Battle of the Bagradas River (239 BC)

Battle of Bagradas River
Part of Carthage's Mercenary War
Date Autumn 240 BC Location Exact Location Unknown Result Carthaginian victory
Belligerents
Carthage	Rebel mercenaries Rebelling Libyan towns and cities
Commanders and leaders
Hamilcar Barca	Spendius
Strength
8,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry, 70 elephants	Unclear, an estimated 25,000. 15,000 under Spendius at Utica, 10,000 near the bridge on Bagradas River.
Casualties and losses
Unknown	6,000 killed 2,000 captured

The Battle of Bagradas River or "Battle on the Macar" (c. 240 BC) was fought between Carthaginian forces and part of the combined forces of Carthage's former mercenary armies during the Mercenary War which it used to conduct the First Punic War and those of rebelling Libyan cities. After the forces of Hanno the Great were defeated at Utica, and failed to engage the mercenaries afterwards despite favorable conditions, Carthage raised a new army under Hamilcar Barca in Carthage. Hamilcar managed to leave Carthage despite the rebel blockade of the city and cross the Bagradas river. Rebel armies from besieging Utica and the camp guarded the bridge on the Bargradas river. Hamilcar Barca, by brilliant maneuvering, defeated the combined rebel army. This was the first major Carthaginian victory of the war. A description of the battle forms one of the grandiose set-piece scenes of Gustave Flaubert's novel, Salammbo.

The First Punic War ended with the Roman victory in the Battle of the Aegates Islands in March 241 BC and Carthage authorizing Hamilcar Barca to start peace negotiations with Rome. The eventual settlement between Rome and Carthage included evacuation of Sicily by Carthage and payment of 3,200 silver talents to Rome as war preparations, 1,000 (21 tons of silver) immediately and 2,200 (56 ton of silver) in ten yearly installments. After paying Rome the indemnity which was part of the treaty, it could not easily pay the army of some 20,000 mercenaries it had employed to fight against Rome.

Delays in dealing with the mercenaries eventually led to the gathering of the entire army and their families in Sicca Veneria (modern El Kef), where they demanded payment from the Carthaginian negotiator Hanno the Great. The exact amount owned the mercenaries can only be guessed, but given the back pay, ration money and any other rewards promised, it probably was a substantial amount, which the mercenaries inflated after they reached Sicca. When Hanno refused their demands, as Carthage actually hoped to reduce the payment amount, and mercenaries were unsympathetic about the financial difficulties of Carthage, the negotiations broke down and the mercenaries seized Tunis. Carthage then sent provisions to Tunes and agreed to all the demands of the mercenaries, and sent Gisco to pay off the demanded amount.

...
Wikipedia