Person

Sophonisba

d. 203 BCE · 3rd century BCE · Also known as Sophoniba

Sophonisba was a Carthaginian noblewoman, daughter of the general Hasdrubal Gisco, who was married to King Syphax of the Masaesyli to bind him to Carthage in the Second Punic War. After Syphax's capture in 203 BCE she married his rival Masinissa, but when Scipio demanded her surrender she took poison. Her story inspired many later tragedies.

Sophonisba
Image: SIMONE CANTARINI · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

NumidiaFoundation

Mentioned in 1 state history

Masaesyli

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sophonisba. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sophonisba
MLA
“Sophonisba.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sophonisba. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Sophonisba.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sophonisba.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sophonisba’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sophonisba (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