It is said that the historian tells you what happened, and the historical novelist tells you what it felt like. Kevin Hardy, in his book The Scipios in Spain seeks to do both! Several times he asks the reader to imagine what it was like to be a velite or a hastatus in the […]
Book Review: The Scipios in Spain by Kevin Hardy
Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Book Review, Carthage Tagged With: Battle of Baecula, Battle of Cissa, Battle of Dertosa, Battle of Ilipa., Battles of the Upper Baetis, Gneius Cornelius Scipio Calvus, Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca, Hasdrubal Son of Gisco, Indibilis, Mago Barca, Mandonius, Masinissa, publius cornelius scipio africanus, Publius Cornelius Scipio the Elder, Siege of New Carthage, Syphax
What Role Did the Berbers Have in the Punic Wars Between Rome and Carthage?
The Romans called the Berbers, the native peoples of North Africa Numidians, which meant nomads. They were distinct from the Carthaginians who were descended from Phoenician colonists. The Numidians provided the Carthaginians with mercenaries, and at the start of the Second Punic War in 218 B.C. both major tribes, the Masaesyli under King Syphax and […]
Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Berbers, Hannibal, Hasdrubal Son of Gisco, Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder, Masinissa, Numidians, Punic Wars, scipio, Syphax
Why Didn’t Carthage Support Hannibal in the Second Punic War?
It is true that the Carthaginian Senate was divided during the Second Punic War. The “Merchant Party” supported Hannibal while the “Land Party” did not. The “Land Party” was led by Hanno the Great who was a staunch political enemy of Hamilcar Barca, the father of Hannibal. Livy quotes him as saying this at the […]
Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Battle of Cannae, Battle of Ilipa., Battles of the Upper Baetis, Hannibal, Hanno the Great, Hasdrubal Son of Gisco, Mago Barca, publius cornelius scipio africanus
Quora Question: What Did Scipio do in Response to Hannibal’s Invasion of Italy
When Hannibal invaded Italy Scipio was only seventeen, so he served in the legions, first under his father, Publius Cornelius Scipio the elder, who was Consul at the time. At the Battle of Ticinus he was in charge of a turma, a group of 30 cavalry, and he led the charge of the turma […]
Hasdrubal Barca’s Role in the Second Punic War
Hannibal left his brother Hasdrubal in Spain to deal with the Romans whom he suspected were planning to invade. Southern Spain was the site of vast rich gold and silver mines that the Carthaginians used to finance the war, and they needed to be protected. Upon learning that Hannibal and his army were heading toward […]
A Brief History of the Punic Wars
I wrote a historical novel about the Second and Third Punic Wars. Someone asked me what the book was about, and I said, “The Punic Wars.” He gave me a blank look and I said, “The wars between Rome and Carthage, Scipio versus Hannibal.” His eyes lit up and he said “Hannibal! I’ve heard of […]
Was Bribing Hannibal’s Allies a Tactic Scipio Africanus Used to Win the War?
In terms of the Iberian tribes, it probably was. Livy mentioned that in conquering New Carthage, Scipio acquired all of Carthage’s hostages, which he promptly returned to their respective tribes, and he also acquired a lot of gold and silver. He sent most of it to Rome for their treasury, and also paid bounties to […]
Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Battle of Baecula, Celtiberians, Gneius Cornelius Scipio Calvus, Hasdrubal Barca, Hasdrubal Son of Gisco, Mago Barca, Masinissa, New Carthage, publius cornelius scipio africanus, Syphax
How Did Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Rise to Power
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus was born in 236 B.C., the scion of a family that had been influential in Roman politics for over two hundred years. In 218 B.C. his father was elected to Consul. His uncle Gneius had been Consul two years before. That year, Hannibal invaded Italy. The elder Scipio had gone to […]
Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Battle of Cannae, Battle of Zama, Hannibal, Hasdrubal Son of Gisco, Marcus Claudius Nero, Marcus Porcius Cato, publius cornelius scipio africanus, Syphax
Were Roman Generals Better Than Carthaginian Generals During the Punic Wars?
Carthage had one good general in the First Punic War, plus one good mercenary general. The good Carthaginian General was Hamilcar Barca, the father of Hannibal Barca. He fought in Sicily and never lost a battle. After the defeat of Carthage in 241 B.C at the naval Battle of the Aegates Islands, Carthage sued for […]
Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Claudius Marcellus, Hamilcar Barca, Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca, Hasdrubal Son of Gisco, Mago Barca, Marcus Claudius Nero, Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus, publius cornelius scipio africanus, Quintus Fabius Maximus Cuncator, Xanthippus of Sparta
What Were the Main Reasons for the Roman Victory over Carthage in the Second Punic War?
There were several reasons. Rome relied on citizen and allied soldiery while Carthage relied largely on mercenaries. Mercenaries have to be paid and are not as reliable as citizen soldiers and can be bought off. Carthage during the Second Punic War did not support its military to the same degree that Rome supported theirs. Carthage’s […]
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