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Bomilcar (2nd century BC)

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Aliquam (talk | contribs) at 18:28, 20 August 2022 (In the former version, it said that Bomilcar had Massiva killed in 108 BC. However that year he wasn't even in Rome. I wasn't able to find the date of Massiva's death (which likely happened between 112-111 BC), so I just removed "in 108" from the page. In the next paragraph it talked about the battle of the Muthul, which happened in 109 BC, so I removed "In the following year", which would have been wrong even if Massiva had died in 108, and typed in "in 109 BC".). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Bomilcar (Template:Lang-xpu, BDMLQRT)[1] was a Numidian nobleman of the 2nd century BC and a follower of the Numidian king Jugurtha, whom he later betrayed.

Deep in the confidence of Jugurtha, Bomilcar was employed on many secret services. In particular, when Jugurtha was at Rome, Bomilcar undertook and effected for him the assassination of Massiva, who happened to be at Rome at the same time, and who, as well as Jugurtha himself, was a grandson of Masinissa, and a rival claimant to the throne of Numidia. The murder was discovered and traced to Bomilcar, who was obliged to enter into large recognizances to appear and stand his trial; but, before the trial came on, his master privately sent him back to Africa.[2]

He also commanded a portion of Jugurtha's army, with which he was defeated in a skirmish at the river Muthul in 109 BC by Publius Rutilius Rufus, lieutenant of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus.[3] In the winter of the same year Metellus, after his unsuccessful attempt on Zama, engaged Bomilcar by promises of Roman favour to deliver Jugurtha to him alive or dead; and it was accordingly at his instigation that the king sent ambassadors to make offers of unconditional submission to Metellus.[4]

In consequence of this advice Bomilcar seems to have become an object of suspicion to his master, which urged him the more towards the execution of his treachery. Accordingly, he formed a plot with Nabdalsa, a Numidian nobleman, for the seizure or assassination of the king; but the design was discovered to Jugurtha by Nabdalsa's agent or secretary, and Bomilcar was put to death.[5]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Huss (1985), p. 561.
  2. ^ Sail. Jug. 35; comp. Liv. Epit. 64. (cited by Smith)
  3. ^ Sail. Jug. 49,52,53. (cited by Smith)
  4. ^ Sail. Jug. 61, 62. (cited by Smith)
  5. ^ Sail. Jug. 70,71. (cited by Smith)

Bibliography

  • Huss, Werner (1985), Geschichte der Karthager, Munich: C.H. Beck, ISBN 9783406306549. (in German)
  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Bomilcar". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
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