Carthaginian Warrior 264-146 BC (Electronic book text)

By the time of the outbreak of the First Carthaginian War, Carthage controlled the whole coast of northern Africa from Cyrenaica to the Atlantic, partly through its own colonies, partly through having taken under its 'protection' other Phoenico-Punic colonies. It is most probable that, at least at the outset, the nucleus of the Carthaginian armies was made up of citizens in arms, backed up by levies from tributary allies, and foreign mercenaries who over time would become the backbone of these armies. The units of citizens were sometimes decked out in ostentatious armour and pieces of jewellery indicating the number of campaigns they had taken part in. Over the passage of time and according to the theatre of operations, the deployment of Carthaginian citizens was gradually phased out in favour of subject levies and foreign mercenaries, and it was the hired soldier that would, by the time of the second war with Rome, supply the core of Carthaginian armies. This book explores the heterogeneous mixture of races of the Carthaginian forces that clashed with Rome - including Libyans, Numidians and Mauri from North Africa, Iberians, Celtiberians and Lustianians, wild warriors from the Balearic islands, Gauls, Ligurians, Oscans and Greeks. It discusses their clothing, equipment and weaponry, which included slings, spears, and cut-and-thrust and long slashing-swords, and details their tactical deployment as close-fighting infantry, in looser formations, and in the closely packed phalanx. It also covers the campaign experiences of the great general Hannibal, who inflicted a number of massive defeats on Rome at Lake Trasimene (217 BC) and Cannae (216 BC), before his eventual defeat at the battle of Zama in 202 BC.