Nothing can fix a corrupt government, except a guillotine
Outside_Ad5255 on
For context, the Carthaginians had had a few good commanders in their history, but each was treated poorly.
During the First Punic War, the Carthaginians had a great navy (Rome had none until halfway through the war) but was floundering on land while Rome was stomping its face. They hired a Spartan Greek, Xanthippus, to review their military and overhaul land strategy.
What he saw was appalling; the Carthaginians had elephants, but they’d put them ***behind*** their infantry, meaning their troops would get crushed by their own. They also committed several tactical blunders in battle. Xanthippus overhauled the army, used the elephants in front as battering rams to break enemy lines, horse cavalry on the wings to flank and break the enemy flanks, and generally did a good job. They rewarded him by… reportedly kicking him out of Carthage for making them look bad (one account even says they gave him a leaky ship so he’d drown on his way home).
Hamilcar Barca (father of the famous Hannibal) had similar issues. While his battles in Sicily left the Romans battered and shaken, Carthage’s overall handling of the war was shameful, resulting in a Roman victory. They similarly acquiesced to Roman terms, including disarming all Carthaginian soldiers, which infuriated Hamilcar. Vowing revenge on Rome, he conquered and built up a powerbase in Spain to supposedly have enough silver to pay off Roman-demanded reparations but was secretly building up and preparing his own army. All done without the help or approval of the Carthage elite. He also raised his sons, Hannibal and Hasdrubal, to hate Rome as much as he did, and was only prevented from fighting Rome by his sudden death during an ambush by local Hispanian tribals he was trying to pacify.
Hannibal famously made his way through the Alps and into Italy, with little to no help from the Carthaginians/ While he played merry havoc through the Italian countryside and devastated the Roman forces time and time again, he was never given any support or help by Carthage, including desperately-needed siege weapons and reinforcements necessary to breach Rome’s defenses. Hannibal had to fill the dwindling ranks of his troops with Gallic tribesmen and other anti-Roman locals, greatly reducing their quality. They would then fail to pay off the Nubian mercenaries, who were a cornerstone of Hannibal’s tactics (using cavalry to flank the Roman phalanxes and break their lines) which in turn allowed the ***Romans*** to hire them instead and use them against the Carthaginian forces late in the war.
By contrast the Romans recognized the importance of good commanders. While many Roman leaders were reckless, those who proved their worth in battle were honored and promoted. Rome also made sure to properly supply its troops and try their best to manage the war to a successful conclusion.
2 Comments
Nothing can fix a corrupt government, except a guillotine
For context, the Carthaginians had had a few good commanders in their history, but each was treated poorly.
During the First Punic War, the Carthaginians had a great navy (Rome had none until halfway through the war) but was floundering on land while Rome was stomping its face. They hired a Spartan Greek, Xanthippus, to review their military and overhaul land strategy.
What he saw was appalling; the Carthaginians had elephants, but they’d put them ***behind*** their infantry, meaning their troops would get crushed by their own. They also committed several tactical blunders in battle. Xanthippus overhauled the army, used the elephants in front as battering rams to break enemy lines, horse cavalry on the wings to flank and break the enemy flanks, and generally did a good job. They rewarded him by… reportedly kicking him out of Carthage for making them look bad (one account even says they gave him a leaky ship so he’d drown on his way home).
Hamilcar Barca (father of the famous Hannibal) had similar issues. While his battles in Sicily left the Romans battered and shaken, Carthage’s overall handling of the war was shameful, resulting in a Roman victory. They similarly acquiesced to Roman terms, including disarming all Carthaginian soldiers, which infuriated Hamilcar. Vowing revenge on Rome, he conquered and built up a powerbase in Spain to supposedly have enough silver to pay off Roman-demanded reparations but was secretly building up and preparing his own army. All done without the help or approval of the Carthage elite. He also raised his sons, Hannibal and Hasdrubal, to hate Rome as much as he did, and was only prevented from fighting Rome by his sudden death during an ambush by local Hispanian tribals he was trying to pacify.
Hannibal famously made his way through the Alps and into Italy, with little to no help from the Carthaginians/ While he played merry havoc through the Italian countryside and devastated the Roman forces time and time again, he was never given any support or help by Carthage, including desperately-needed siege weapons and reinforcements necessary to breach Rome’s defenses. Hannibal had to fill the dwindling ranks of his troops with Gallic tribesmen and other anti-Roman locals, greatly reducing their quality. They would then fail to pay off the Nubian mercenaries, who were a cornerstone of Hannibal’s tactics (using cavalry to flank the Roman phalanxes and break their lines) which in turn allowed the ***Romans*** to hire them instead and use them against the Carthaginian forces late in the war.
By contrast the Romans recognized the importance of good commanders. While many Roman leaders were reckless, those who proved their worth in battle were honored and promoted. Rome also made sure to properly supply its troops and try their best to manage the war to a successful conclusion.