the carthaginian generals hanno and hamilcar then came to utica's defense, managing to raise the siege, but "the severest blow of all… was the defection of hippacritae and utica, the only two cities in libya which had…bravely faced the present war…indeed they never had on any occasion given the least sign of hostility to carthage." eventually, the forces of carthage proved victorious, forcing utica and hippacritae to surrender after a short siege.