Autaritus (died 238 BCE) was a leader of
Gallic mercenaries in the
Carthaginian army during the
First Punic War.
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 ...
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, π€π€π€π€π€π€π€π€π€π€, ''αΈ€omilqart Baraq''; β228BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman, leader of the Barcid family, and father of Hannibal, Hasdrubal and Mago. He was also father- ...
, 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