STRUGGLE WITH THE GREEKS
The wars of
Carthage Africa in the year
307 B.C. The invading Greeks are looting the countryside and Himilco wants to
stop that.
Diodorus of
Sicily
As for Himilco, who had been appointed to
conduct the campaign into the interior, at first he rested in a certain city lying
in wait for Eumachus, who dragging along his army heavily loaded with the
spoils from the captured cities. Then when the Greeks drew up their forces and
challenged him to battle, Himilco left part of his army under arms in the city,
giving them orders that, when he retired in pretended flight, they should burst
out upon the pursuers. He himself, leading out half of his soldiers and joining
battle a little distance in front of the encampment, at once took to flight as
if panic-stricken. Eumachus’ men, elated by their victory and giving no thought
at all to their formation, followed, and in confusion pressed hard upon those
who were withdrawing; but when suddenly from another part of the city there
poured forth the army all ready for battle and when a great host shouted at a
single command, they became panic-stricken. Accordingly, when the barbarians
fell upon an enemy who had been thrown into disorder and frightened by the
sudden onslaught, the immediate result was the rout of the Greeks. Since the
Carthaginians cut off the enemy’s return to his camp, Eumachus was forced to
withdraw to the nearby hill, which was ill supplied with water. When the
Phoenicians invested the place, the Greeks, who had become weak from thirst and
were being overpowered by the enemy, were almost all killed. In fact, of eight
thousand foot-soldiers only thirty were saved, and of eight hundred horsemen
forty escaped from the battle.
So, Himilco
achieved here a splendid victory and destroyed the enemy almost completely.
Don’t
bother about the Dutch texts in the pictures. When you read the text of
Diodorus, then you will understand the moves in the pictures.
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