__NOTOC__ Bomilcar ( xpu, 𐤁𐤃𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕 , ) was a

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, ...

commander in the

Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of three wars fought between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 17 years the two states struggled for supremacy, primarily in Ital ...

(218–201BC). He was the commander of the Carthaginian supplies which were voted to Hannibal after the

Battle of Cannae The Battle of Cannae () was a key engagement of the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Carthage, fought on 2 August 216 BC near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeast Italy. The Carthaginians and their allies, led by ...

(216BC) and with which he arrived in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

in the ensuing year. They amounted to 4,000

Numidian cavalry Numidian cavalry was a type of light cavalry developed by the Numidians. After they were used by Hannibal during the Second Punic War, they were described by the Roman historian Livy as "by far the best horsemen in Africa." History Numidian cava ...

, 40

war elephants A war elephant was an elephant that was trained and guided by humans for combat. The war elephant's main use was to charge the enemy, break their ranks and instill terror and fear. Elephantry is a term for specific military units using elephant ...

, 500 or 1,000 talents of silver, grain, and other provisions. In 214BC, he was sent with 55 ships to the aid of

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

, then besieged by the Romans. Finding himself unable to cope with the superior fleet of the enemy, he withdrew to North Africa. In 212BC, he escaped the harbour at

and carried to Carthage the news of the perilous state of the city, all of whichexcept Achradinawas in the possession of Marcellus. He returned within a few days with 100 ships. In the same year, following the destruction by pestilence of the Carthaginian land-forces under Hippocrates and

Himilco Himilco was a Carthaginian navigator and explorer who lived during the late 6th or early 5th century BC, a period of time where Carthage held significant sway over its neighboring regions. Himilco is the first known explorer from the Mediterranea ...

, Bomilcar again sailed to Carthage with the news and returned with 130 ships, but was prevented by Marcellus from reaching Syracuse. He then proceeded to

Tarentum Tarentum may refer to: * Taranto, Apulia, Italy, on the site of the ancient Roman city of Tarentum (formerly the Greek colony of Taras) **See also History of Taranto * Tarentum (Campus Martius), also Terentum, an area in or on the edge of the Camp ...

, apparently with the view to cutting off the supplies of the Roman garrison in that town. As the presence of his force only increased the scarcity under which the Tarentines themselves suffered, they were obliged to dismiss him.Liv. xxv. 27, xxvi. 20; comp. Polyb. Spicil. Rel. ix. 1; Schweig. ad loc. (cited by Smith)

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* . * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bomilcar Carthaginian commanders of the Second Punic War 3rd-century BC Punic people