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Hasdrubal Barca
Hasdrubal Barca (245 – 22 June 207 BC), a latinization of the Punic ʿAzrubaʿal (Punic: 𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋, romanized: ʿAzrōbaʿl), son of Hamilcar Barca, was a Carthaginian general in the Second Punic War. He was the brother of Hannibal and Mago Barca.
Little is known of Hasdrubal's early life. He was present, along with his older brother Hannibal, when his father, Hamilcar Barca, died in battle against the Iberians. Hamilcar may have drowned in the Júcar, although the sources do not agree. Little is also known about Hasdrubal's activities during the time Hasdrubal the Fair led the Punic forces in Spain, or during the campaigns of Hannibal Barca in Spain and his Siege of Saguntum.
Hannibal left a force of 13,000 infantry, 2,550 cavalry and 21 war elephants in Hispania when he marched for Italy in 218 BC. Hasdrubal commanded this force and he was to set out for Italy in 217 BC to reinforce Hannibal. Hannibal left another army under Hanno in Catalonia, consisting of 10,000 foot and 1,000 horse, on his way to Italy in 218 BC. Hasdrubal was destined to fight for the next six years against the brothers Gnaeus and Publius Cornelius Scipio commanding an army which initially numbered 4 legions (8,000 Roman and 14,000 allied infantry, 600 Roman and 1,600 allied horse) along with 60 quinqueremes. The Punic navy had a fleet of 50 quinqueremes and 5 triremes stationed in Spain, however, only 32 Quinqueremes were manned at the start of the Second Punic War.
The expedition led by Gnaeus Scipio in 218 BC had caught the Carthaginians by surprise, and before Hasdrubal could join Hanno in Catalonia, the Carthaginian commander on the north of the Ebro, the Romans had fought and won the Battle of Cissa and established their army at Tarraco and their fleet at Emporiae. Hasdrubal, commanding only 8,000 troops and outnumbered by the Romans, raided the Romans with a flying column of light infantry and cavalry, which inflicted severe losses on their naval crews and reduced the fighting strength to 35 ships. This loss was offset by the arrival of an allied Greek contingent from the city of Massilia.
In the spring of 217 BC, Hasdrubal led a joint expedition north to fight the Romans. He commanded the army, while his deputy Himilco commanded the fleet. The Punic army and the fleet moved north side by side and encamped on the mouth of the Ebro River. Carelessness of the Carthaginian fleet enabled Gnaeus Scipio to surprise the Carthaginians and crush their naval contingent at the Battle of Ebro River. Hasdrubal was obliged to march back to Cartagena, fearing seaborne attacks on Carthaginian territories. With the Iberian contingent of the Carthaginian navy shattered, Hasdrubal was forced to either call Carthage for reinforcements or build new ships. He did neither.
The performance of the Iberian crews had been poor in the battle, and their dismissal sparked a rebellion in the Turdetani tribe. Hasdrubal would spend all of 216 BC subduing the rebels around the area near Gades. Hasdrubal received orders from Carthage to move into Italy and join up with Hannibal in order to put pressure on the Romans in their homeland, but Hasdrubal delayed, arguing that Carthaginian authority over the Iberian tribes was too fragile and the Roman forces in the area too strong for him to execute the planned movement. Hasdrubal was reinforced by 4,000 infantry and 500 cavalry and was ordered by the Carthaginian senate to march to Italy in the same year, and he spent 216 BC crushing the Iberian rebels near Gades.
Hannibal Barca had defeated the Romans at the Battle of Cannae in August of 216 BC, resulting in the defection of most of South Italy, and in the north the Gauls had wiped out 25,000 Roman and Italian soldiers in the Battle of Silva Litana, putting Rome on the defensive in North Italy. Hannibal had sent his youngest brother, Mago, who had marched into Italy with him in 218 BC, to Carthage to gather reinforcements. Carthaginian Senate had authorized sending 4,000 Numidian cavalry, 40 elephants and 500 talents to Hannibal, and Mago was given the authority to raise additional 20,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry, and he had raised an army of 12,000 infantry, 1500 cavalry and 20 war elephants, by the spring of 215 BC, which was meant to land at Locri in Italy. Carthage had sent an army and fleet under Himilco to guard Iberia in 216 BC, leaving Hasdrubal free to invade North Italy, catching the Romans in a strategic pincer movement in Central Italy.
Hasdrubal left Cartagena in the spring of 215 BC and marched for the Ebro, besieged a pro-Roman town and offered battle at Ibera. In this battle, Hasdrubal used his cavalry superiority to attempt to clear the field while attempting to envelop the enemy on both sides with his infantry. However, the Romans broke through the thinned-out center of the Carthaginian line and then defeated each wing separately, inflicting severe losses, and taking heavy losses themselves.
