__NOTOC__ Bomilcar (, ) was a Carthaginian commander in the

Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of Punic Wars, three wars fought between Ancient Carthage, Carthage and Roman Republic, Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For ...

(218–201BC). He was the commander of the Carthaginian supplies which were voted to Hannibal after the

Battle of Cannae The Battle of Cannae (; ) was a key engagement of the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Ancient Carthage, Carthage, fought on 2 August 216 BC near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeast Italy. The Carthaginians and ...

(216BC) and with which he arrived in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

in the ensuing year. They amounted to 4,000

Numidian cavalry Numidian cavalry was a type of light cavalry developed by the Numidians. They were used by Hannibal during the Punic Wars, and later became commonplace in the Roman army of the late Republic. History Numidian cavalry is first mentioned by Polybi ...

, 40

war elephants A war elephant is an elephant that is trained and guided by humans for combat purposes. Historically, the war elephant's main use was to charge the enemy, break their ranks, and instill terror and fear. Elephantry is a term for specific mil ...

, 500 or 1,000 talents of silver, grain, and other provisions. In 214BC, he was sent with 55 ships to the aid of

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

, then besieged by the Romans. Finding himself unable to cope with the superior fleet of the enemy, he withdrew to North Africa. In 212BC, he escaped the harbour at

and carried to Carthage the news of the perilous state of the city, all of whichexcept Achradinawas in the possession of Marcellus. He returned within a few days with 100 ships. In the same year, following the destruction by pestilence of the Carthaginian land-forces under Hippocrates and

Himilco Himilco was a Carthaginian navigator and explorer who lived during the late 6th or early 5th century BC, a period of time where Carthage held significant sway over its neighboring regions. Himilco is the first known explorer from the Mediterrane ...

, Bomilcar again sailed to Carthage with the news and returned with 130 ships, but was prevented by Marcellus from reaching Syracuse. He then proceeded to Tarentum, apparently with the view to cutting off the supplies of the Roman garrison in that town. As the presence of his force only increased the scarcity under which the Tarentines themselves suffered, they were obliged to dismiss him.Liv. xxv. 27, xxvi. 20; comp. Polyb. Spicil. Rel. ix. 1; Schweig. ad loc. (cited by Smith)

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* . * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bomilcar Carthaginian commanders of the Second Punic War 3rd-century BC Punic people

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