Hippocrates (envoy of Hannibal)

Hippocrates († 212 BC ) was an ancient Greek politician from Syracuse .

Career

Hippocrates had both Syracuse and Carthaginian citizenship. During the Second Punic War he was in Italy with Hannibal and was killed in 215 BC. Together with his brother Epikydes as envoy to his homeland. 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. Hippocrates and his brother now asked to be allowed to travel to Lokroi and to receive protection from Syracuse, which they were granted. Soon after, however, they began to pursue anti-Roman policies 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 displaced Syracuse mercenaries, however, swayed in favor of Hippocrates and the latter conquered Syracuse, where he and his brother were again elected 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 Himilko. A Carthaginian fleet entered Syracuse. After further minor actions, Hippocrates wintered separately from Himilko 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.

literature

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