Cromium

The Battle of Cromium.        

kronion

 

The Carthaginians fought many battles with the Greeks on Sicily in the 4th century B.C. Many times they won, despite the fact that they made use of mercenaries. Sometimes they had however excellent generals as was the case with Himilkat/Himilco in 383 B.C. His father Magon had just lost a severe defeat and his life against Dionysius and the opponents agreed on a short truce.

 

Diodoros, book XV.16-17:

“The Carthaginians meanwhile gave their king Magon a magnificent funeral and replaced him as general with his son, who, though he was young indeed, was full of ambition and distinguished for his courage. He spent the entire period of the truce drilling and exercising his troops, and what with laborious exercise, hortatory speeches, and training in arms, he rendered the army obedient and competent. At the expiration of the period agreed upon both sides deployed their forces and entered the battle with high spirit. There followed a sharp pitched battle at Cromium, as it is called, and the deity redressed by victory turn for turn the defeat of the Carthaginians. The former victors, who were loudly boasting because of their military success, were unexpectedly tripped up, and they who, because of their defeat, were crestfallen at the outlook, won an unexpected and important victory.

Leptines, who was stationed on one wing and excelled in courage, ended his life in a blaze of glory, fighting heroically and after slaying many Carthaginians. At his fall the Phoenicians were emboldened and pressed hard upon their opponents that they put them to flight. Dionysius, whose troops were a select band, at first had the advantage over his opponents; but when the death of Leptines became known and the other wing was crushed, his men were dismayed and took the flight. When the rout became general, the Carthaginians pursued the more eagerly and called out to one another to take no one captive; and so all who were caught were put to death and the whole region close at hand was heaped with dead. So great was the slaughter, as the Phoenicians recalled past injuries, that the slain among the Sicilian Greeks were found to number more than 14.000. The survivors, who found safety in the camp, were preserved by the coming of night. After their great victory in a pitched battle the Carthaginians retired to Panormus.

The Carthaginians, bearing their victory as men should, dispatched ambassadors to Dionysius and gave him the opportunity to end the war. The tyrant gladly accepted the proposals, and peace was declared on the terms that both parties should hold what they previously possessed, the only exception being that the Carthaginians received both the city of the Seluntians and its territory and that of Acragas as far as the river Halycus. And Dionysius paid the Carthaginians one thousand talents.”

 

The exact location of the battlefield is not known, but it must be in the vicinity of Palermo.

It is the one and only time, that Dionysius of Syracuse paid a contribution to the Carthaginians. He must have been out of reserves. Furthermore, it is strange, that Diodorus calls the Carthaginians Phoenicians as well. He wants to emphasize probably the origin of the Carthaginians. By the way, the Carthaginians formed only a minority in this army. Most of them were mercenaries.

What happened with the eminent general Himilkat? He had prepared his army to the best, won the battle and then he suddenly disappears out of history. Was he killed as well in the battle?

ncfps