Mago (fleet commander)
Encyclopedia
Mago was commander of the Carthaginian
fleet under Himilco in the war against Dionysius I of Syracuse
, 396 BCE.
He is particularly mentioned as holding that post in the great sea-fight off Catania
, when he totally defeated the fleet of the Syracusans
under Leptines
, the brother of Dionysius, sinking or destroying above 100 of their ships, besides capturing many others. (Diod. xiv. 59, 60.) We have no information as to the part he bore in the subsequent operations against Syracuse itself; but after the disastrous termination of the expedition, and the return of Himilco to Africa
, Mago appears to have been invested with the chief command in Sicily
, where he endeavored by measures of lenity and conciliation towards the Greek
cities, and by concluding alliances with the Sicilian tribes, to reestablish the Carthaginian power in the island. In 393 BCE he advanced against Messana (modern Messina), but was attacked and defeated by Dionysius near Abacaenum
, which compelled him to remain quiet for a time. The next year, however, having received powerful reinforcements from Sardinia
and Africa, he assembled an army of 80,000 men, with which he advanced through the heart of Sicily as far as the river Chrysas, but was there met by Dionysius, who having secured the alliance of Agyris, tyrant of Agyrium
, succeeded in cutting off the supplies of the enemy, and by this means reduced them to such distress, that Mago was compelled to conclude a treaty of peace, by which he abandoned his allies, the Sicilians, to the power of Dionysius. (Id. xiv. 90, 95, 96.) After this Mago returned to Carthage, where he was not long after raised to the office of suffete, a dignity which he held in 383 BCE, when the ambition and intrigues of Dionysius led to the renewal of hostilities between Carthage and Syracuse. Mago landed in Sicily with a large army, and after numerous petty combats, a pitched battle at length took place, in which, after a severe contest, the Carthaginians were defeated, and Mago himself slain.
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
fleet under Himilco in the war against Dionysius I of Syracuse
Dionysius I of Syracuse
Dionysius I or Dionysius the Elder was a Greek tyrant of Syracuse, in what is now Sicily, southern Italy. He conquered several cities in Sicily and southern Italy, opposed Carthage's influence in Sicily and made Syracuse the most powerful of the Western Greek colonies...
, 396 BCE.
He is particularly mentioned as holding that post in the great sea-fight off Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
, when he totally defeated the fleet of the Syracusans
Syracuse, Italy
Syracuse is a historic city in Sicily, the capital of the province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in...
under Leptines
Leptines of Syracuse
Leptines was a military leader from Syracuse, Sicily, active during his brother Dionysius the Elder's wars.Leptines was a brother of Dionysius the Elder, tyrant of Syracuse...
, the brother of Dionysius, sinking or destroying above 100 of their ships, besides capturing many others. (Diod. xiv. 59, 60.) We have no information as to the part he bore in the subsequent operations against Syracuse itself; but after the disastrous termination of the expedition, and the return of Himilco to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Mago appears to have been invested with the chief command in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, where he endeavored by measures of lenity and conciliation towards the Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
cities, and by concluding alliances with the Sicilian tribes, to reestablish the Carthaginian power in the island. In 393 BCE he advanced against Messana (modern Messina), but was attacked and defeated by Dionysius near Abacaenum
Abacaenum
Abacaenum , was an ancient city of Sicily, situated about 6.5 km from the north coast, between Tyndaris and Mylae , and 13 km from the former city.-History:...
, which compelled him to remain quiet for a time. The next year, however, having received powerful reinforcements from Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
and Africa, he assembled an army of 80,000 men, with which he advanced through the heart of Sicily as far as the river Chrysas, but was there met by Dionysius, who having secured the alliance of Agyris, tyrant of Agyrium
Agira
Agira is a town and comune in the province of Enna, Sicily . It is located in the mid-valley of the River Salso, 35 km from Enna...
, succeeded in cutting off the supplies of the enemy, and by this means reduced them to such distress, that Mago was compelled to conclude a treaty of peace, by which he abandoned his allies, the Sicilians, to the power of Dionysius. (Id. xiv. 90, 95, 96.) After this Mago returned to Carthage, where he was not long after raised to the office of suffete, a dignity which he held in 383 BCE, when the ambition and intrigues of Dionysius led to the renewal of hostilities between Carthage and Syracuse. Mago landed in Sicily with a large army, and after numerous petty combats, a pitched battle at length took place, in which, after a severe contest, the Carthaginians were defeated, and Mago himself slain.