Carthage had no sooner relieved itself from the pres .,ure of this bloody and expensive war, than it found it self involved in another, which had very nearly proved fatal. The mercenary troops, when they returned to Africa, found that the public treasury was too much ex hausted to discharge their arrears of pay. They quickly became clamorous, and committed the greatest disorders in the city. The senate endeavoured to pacify them, by giving a sum of money for their present subsistence, and persuading them to retire to Sicca, promising that when the remainder of the troops arrived from Sicily, all their demands should be satisfied. At Sicca, they quickly be came more licentious than ever ; and Hanno, one of the Suffetes, was sent to allay their discontents. Upon his arrival at Sicca, he conducted himself in the most pre posterous and imprudent manner. He expatiated upon the poverty and distresses of the state ; and, instead of answering the high expectations of the discontented, he desired them to he satisfied with receiving part of their pay, and remit the remainder to meet the pressing exi gencies of the commonwealth.
The mercenaries were highly exasperated by these disappointments ; and still more, when they saw their cause entrusted to Hanno, to whom their merits and ser vices were utterly unknown, while neither Hamilcar, nor any of the officers under whom they had served in Sicily, came forward on the occasion. Immediately they had recourse to arms ; and advancing to Tunis, they en camped before it, with a force little short of twenty thou sand men. The Carthaginians, greatly alarmed by the approach of such a body of irritated enemies, endea voured to soothe them with promises and After much discussion, the mutineers consented to refer their claims to Gisco for decision. He had obtained the affection and confidence of the troops, when left by Ha milcar in command at Lilybxuni. Relying on their tried attachment, he set out at once to the camp near Tunis. Having conferred with the several officers apart, and ex postulated with them in a firm yet insinuating manner, on their misconduct, he succeeded in persuading them to consent to take their arrears of pay, and return to their allegiance ; when on a sudden all his labours were frustrated by the machinations of two miscreants, who had distinguished themselves as leaders in the mutiny. Spondius was a mercenary slave from Rome, and dread ed to fall again into his master's power ; and Mathos, who, though an African and free born, had been very active in exciting the rebellion, and was apprehensive of the punishment which awaited him from the Cartha ginians. Inflamed by the artifices and misrepresentations of these men, the troops at once rejected all means of conciliation, seized Gisco and his attendants, and loaded them with irons. (Polyb. p. 68, 69, 70.) Carthage was now reduced to a state of the utmost distress ; the tributary states of Africa joined themselves to the mutineers ; and thus she saw herself surrounded on all sides by active and irritated enemies, and deprived, at the same time, of all her resources and accustomed means of defence. Notwithstanding these adverse cir
cumstances, she did not despond. All citizens capable of bearing arms were mustered, new levies were made wherever soldiers could be procured, and the fleet was refitted with all expedition. The command of the forces was given to Hanno, who at first gained some slight ad vantages ; hut was soon after surprised in his camp, and even suffered the mercenaries to possess themselves, without opposition, of the isthmus which connected the city with the main land of Africa. To remedy these disasters, Hamilcar Barcas was once more called to the head of affairs. lie marched against the enemy with about 10,000 men, horse and foot, which were all the Mops the Carthaginians could at that time assemble for their defence. Having- passed the Bagrada by a strata gem, he gave hattle to the mercenaries, and completely defeated them, killing six thousand, and making- two thousand prisoners. Notwithstanding- this defeat, the malcontents had still such advantage of numbers, that their army, under Spondins, and Autunitus a Gaul, were able to surround that of I lantilcar. So completely %vas this Oh elect, that the whole army must have been de stroyed, hall it not happened that a young Nuniidian of rank, by name Naravasus, being struck with admiration for I lamilcar's character and talents, came over to him with two thousand horse. Thus strengthened, he was enabled to give battle on more equal tennis. After a most obstinate conflict, in which ten thousand of the mutineers were killed, he remained master of the field. The genius of Ilamilcar enabled him to surmount all the difficulties which opposed him. The war continued for three years and four months, and was carried on with extreme cru elty on both sides ; such (says Polybius) as had never lw fore been witnessed. Its conclusion was much more for tunate than the Carthaginians could have been warranted to expect ; they still retained all Africa in subjection, and revenged themselves on the first instigators of the rebel lion, by the infliction of the most cruel tortures. (B. C. 238. lib. i. sub fine.) During the Libyan the mercenaries stationed in Sardinia had declared against the Carthaginians, and possessed themselves of all the strong places in the island. The Romans not only gave countenance to this revolt, but actually sent the consul Sempronius with a fleet to support the malcontents. The Carthaginians, being exhausted by their domestic disasters, wc re obliged to surrender the island without resistance,. and to pur chase a continuance of the peace by a present of twelve hundred talents.