Hannibal Gisco ( xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 , ; –258BC) was a Carthaginian military commander in charge of both land armies and naval fleets during the First Punic War against

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. His efforts proved ultimately unsuccessful and his eventual defeat in battle led to his downfall and execution.

Life and career

The details of Hannibal Gisco's early life and career are unknown.

Agrigentum

Hannibal Gisco's first appearance in the sources is in 262 BC, as the general in command of the garrison besieged by the Romans in

Agrigentum Agrigento (; scn, Girgenti or ; grc, Ἀκράγας, translit=Akrágas; la, Agrigentum or ; ar, كركنت, Kirkant, or ''Jirjant'') is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy and capital of the province of Agrigento. It was one o ...

. Despite the tenacity shown by Gisco and his men for months and the arrival of reinforcements led by

Hanno Hanno may refer to: People * Hanno (given name) :* Hanunu (8th century BC), Philistine king previously rendered by scholars as "Hanno" *Hanno ( xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤀 , '; , ''Hannōn''), common Carthaginian name :* Hanno the Navigator, Carthagi ...

, the city eventually fell into Roman hands. Gisco managed to escape to Carthage in the late stages of the battle.

The Straits of Messina

Apparently, the defeat at Agrigentum did not bar Gisco from continuing leadership. In the following year, 260 BC, Gisco returned as the admiral in charge of the Carthaginian fleet in the

Straits of Messina The Strait of Messina ( it, Stretto di Messina, Sicilian: Strittu di Missina) is a narrow strait between the eastern tip of Sicily ( Punta del Faro) and the western tip of Calabria ( Punta Pezzo) in Southern Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian S ...

. The Romans were about to launch their first-ever navy, and Carthage had determined that this innovation should be thwarted. Gisco defeated and captured the

Roman consul A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum'' (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politic ...

Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina (lived 3rd century BC) was a Roman general and statesman involved in the First Punic War. Scipio Asina belonged to the patrician family of the Cornelii Scipiones. He was son of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus and ...

in the Lipari encounter, which earned Scipio the nickname Asina ("Donkey"). However, this victory was robbed of practical meaning with the bulk of the Roman fleet continuing to maneuver in the surrounding waters.

Mylae

Later in 260 BC, Gisco was to engage this fleet and to be the first Punic general to encounter the Roman ''

corvus ''Corvus'' is a widely distributed genus of medium-sized to large birds in the family Corvidae. It includes species commonly known as crows, ravens and rooks. The species commonly encountered in Europe are the carrion crow, the hooded crow ...

'' boarding device with its deadly effect. Confident in Carthage's superiority at sea, Gisco deployed his ships for the

Battle of Mylae The Battle of Mylae took place in 260 BC during the First Punic War and was the first real naval battle between Carthage and the Roman Republic. This battle was key in the Roman victory of Mylae (present-day Milazzo) as well as Sicily itself. ...

in the traditional long line arrangement. Although inexperienced in sea battle, the Romans, led by

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

Gaius Duilius Gaius Duilius ( 260–231 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. As consul in 260 BC, during the First Punic War, he won Rome's first ever victory at sea by defeating the Carthaginians at the Battle of Mylae. He later served as censor in 258, ...

, heavily defeated the Carthaginian fleet, mainly due to the innovative use of land tactics in naval warfare. Hannibal was recalled, but his fall from favor did not last long. In 258, he was sent to

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

, which he had to defend against the Romans. However, he was no match for the Roman commander Gaius Sulpicius Paterculus, who defeated him at the Battle of Sulci. Having lost the confidence of his peers, Hannibal Gisco was subsequently executed for incompetence shortly afterwards, together with other defeated Punic generals. According to some references he was crucified by his own men. Polybius The Histories, 1.24

References

Citations

Bibliography

* .

External links

Livius.org: Hannibal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gisco, Hannibal Carthaginian commanders of the First Punic War 3rd-century BC births 290s BC births 258 BC deaths People executed by crucifixion 3rd-century BC Punic people Executed military leaders