Hannibal Gisko

Hannibal Gisko († 258 BC in Carthage ) was a Carthaginian commander of both the army and the navy in the First Punic War .

Nothing is known about Gisko's early life and career. It appears in the sources for the first time in 261 BC. As commanding general of the garrison besieged by the Romans in the battle of Agrigento . Despite the perseverance that he and his men showed over the months and despite the relief that a Hanno brought, the city fell into Roman hands. Gisko managed to escape to Carthage on the last legs of the battle. Obviously, this defeat, owed more to Roman stubbornness than to his ineptitude, did not harm his career. The following year Gisko appears again, now as admiral of the Carthaginian fleet in the Strait of Messina . The Romans were preparing to launch their first fleet and had to be stopped. Gisko defeated the consul Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio in the Battle of the Aeolian Islands and had him captured by his non-commissioned officer Boodes , but this victory was meaningless (except for Scipio, who was nicknamed "Asina" (donkey) for this performance) the bulk of the Roman fleet continued to maneuver in the surrounding waters.

Later in 260 BC Gisko met this same fleet and was then the first Punic general who made the acquaintance of the Corvus , a device for boarding enemy ships, and its deadly effect. Trusting in Carthage's naval superiority, Gisko used his ships in the traditional line in the Battle of Mylae . With or without experience, the Romans under Consul Gaius Duilius defeated the Carthaginian fleet, largely due to the use of land-proven combat techniques in naval warfare. Because of this defeat, Gisko lost the confidence of his political leadership and was dismissed from his position, but not punished. He was then supposed to defend Sardinia , but lost in 258 BC. Chr. The consul Gaius Sulpicius Paterculus in the battle of Sulci and was crucified by his discontented subordinates.

Web links

• Jona Lendering: Hannibal (2) . In: Livius.org (English)