The book therefore spans the centuries from 800bc to 146bc the year carthage was destroyed by the roman legions of scipio africanus the younger. In the punic wars between rome and carthage, hannibal emerged as the outstanding field commander. What sort of tactics did the romans use in defeating hannibal. The punic wars were some of the biggest wars of the hellenistic period. You need to get down the basics of how an army on the move operates and thinks. Derived from the greek word strategos, the term strategy, when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the art of the general, or the art of arrangement of troops. If you want to discover the captivating life of hannibal barca, then keep reading.
Carthaginian armies and their weaponry total war forums. Which are the best books to read on military tactics and war. Armies of the carthaginian wars 265146 bc menatarms. One of the names most synonymous with brilliant military strategy is hannibal. Carthage went to war against numidia and, in so doing, broke the peace treaty with rome which forbid carthage from mobilizing an army. The carthaginian army has a mix of all kinds of troops, because of his high proportion of, spanish and african allies. In hannibal, perhaps his best book yet, the distinguished military historian richard gabriel examines the life and campaigns of the great carthaginian general in the second punic war. Which are the best books to read on military tactics and. Carthage s military also allowed it to expand into sardinia and. The 33 strategies of war, the 48 laws of power by robert greene. Filled with diagrams of attack plans, defensive strategies, and troop movements, u.
I want something the would realistically represent what carthage would field in a battle and i appreciate it cant be perfect due to game limitations, but with the best efforts of what the game gives us, how would a carthage army look when taking to the field. Carthage was widely considered the most important trading hub of the ancient mediterranean and was arguably one of the most affluent cities of the classical world. Carthage seniors receive rotc scholarships education. It was under such leaders as philip ii 382336 bc and alexander the great 356323 bc of macedonia and hannibal 247183 bc of carthage that the first great strides were made in military science. For me, i am sad to say, it is not successful on either account. The short story of the battle is that a roman army under scipio met and destroyed the carthaginian army under hannibal.
Carthage is an ambitious novel, in terms of subject matter and even language. Prelude to the fall of rome the destruction of carthage. The osprey books roman battle tactics and cannae can help make up for this. May 14, 2018 carthage went to war against numidia and, in so doing, broke the peace treaty with rome which forbid carthage from mobilizing an army. The defeat forced the carthaginian senate to sue for peace and ended the war. The commander of a carthaginian army in the field rab mahanet was selected for the duration of a specific war, usually from the ruling family.
Oct 31, 2016 total war warhammer tomb kings lore, army, units and tactics. The legendary general scipio africanus achieved this, finally destroying the carthaginian army at the climactic victory of zama. Of course, i am biased because i trained under robert. Under the treaty ending the second punic war, signed after the battle of zama, carthage had to seek roman permission before waging war. The military of carthage was one of the largest military forces in the ancient world. I managed to swipe an osprey book called essential histories. If one is looking for a good history book that weaves an interesting tale as well as explain the tactics and weapons then hannibal is. Massively outnumbered, the carthaginians nevertheless won an astonishing. Hello, i wondered if any historical experts could point me in the direction of how best to compose a 20 unit army for using carthage. Sep 23, 2016 32 videos play all warhammer lore army tactics milkandcookiestw total war warhammer dark elves lore, army, units and tactics duration. You should use war elephants any time it is possible to strengthen your army. As with many nations during the 4th and 3rd centuries bc, hellenistic phalanx tactics had reached carthage and had been embraced. Richard the lionheart faced the army of saladin at arsuf in 1191.
