Malchus (; ; , ''Malkhōs'') was a Carthaginian general and statesman in the 6th century BCE. It was under his tenure that the systematic conquest of the rest of coastal

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

by Carthage began.

Biography

He was sent to

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

as commander sometime after 576 BC, likely due to the Phoenician (and possibly also Elymian) cities' pleas for help against

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

expansion westward into the island. It is not certain whether Carthaginian troops were already stationed on Sicily beforehand. It's possible that Malchus captured the Greek city of

Selinus Selinunte ( , ; ; ; ) was a rich and extensive ancient Greek city of Magna Graecia on the south-western coast of Sicily in Italy. It was situated between the valleys of the Cottone and Modione rivers. It now lies in the of Castelvetrano, b ...

and the Phoenician colonies of

Motya Motya was an ancient and powerful city on San Pantaleo Island off the west coast of Sicily, in the Stagnone Lagoon between Drepanum (modern Trapani) and Lilybaeum (modern Marsala). It is within the present-day comune, commune of Marsala, Ital ...

, Panormus and Soluntum during the ensuing battles. Although it remains unclear whether he fought against Pentathlus of

Cnidus Knidos or Cnidus (; , , , Knídos) was a Ancient Greece, Greek city in ancient Caria and part of the Dorian Hexapolis, in south-western Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. It was situated on the Datça peninsula, which forms the southern side of the ...

, legendary founder of Lilybaeum'','' or the tyrant Phalaris of

Akragas Agrigento (; or ) is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy and capital of the province of Agrigento. Founded around 582 BC by Greek colonisation, Greek colonists from Gela, Agrigento, then known as Akragas, was one of the leading citie ...

, it is safe to assume that Malchus was generally successful with his campaign on the island. Towards the middle of the 6th century BCE, he waged war against the

Libu The Libu (; also transcribed Rebu, Libo, Lebu, Lbou, Libou) were an Ancient Libyan tribe of Berber origin, from which the name ''Libya'' derives. Early history Their tribal origin in Ancient Libya is first attested in Egyptian language texts ...

for control over

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

. Around 540 BC, Malchus is sent to

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

at the command of an army, numbering 80,000 men according to the Roman historian

Justin Justin may refer to: People and fictional characters * Justin (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Justin (historian), Latin historian who lived under the Roman Empire * Justin I (c. 450–527) ...

, presumably to support the resident Phoenicians against the indigenous Nuragic Sardinians. With several military victories, he succeeds in establishing

Punic The Punic people, usually known as the Carthaginians (and sometimes as Western Phoenicians), were a Semitic people who migrated from Phoenicia to the Western Mediterranean during the Early Iron Age. In modern scholarship, the term ''Punic'' ...

settlements on the island. Though after a decisive defeat, he and his remaining troops are exiled by the Carthaginian People's Assembly. In response, Malchus besieges

Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...

with his army. During the siege, he has his son Carthalo, who had refused to join his side, seized and crucified.Geus, Klaus (1994), Prosopographie der Literarisch Bezeugten Karthager, Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta, Vol. 59, Studia Phoenica, No. 13, Leuven: Peeters, ISBN 9789068316438. (in German) Soon after, he manages to conquer the city and has ten elders, who had advocated for his exile, executed. Eventually, he is nonetheless brought to justice by Mago, among others, for aspiring to the throne and executed.

Bibliography

* Marcus Junianus Justinus, ''Epitoma historiarum Philippicarum'' XIII,7 & XXIV,7,7–15 *

Orosius Paulus Orosius (; born 375/385 – 420 AD), less often Paul Orosius in English, was a Roman priest, historian and theologian, and a student of Augustine of Hippo. It is possible that he was born in '' Bracara Augusta'' (now Braga, Portugal), ...

, ''Historiae adversum Paganos'' 4,6,8.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Malchus Carthaginian generals 6th-century BC Punic people

Biography

Bibliography

See also

References