Editing Hamilcar Barca (section)

====Sardinia====
Punic Mercenaries stationed in Sardinia had rebelled in 239 BC, besieged Boaster and all Carthaginians in a citadel and later executed them after the fort fell. They managed to take over all Punic territories in Sardinia. Carthage sent a mercenary force under Hanno to retake the island in 239 BC, but this group also rebelled, killing Hanno and their Carthaginian officers and joining the rebels in Sardinia. The rebels requested Rome to take over Sardinia, which was turned down. Their heavy handedness with Sardinian natives caused native Sardinians to attack and expel the mercenaries by 237 BC. The expelled mercenaries took refuge in Italy and again requested Rome to take over Sardinia.

Rome, which had dealt with Carthage with all due honor and courtesy during the crisis, going as far as to release all Punic prisoners without ransom and refuse to accept offers from [[Utica, Tunisia|Utica]] and Rebels mercenaries based in Sardinia to incorporate these territories into the Roman domain, seized Sardinia and Corsica and forced Carthage to pay 1,200 talents for her initial refusal to renounce her claim over the islands.<ref>Goldsworthy, Adrian, ''The Fall of Carthage'', pp. 135–136 {{ISBN|1-85728-136-5}}</ref> This probably dealt a fatal blow to any chance of permanent peace between Rome and Carthage<ref>Lazenby, J.F, The First Punic War, p. 175</ref> and is one of the causes of the [[Second Punic War]] and held as the motivation of the subsequent military and political activities of Hamilcar.<ref name="Polybius 3.10.4">Polybius 3.10.4</ref>