The armies of carthage permitted the city to forge the most powerful empire in. Gabriel explains how hannibal turned a multicultural mass of carthaginians, iberians, gauls, and others into one of the most effective armies in history, with which he very nearly destroyed the rising power of rome. According to tradition, carthage was founded by the phoenicians of tyre in 814 bce. Some traditions are unique to certain factions, affecting aspects of both battles. With this military juggernaut of the ancient world at your disposal, you will vie for control over italy, carthage, spain and the mediterranean sea using a. Hannibal was known for leading the carthaginian army and a team of elephants across southern europe and the alps mountains against rome in the second punic war. Many pieces of greek equipment were used by carthaginians troops, one popular piece being the linothorax, a cuirass made of layers of linen glued together to make a tough shell. This book reexamines the battle of cannae, where about. The tactics and strategies of the roman army helped them fend more than half of the world, and thus they came to be known as one of the best armies, which remains unchanged even today. Although carthage s navy was always its main military force, the army acquired a key role in the spread of carthaginian power over the native peoples of northern africa and southern iberian peninsula from the 6th century bc and the 3rd century bc. Aug 02, 2015 the carthaginian army has a mix of all kinds of troops, because of his high proportion of, spanish and african allies. The african economy in emperor edition patch 15, carthage simply has to wait until late game to get an advantage on rome. He invaded the homeland of his enemy and remained there, undefeated, for fifteen years.
It seems that osprey book publishing tend to recycle or overlap old material. Military strategy deals with the planning and conduct of campaigns, the movement. The general may often have had complete autonomy of action or, on other occasions, had to rely on the council of 104 and the two most important political persons at carthage, the two suffetes magistrates, for such important decisions as. What really disappointed me was the cool distance from emotional connection ever present in the book. The first punic war is a record of a dismal wastage of human life and of. However, at the end of the 3rd century bc, romes prestige was shattered once more by the genius of hannibal of carthage, causing roman battle tactics to be revised again. When a force is first mustered it is named, given a unique emblem and, from that point on, creates its own legacy through its actions in the field. Carthage was the center or capital city of the ancient carthaginian civilization, on the eastern side of the lake of tunis in what is now the tunis governorate in tunisia. The most important carthage unit, used to break enemy lines and to trample enemy troops. This is the story of fabius petronius secundusroman legionary and centurionand. Carthage is best known for the actions of hannibal in the second punic war. Resulting from a mighty power struggle between the military confederation of rome and the trading empire of carthage between 264241 b. Oconnell has established the new standard for studies of the second conflict between rome and carthage.
The punic wars triggered an era of astonishing human misfortune. Carthage seniors receive rotc scholarships education intl. Rules for radicals, reveille for radicals by saul alinsky. Robert is a crack researcher and storyteller he has a profound ability to explain timeless.
The book ends with the classic battles of legion verses phalanx thereby coming full cirlce in his tale of carthage and rome, and the struggle of the old greek ways against the emergence of the roman warmachine. Roman strategy and tactics from 509 to 202 bc cont. Total war warhammer the wood elves lore, army, units and. Publishers weekly oconnell writes with clarity about an era shrouded in speculation. He was outnumbered three to one by a force of mostly mounted troops. Retired, thomas piroli, jrotc senior army instructor, winning an rotc scholarship is difficult. Carthage, great city of antiquity on the north coast of africa, now a residential suburb of the city of tunis, tunisia. Resulting from a mighty power struggle between the military confederation of rome and the trading. He is the real originator of the concept of community organization.
The experience of battle in the second punic war 1 by gregory daly isbn. The romans destruction of carthage after the third punic war erased any. The following historyplex article sheds light on their war strategies in detail. Perhaps the most famous carthaginian army was led by hannibal, whose tactics on the way to victory in the battle of cannae are still considered among the most famous in history. It was under such leaders as philip ii 382336 bc and alexander the great 356323 bc of macedonia and hannibal 247183 bc of carthage that the. Carthage by joyce carol oates meet your next favorite book. This book contains all the information youll need when researching the various troops and tactics of the punic wars. According to the section on carthages army, most troops were mercenaries, but he makes no elaboration on what this term means. Carthage continued to flourish, a phoenician colony that outgrew and surpassed its parent land. Army uses to employ available means to win in combat.
