The siege of Syracuse had met with…
396 BCE
The siege of Syracuse had met with great success throughout 397 BCE, but in 396 BCE, plague again ravages the Carthaginian forces.
This plague, bearing similarities with the Athenian plague, may have been caused by bad hygienic practices on marshy grounds, and malaria may have played a part also.
The result is that scores of soldiers and sailors succumb to the disease, burial parties are overwhelmed, bodies are hastily buried, new burials are almost impossible, and the stench of decaying bodies hangs in the air.
Fear of infection may have prevented proper care being given to the sick.
The cause of this calamity is attributed to the desecration of Greek temples and tombs.
At the Siege of Akragas (406 BCE) Himilco had dealt with a similar situation by sacrificing a child and various animals to appease this alleged divine anger.
Whatever measures (if any) Himilco takes at Syracuse to combat the plague prove ineffective; Punic forces are decimated and the fleet readiness is diminished.
Himilco and the Carthaginians stubbornly stand their ground and remain in the camp, but the morale of the Carthaginians plummets as a result of the plague, along with the combat effectiveness of their forces.
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