Mamercus ( grc, Μάμερκος) was

tyrant A tyrant (), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to re ...

of the Greek city of

Catane Catane is a commune in Dolj County, Oltenia, Romania with a population of 2,010 people. It is composed of two villages, Catane and Catanele Noi. These were part of Negoi Negoi is a commune in Dolj County, Oltenia, Romania with a population of 4 ...

at the time when

Timoleon Timoleon ( Greek: Τιμολέων), son of Timodemus, of Corinth (c. 411–337 BC) was a Greek statesman and general. As a brilliant general, a champion of Greece against Carthage, and a fighter against despotism, he is closely connected ...

landed in

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

344 BC until 338 BC. He was regarded by

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...

as a warlike and wealthy man. After the defeat of

Hicetas Hicetas ( grc, Ἱκέτας or ; c. 400 – c. 335 BC) was a Greek philosopher of the Pythagorean School. He was born in Syracuse. Like his fellow Pythagorean Ecphantus and the Academic Heraclides Ponticus, he believed that the daily movemen ...

at Adranum by Timoleon, Mamercus joined Timoleon and concluded a treaty of alliance with him. When Timoleon had not only made himself master of Syracuse, but defeated the Carthaginians in the great

Battle of the Crimissus The Battle of the Crimissus (also spelled ''Crimisus'' and ''Crimesus'') was fought in 339 BC between a large Carthaginian army commanded by Asdrubal and Hamilcar and an army from Syracuse led by Timoleon. Timoleon attacked the Carthaginia ...

(339 BC), Mamercus became apprehensive that his ally's object was nothing less than the complete expulsion of all the tyrants from Sicily. In consequence, Mamercus entered into a league with Hicetas and the

Carthaginians The Punic people, or western Phoenicians, were a Semitic people in the Western Mediterranean who migrated from Tyre, Phoenicia to North Africa during the Early Iron Age. In modern scholarship, the term ''Punic'' – the Latin equivalent of the ...

to oppose Timoleon's progress. At first they achieved a partial success, cutting to pieces a body of mercenaries in the Syracusan service. But Hicetas was defeated by Timoleon and fell into his hands, after which Timoleon marched against Catane. Mamercus met him in the field, but was defeated with heavy loss. So the Carthaginians concluded a peace with Timoleon. Abandoned by his allies, Mamercus saw little chance of success and fled to

Messana Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in t ...

, where he took refuge with Hippon, tyrant of that city. Timoleon, however, quickly followed him and laid siege to Messana, both by sea and land, forcing Hippon to flee. Mamercus then surrendered to Timoleon, stipulating only for a regular trial before the Syracusans. But as soon as he was brought into the assembly of the people there, he was condemned by acclamation, and executed like a common criminal.

''Timoleon'' 13, 30, 31, 34; Diodorus Siculus XVI 69, 82;

Cornelius Nepos Cornelius Nepos (; c. 110 BC – c. 25 BC) was a Roman biographer. He was born at Hostilia, a village in Cisalpine Gaul not far from Verona. Biography Nepos's Cisalpine birth is attested by Ausonius, and Pliny the Elder calls him ''Pad ...

''Timoleon'' 2. Cornelius Nepos hints that Mamercus was not a Sicilian by birth, but had first come to the island as a leader of Italian mercenaries. Plutarch states that Mamercus prided himself much upon his skill in poetry, apparently with little reason, based on the two verses by Mamercus that have been preserved.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mamercus of Catane Magna Graecians Ancient Greek generals Sicilian tyrants 338 BC deaths 4th-century BC Greek people

See also

References