Hamilkar Barkas

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Hamilkar Barkas (* around 270 BC ; † 229 BC in Hispania ) was an important Carthaginian statesman and general . Beyond his own achievements, he is known for his son Hannibal , who brought the Romans to the brink of extinction in the Second Punic War .

The Punic name Ḥmlk hbrq literally means “Brother Melkarts , the lightning”.

life and career

Hamilkar made a name for himself as a general in three locations: towards the end of the First Punic War he was Commander-in-Chief of the Army in Sicily , then put down the mercenary revolt in Africa and later subjugated large parts of Hispania. The Romans called it “lightning” because it struck quickly and unexpectedly, which was rendered in Punic as Brq or vocalized Baraq (cf. in Arabic al-Barq , البرق, lightning) and Latinized to Barcas . His sons Hannibal , Hasdrubal and Mago , and some of his partisans (especially Hasdrubal ), are called Barkiden after this nickname .

In the last phase of the First Punic War, Hamilcar received from 247 BC The supreme command of the Carthaginian land troops in Sicily. There the war had previously developed significantly to the disadvantage of the Punians, who had been limited by the Romans to a few cities in the west of the island. In addition, there was a conflict between Hamilcar and the general Hanno, an internal political enemy of the Barkids, who weakened the fighting strength of the Carthaginians. However, through partisan tactics, Hamilkar was able to inflict several defeats on the Romans and regain lost territories. A Roman victory at sea in the battle of the Aegatian Islands ruined his successes in March 241, since Hamilcar was now cut off supplies. The Carthaginian Senate then charged its undefeated general with the inevitable peace negotiations. Carthage had to give up Sicily and pay high reparations to Rome.

In addition, the immediate problem after the war was having to demobilize his huge mercenary army for reasons of cost. This resulted in a rebellion among men from all over the Oikumene , and was particularly dangerous because the Libyan mercenaries were able to get some of their hometowns to trash. This mercenary war from 241 to 238 ultimately threatened the existence of the Punic state more than the previous war against Rome. It was only after the Carthaginians had lost several battles against the rebels that the general command was transferred to Hamilkar, who now had to wage a war of extermination against people whom he himself had trained and commanded for many years. He managed to turn the battle around and overthrow the rebellious cities and mercenaries.

In the near future, Hamilkar has certainly also become active domestically. Towards the end of the mercenary war, the Romans had exploited Carthage's weakness and in 238 annexed Sardinia , which had been left to him in the peace treaty three years earlier. Perhaps the decision to subjugate new territories on the Iberian Peninsula in which the Romans had not yet shown interest goes back to Hamilkar. From 237 B.C. He conquered the southern and eastern parts of the Iberian Peninsula. By developing silver mines and trading bases, he was able to more than make up for the losses in his hometown from the battle against the Romans. The center of the Punic colonial empire was the city of Leuke Akra, today's Alicante .

229 BC Hamilcar fell in a skirmish with the Vettons , perhaps in an ambush. His son-in-law Hasdrubal expanded and consolidated the Carthaginian rule on the Iberian Peninsula in the years that followed.

Appreciation

In the sources, Hamilcar's achievements as a general is emphasized, but the results of his campaigns, in any case in Sicily and Africa, are rather modest. On the other hand, he has created a new center of power in his city in the west. It is extremely doubtful that he was preparing for another war against Rome or that he had always planned it (summarized in the scene where he had his nine-year-old son swear an oath). Presumably, the charge of striving for sole rule is attached to his person. That is certainly going too far, even if he certainly always strove to strengthen the position of his person, his family and his "party" in Carthage's domestic politics.

Afterlife

Legend has it that the city of Barcelona was founded around 230 BC. Attributed to BC. In art, Hamilkar Barkas is best known as the father of the Salammbô , starting with the novel by Gustave Flaubert .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ P. Barceló: Hannibal. CH Beck, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-406-43292-1 , p. 13.
  2. ^ W. Huss: Carthage. CH Beck, Munich 1995, ISBN 3-406-39825-1 , p. 61.
  3. ^ W. Huss: Carthage. CH Beck, Munich 1995, ISBN 3-406-39825-1 , p. 103, p. 61.
personal data
SURNAME Hamilkar Barkas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Carthaginian general and politician
DATE OF BIRTH around 270 BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 229 BC Chr.
Place of death Spain