Bc vegetius wrote a summary of military matters which is an important source of information on the roman military. A thrilling journey to the core of roman timesthrough a world of extraordinary military tactics and political intriguefrom international bestselling author david gibbins. Shock tactics on the ancient battlefield by vincent lopez. Leaving his brother, also named hasdrubal, to protect carthages interests in spain and north africa, hannibal assembled a massive army, including according to. So now is the time to build the economy you need to spam elite stuff youll to use in late game like heavy cav, heavy sword inf, ballista ships, assault navies, and siege. Apr 23, 20 there are a myriad of books that you can read about warfare, battles and strategy. The first mobile instrument to be used as a shock tactic in warfare was the chariot. Both hillary clinton and barack obama studied alinsky extensively as they mapped their individual paths to power. Richard gabriels hannibal is a worthy successor to his books on subotai. Unfortunately it is not good to stand against enemy cavalry or pikemen. The destruction of carthage was an act of roman aggression prompted as much by motives of revenge for earlier wars as by greed for the rich farming lands around the city. Strategy, tactics, and innovation the roman army is widely regarded as one of the most effective fighting forces in human history, influencing the development of military tactics for generations afterwards. Romes strategic victory over the tacticaloperational genius, hannibal barca hannibal barca, general of carthage during the 2d punic war with rome, 218202 bc, has few peers in the annals of military history.
Joshua hall puts that right with this indepth study of their tactics, equipment, unit organization, army composition and operational effectiveness. Carthage was the center or capital city of the ancient carthaginian civilization, on the eastern side of the lake of tunis in what is now the tunis governorate in. Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. The mediterranean basin saw the dawn of modern military strategy and tactics. The january 2009 issue of armchair general magazine presents our cover story article, 50 battles that shaped our world. This is the exact opposite of a basic formation hannibals tactic puts the most well trained soldiers on the outside edge where the least t. Dec 04, 2017 the book therefore spans the centuries from 800bc to 146bc the year carthage was destroyed by the roman legions of scipio africanus the younger. This is a guest post from patrick hunt, author of the new book. Hannibal amassed an army in spain and marched his army through the alps into italy in an attempt to capture rome itself. Most of its richer citizens fought armed in greek equipment, although often embellished with uniquely carthaginian features, using the sarissa as their main weapon. The romans defeated the main forces of the carthaginian army in spain using a reverse bow shaped formation. Rome and carthage in the second punic war is a new and innovative turnbased strategy game that puts you in command of the carthaginian military during a period of total war over land and sea with the young roman republic. But hannibal made two major mistakes in dealing with the romans.
Less than 25% of applicants were offered scholarships, he said. This enables the development of traditions that have positive effects in the same way that skills benefit the characters that have them. By rob johnson, author and lecturer in the history of war, oxford university. Several of these key battles were fought by the armies of ancient greece and rome. Ten of the greatest battlefield tactics, by rob johnson. The carthaginian defeat was total and absolute, instilling fear and horror into romes enemies and allies. Polybius wrote in the sixth book of his history that the carthaginians were, more exercised in maritime affairs than any other people. Carthage felt it had no choice but to defend itself against masinissas invasions but was censured by rome and ordered to pay a new war debt to numidia. Elite troops of the sacred band used the linothorax and it was distinctively painted with symbols of tanit, the patron goddess of the unit. This book provides combattested concepts and ideas modified to exploit emerging army and joint capabilities. With this military juggernaut of the ancient world at your disposal, you will vie for control over italy.
Such a strategy, however, restricted carthages strongest elements. Military art military history punic wars ancient armor hellenistic period empire romain classical antiquity roman soldiers carthage. But if i had not, these books still would have given me a priceless education as they have for millions of other people. The following historyplex article sheds light on their war. That treaty expired in 151 bce, so when romes ally numidia annexed land from carthage, a carthaginian army marched to. His famous victory at cannae 216 bc over the roman armies is still studied as an example of battlefield tactics. Luttwaks the grand strategy of the roman empire does not address the punic wars, as it specifically focuses on the roman army of the empire, so it starts with augustus and it ends with the. List of books and articles about military strategy. Carthage two carthage central high school seniors have been awarded rotc scholarships to florida southern college in lakeland, fla. There were three punic wars that spanned from 264 to 146 b. Auxiliary unit used to smash skirmishers and light infantry. There are a myriad of books that you can read about warfare, battles and strategy. Importantly, while the second punic war is rightly given prominence, this is not at the expense of the. Carthage s military also allowed it to expand into sardinia.