Viriathus (supposedly died 216 BC) was a leader of Gallaecian and Lusitanian mercenaries in the Carthaginian army during the Second Punic War, according to Silius Italicus's poem Punica.
He appears first in Silius's list of the Carthaginian forces, being described as the young commander of both the Gallaeci and the Lusitanians in Hannibal's army.
[3][4] By this approach, attributing to him the death of a Roman from the Servilia gens in Punica could be a reference to the historical Viriathus being murdered by order of Quintus Servilius Caepio.
He and his contingent attacked the positions nearby to the consul Gaius Terentius Varro, where Viriathus killed the proconsul Gnaeus Servilius Geminus by capitalizing on his battle fatigue.
This attracted the attention of Lucius Aemilius Paullus, Servilius's superior, who charged at the Spaniards and killed Viriathus while the latter was shouting a song of victory.