Hamilcar, << huh MIHL kahr or HAM uhl kahr, >> Barca (?-229 B.C.), was a great general of Carthage and the father of Hannibal, Carthage’s most famous general. In 247 B.C., during the First Punic War, Hamilcar took command of the Carthaginian forces in western Sicily. His forces fought the Romans valiantly. But in 241 B.C., Carthage suffered a disastrous naval defeat and was forced to sue for peace. A group of mercenaries (hired troops) then laid siege to the city of Carthage because they had not been paid. Hamilcar, leading a largely civilian force, put down the rebellion. He moved against other rebellious mercenaries on the island of Sardinia, but Rome stepped in and took Sardinia from Carthage.
Hamilcar governed Carthage’s holdings in Spain from about 237 B.C. until his death. He expanded Carthaginian power and territory. His work helped create the economic strength that Carthage and Hannibal needed to fight the Second Punic War.
