The Amlicites were Nephites who, around 87 B.C., followed Amlici, a cunning man who sought to be made king. The people rejected him by their vote, since by law such a matter was settled by the voice of the people; his supporters then consecrated him king anyway, and he commanded them to take up arms against the rest of the Nephites (Alma 2:1-11). Setting Amlici over themselves as king, they aimed to replace the rule of the judges with a monarchy.
The Amlicites attacked the Nephites at the hill Amnihu, east of the river Sidon, and were driven back with heavy loss. The survivors fled and joined a large Lamanite army. When the combined force met the Nephites at the river Sidon, the Nephites, “being strengthened by the hand of the Lord,” prevailed though outnumbered (Alma 2:28). Alma fought Amlici face to face and killed him. The Lamanites and Amlicites fled toward the wilderness of Hermounts, where many died of their wounds and were devoured by wild beasts (Alma 2).
The Amlicites marked themselves with red on their foreheads, after the manner of the Lamanites, which fulfilled an earlier word of the Lord to Nephi that a mark would separate those who fought against his seed (Alma 3:4, 14-18). Mormon records that they did not know they were fulfilling this word, but had come out in open rebellion against God, and so brought the curse upon themselves (Alma 3:19). From this episode Mormon draws a wider lesson, stating that “even so doth every man that is cursed bring upon himself his own condemnation” (Alma 3:19) — making the Amlicites the explicit exhibit case for that universal principle. After the war the Amlicites disappear from the record, slain, scattered into the wilderness, or absorbed among the Lamanites.