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Hasdrubal Barca
Hasdrubal Barca (245 – 22 June 207 BC), a latinization of the Punic ʿAzrubaʿal (Punic: 𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋, romanized: ʿAzrōbaʿl), son of Hamilcar Barca, was a Carthaginian general in the Second Punic War. He was the brother of Hannibal and Mago Barca.
Little is known of Hasdrubal's early life. He was present, along with his older brother Hannibal, when his father, Hamilcar Barca, died in battle against the Iberians. Hamilcar may have drowned in the Júcar, although the sources do not agree. Little is also known about Hasdrubal's activities during the time Hasdrubal the Fair led the Punic forces in Spain, or during the campaigns of Hannibal Barca in Spain and his Siege of Saguntum.
Hannibal left a force of 13,000 infantry, 2,550 cavalry and 21 war elephants in Hispania when he marched for Italy in 218 BC. Hasdrubal commanded this force and he was to set out for Italy in 217 BC to reinforce Hannibal. Hannibal left another army under Hanno in Catalonia, consisting of 10,000 foot and 1,000 horse, on his way to Italy in 218 BC. Hasdrubal was destined to fight for the next six years against the brothers Gnaeus and Publius Cornelius Scipio commanding an army which initially numbered 4 legions (8,000 Roman and 14,000 allied infantry, 600 Roman and 1,600 allied horse) along with 60 quinqueremes. The Punic navy had a fleet of 50 quinqueremes and 5 triremes stationed in Spain, however, only 32 Quinqueremes were manned at the start of the Second Punic War.
The expedition led by Gnaeus Scipio in 218 BC had caught the Carthaginians by surprise, and before Hasdrubal could join Hanno in Catalonia, the Carthaginian commander on the north of the Ebro, the Romans had fought and won the Battle of Cissa and established their army at Tarraco and their fleet at Emporiae. Hasdrubal, commanding only 8,000 troops and outnumbered by the Romans, raided the Romans with a flying column of light infantry and cavalry, which inflicted severe losses on their naval crews and reduced the fighting strength to 35 ships. This loss was offset by the arrival of an allied Greek contingent from the city of Massilia.
In the spring of 217 BC, Hasdrubal led a joint expedition north to fight the Romans. He commanded the army, while his deputy Himilco commanded the fleet. The Punic army and the fleet moved north side by side and encamped on the mouth of the Ebro River. Carelessness of the Carthaginian fleet enabled Gnaeus Scipio to surprise the Carthaginians and crush their naval contingent at the Battle of Ebro River. Hasdrubal was obliged to march back to Cartagena, fearing seaborne attacks on Carthaginian territories. With the Iberian contingent of the Carthaginian navy shattered, Hasdrubal was forced to either call Carthage for reinforcements or build new ships. He did neither.
The performance of the Iberian crews had been poor in the battle, and their dismissal sparked a rebellion in the Turdetani tribe. Hasdrubal would spend all of 216 BC subduing the rebels around the area near Gades. Hasdrubal received orders from Carthage to move into Italy and join up with Hannibal in order to put pressure on the Romans in their homeland, but Hasdrubal delayed, arguing that Carthaginian authority over the Iberian tribes was too fragile and the Roman forces in the area too strong for him to execute the planned movement. Hasdrubal was reinforced by 4,000 infantry and 500 cavalry and was ordered by the Carthaginian senate to march to Italy in the same year, and he spent 216 BC crushing the Iberian rebels near Gades.
Hannibal Barca had defeated the Romans at the Battle of Cannae in August of 216 BC, resulting in the defection of most of South Italy, and in the north the Gauls had wiped out 25,000 Roman and Italian soldiers in the Battle of Silva Litana, putting Rome on the defensive in North Italy. Hannibal had sent his youngest brother, Mago, who had marched into Italy with him in 218 BC, to Carthage to gather reinforcements. Carthaginian Senate had authorized sending 4,000 Numidian cavalry, 40 elephants and 500 talents to Hannibal, and Mago was given the authority to raise additional 20,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry, and he had raised an army of 12,000 infantry, 1500 cavalry and 20 war elephants, by the spring of 215 BC, which was meant to land at Locri in Italy. Carthage had sent an army and fleet under Himilco to guard Iberia in 216 BC, leaving Hasdrubal free to invade North Italy, catching the Romans in a strategic pincer movement in Central Italy.
Hasdrubal left Cartagena in the spring of 215 BC and marched for the Ebro, besieged a pro-Roman town and offered battle at Ibera. In this battle, Hasdrubal used his cavalry superiority to attempt to clear the field while attempting to envelop the enemy on both sides with his infantry. However, the Romans broke through the thinned-out center of the Carthaginian line and then defeated each wing separately, inflicting severe losses, and taking heavy losses themselves.