Autaritus (died 238 BCE) was a leader of Gallic mercenaries in the

Carthaginian The term Carthaginian ( la, Carthaginiensis ) usually refers to a citizen of Ancient Carthage. It can also refer to: * Carthaginian (ship), a three-masted schooner built in 1921 * Insurgent privateers; nineteenth-century South American privateers, ...

army during the

First Punic War The First Punic War (264–241 BC) was the first of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the early 3rd century BC. For 23 years, in the longest continuous conflict and grea ...

. With his men Autaritus fought in 262 BCE at the

Battle of Agrigentum The Battle of Agrigentum (Sicily, 262 BC) was the first pitched battle of the First Punic War and the first large-scale military confrontation between Carthage and the Roman Republic. The battle was fought after a long siege which started in ...

and remained loyal to Carthage when his countrymen defected ''en masse'' to the Romans. After his return to Africa he was one of the leaders of the mercenaries rebelling against Carthage in the

Mercenary War The Mercenary War, also known as the Truceless War, was a mutiny by troops that were employed by Carthage at the end of the First Punic War (264241 BC), supported by uprisings of African settlements revolting against Carthaginian contro ...

of 240. With Autaritus' gifts as an orator and his knowledge of Phoenician, he incited his men to particular savagery, and was the instigator of the massacre of the Carthaginian commander Gisco and his men. Eventually he was trapped in a canyon at the Battle of the Saw by the Carthaginian general

Hamilcar Barca Hamilcar Barca or Barcas ( xpu, 𐤇𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕𐤟𐤁𐤓𐤒, ''Ḥomilqart Baraq''; –228BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman, leader of the Barcid family, and father of Hannibal, Hasdrubal and Mago. He was also father-in-l ...

, and surrendered. Together with other mercenary leaders, he was

crucified Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...

before the walls of Tunis.Polybius i. 77, 79, 80, 85, 86.

Footnotes

References

Celtic warriors Gaulish people Carthaginian commanders of the First Punic War Ancient mercenaries People executed by crucifixion Year of birth unknown 238 BC deaths {{Europe-bio-stub