Punic InterWar Period Mercenary War Truceless War Origins

Punic Inter-War Period

Mercenary War/ Truceless War

Origins • Carthage broke from war • Mercenaries need payment • The government wanted to settle for less • Wary of having a large army nearby, sent them away with baggage and family

Origins • The Mercs made a list of demands • Hanno the Great rejected them • Marched towards Carthage $$$

Carthage Done Goofed Brought an army they cant pay home and gave them back their families

Almost Avoided • • Carthage realized they had to pay Despite the settlement, Mercs resort to war Negotiators taken hostage Libyans joined the Mercs

Course of the war

Battle of Utica • Mercs lay siege to Uttica • Hanno the Great goes to lift the siege • Charging Elephants broke the Mercs • Mercs regrouped and counterattacked, defeating Hanno

Hamilcar Barca Gets an Army • Rebels blockading Carthage • Hamilcar used knowledge of Carthage to escape at night

Battle of the Bagradas River • Mercs sent 25, 000 forces to confront him • Caught in a pincer • Hamilcar marched away • rebels joined and followed • Hamilcar outnumbered two to one • Hamilcar feigns retreat, mercs attack wildly

Battle of the Bagradas River

Battle of the Bagradas River

Hamilcar Wins • Rebels lost 6, 000 dead and 2000 prisoners • Mercs march to meet him in battle, added 2, 000 Nubians under Navaras • Stuck to high ground and harassed Hamilcar

Hunter or Prey • Hamilcar gets trapped in a valley • Navaras however betrays Mercs • Hamilcar escapes and battle follows • 10, 000 rebels kills, 4, 000 captured

“Truceless War” • Most prisoners joined Hamilcar • Rebels feared desertions • committed acts of cruelty • (700 captives arms and legs broken, their hands cut off, were castrated, and were thrown into a pit to die)

Battle of the Saw • Rebels attack Carthage again • Hamilcar attacked their supply lines • Running Battles ensued • Hamilcar forced them into a canyon, laid siege to them • 45, 000 rebels killed by execution or starvation

Sardinia • The Island also revolted • Carthage went to recover the Island • Rome declared war • Carthage immediately surrendered • Gave up claims on Sardinia and Corsica • indemnity of 1, 200 talents.

Hamilcar supreme in Carthage • Becomes strong political leader • Makes sure War debt is paid • Did not want Rome bothering him

Africa to Iberia • Ham trains a new army • “Purpose” to secure Africa • Marched to the Gibraltar and crossed to Iberia, without permission • Silver started flowing no one argued

Hannibal Thunderbolt sighting • Goes with Hamilcar, swears a blood oath to “"I swear so soon as age will permit. . . I will use fire and steel to arrest the destiny of Rome. "

Iberian Situation • Iberia filled with “barbarian” tribes • Hamilcar defeated the Turdetani, killed the leaders, and added 3, 000 to his army • Hamilcar defeated chieftain Indortes, tortured, and crucified him • This secured the silver mine and Carthage

Expanding East. BC • Hamilcar conducts constant campaigns, for 4 years • Creating a battle hardened army • Rome becomes concerned and checked in.

Rome Checks In fighting to gather enough booty to pay off the war indemnity What ya doing?

Death of Hamilcar • Hamilcar is besieging a town • Another tribe comes to help • Either • A. ) pretended to help Hamilcar but attacked him and Hamilcar drowned • B) The tried caught cows on fire and Hamilcar died in the fighting • C) Hamilcar led the enemies away from his sons. • D) Died in unknown are to unknown enemy

Son-in-law Hasdrubal the Fair • • • Hasdrubal succeeded Hamilcar Hannibal was nineteen Preferred diplomacy to war Took hostage to secure peace Expanded the empire and built “New Carthage” Signed a Treaty making Ebro River their border with Rome

Death of Hasdrubal the Fair • Assassinated 7 years after Hamilcar by a slave of an former enemy

Hannibal Takes Over • Hannibal is 26 • Army elects him as commander

"No sooner had he arrived. . . the old soldiers fancied they saw Hamilcar in his youth given back to them; the same bright look; the same fire in his eye, the same trick of countenance and features. Never was one and the same spirit more skillful to meet opposition, to obey, or to command”

The Start of War • spent two years consolidating power • Won his first battle of the River Tagus. • Rome, fearing Hannibal , allied with Saguntum, which was South of Ebro River • Hannibal laid seige to Saguntum and War is declared. • march through Hispania and southern Gaul.