Battle of "The Saw"

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Battle of "The Saw"
Part of Carthage's Mercenary War
Date 239 BC Location Tunis, Carthage Result Decisive Carthaginian victory
Combatants
Carthage	Rebel mercenaries
Commanders
Hamilcar Barca	Spendius, Zarzas, Autaritus
Strength
10,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry	50,000 infantry
Casualties
Minimal	45,000 killed

Mercenary War
Utica – Bagradas River – Carthage – "The Saw" – Tunis

The Battle of "The Saw" was a major event — although mostly a protracted siege rather than a battle — in the Mercenary War between Carthage and her former mercenary armies which had conducted the First Punic War. It takes its name from its location: a box like canyon known as "The Saw" because of its shape.

In 239 BC Hamilcar Barca managed to destroy the supply lines of the armies besieging the city of Carthage, forcing them to withdraw. The mercenary armies proceeded to fight a running battle with Hamilcar's forces, attempting to engage and destroy them with their superior numbers. Hamilcar managed to avoid direct confrontation, and managed to outmaneuver the mercenaries.

Having lured the mercenary armies near "The Saw", he managed to ambush them, panicking the mercenaries into the canyon. He then besieged the canyon, and waited. Sources speak of thousands of the rebel mercenaries starving, and even reports of cannibalism.

Knowing they could not win, the mercenary commanders (Spendius, Autaritus and Zarzas) met with Hamilcar in order to arrange a surrender, but Hamilcar had them seized and imprisoned rather than accept their surrender. With no other options, the remaining weakened mercenaries attempted to break the siege and escape, but were swiftly and easily defeated.

Hamilcar then ruthlessly ordered the execution of the remaining 40,000 starving rebels. The rebels under Spendius had previously tortured and executed some 700 Carthaginian prisoners, so this action was likely to be a form of revenge.

[edit] Bibliography

• Polybius, Histories, Book I, 84-85.