3. Son of Hanno, commander, together with Hannibal, the son of Gisco, in the great
Carthaginian expedition to Sicily,
Himilco now returned to Africa, but his army carried with it the seeds of pestilence, which
quickly spread from the soldiers to the inhabitants, and committed dreadful ravages, which
appear to have extended through a period of several years. Carthage was thus sorely weakened,
and wholly unprepared for war, when, in 397, Dionysius, who had spent several years in
preparations, sent a herald to declare war in form against the Carthaginians. They were thus
unable to prevent his victorious progress from one end of the island to the other, or even to
avert the fall of Motya, their chief, and almost their last, strong-hold in Sicily. All that
Himilco, who still held the chief command, and who was about this time advanced to the
voluntary dignity of king or suffete (
Thus again master of the western part of Sicily, Himilco advanced along the north coast both
with his fleet and army; and having effected his march without opposition as far as Messana,
surprised that city during the absence of most of the inhabitants, and levelled it to the
ground; after which he directed his march southwards, against Syracuse itself. Dionysius had
advanced with a large army to meet him, but the defection of his Sicilian allies, and the
total defeat of his fleet by that of the Carthaginians under Mago, excited his apprehensions
for the safety of Syracuse, and he hastened to shut himself up with his army within the walls
of that city. Himilco, thus finding no enemy to oppose him in the field, advanced at once with
his army to the very gates of Syracuse, and encamped on the same ground previously occupied by
the Athenians under Nicias, while his fleet of 208 triremes, besides a countless swarm of
transports, occupied, and almost filled, the great port. For 30 days Himilco ravaged the
neighbouring country unopposed, and repeatedly offered battle to the Syracusans; but though he
made himself master of one of the suburbs, he does not appear to have made any vigorous
attacks on the city itself. Meanwhile, a fever, caused by the marshy nature of the ground in
which he was encamped and the great heat of the summer, broke out in his army, and soon
assumed the character of a malignant pestilence. This visitation was attributed by the Greeks
to the profanation of their temples; and Dionysius took advantage of the confidence thus
inspired to make a sudden attack upon the Carthaginian camp both by sea and land, which proved
completely successful; a great part of their fleet was either sunk, burnt, or captured; and
Himilco, despairing of retrieving his fortune, immediately sent proposals to Dionysius for a
secret capitulation, by which he himself, together with the native Carthaginians under his
command, should be permitted to depart unmolested, on payment of a sum of 300 talents. These
terms were gladly accepted by the Syracusans, and Himilco made his escape under cover of the
night, leaving all the forces of his allies and mercenary troops at the mercy of Dionysius.
But though lie thus secured his personal safety, as well as that of the Carthaginian citizens
in his army, a termination at once so ignominions and so disastrous to a campaign that had
promised so much, caused him, on his return to Carthage, to be overwhelmed with obloquy, until
at length unable to bear the weight of odium that he had incurred, he put an end to his life
by abstinence. (