as general.

In response, the Romans began to siege the city. To support Carthaginian troops in Sicily, Hippocrates led an army of 10,000 foot soldiers and 500 horsemen outside the city, suffered a defeat against Marcellus at Acrillae and shortly afterwards united with a Carthaginian army under Himilco. Meanwhile, Epikydes had to put down a pro-Roman revolt in Syracuse. He had about 80 people executed. A Carthaginian fleet entered Syracuse. After further smaller actions, Hippocrates wintered separately from Himilco in Morgantina. 212 BC In BC Hippocrates moved back to Epikydes in Syracuse. Failure attempts against the besiegers failed and Hippocrates died of an epidemic.

Epikydes now drove towards Bomilkar, a Carthaginian naval commander, because he feared that he might avoid a battle with the Romans. Bomilkar did so, and Epikydes went to Akragas . Shortly afterwards the Romans took Syracuse and Epikydes and the Carthaginian commander Hanno advanced northward from Akragas, where they were defeated by Marcellus in the battle of Himeras. They fled to Akragas, which was betrayed to the Romans by the mercenary leader Muttines . Epikydes escaped to Africa.

literature

• Werner Huss: History of the Carthaginians . Beck, Munich 1985.