[UNITS] The Republic of Carthage

**Petellius** · April 28, 2015, 10:35 AM

Credits

Credits Attila/Little Legionaire's Army Mod - The Legionaire mod provided the core material from which most of these units were made. Shield designs and helmets are largely a product of their work. We can't thank this mod enough. Without their generosity, our unit creation would be far behind where it is. If you play their mod, you will notice a strong influence on what is seen below. Legionaire Army Mod
Hloeric/Romanorum Acies - Some of Hloeric's Romanorum Acies work is featured in these units. He also made our custom Hannibal helmet seen below. Romanorum Acies on Steam
Mithias - Mithias has become a quiet, but essential contributor to our mod team as a historical consultant of sorts. He has advised us on our Carthaginian and Hellenistic unit rosters to help us produce accurate work.
The_Germans_Are_Coming (Steam Workshop)- GaC does high quality texture work, and has kindly granted us permission to make use of it our mod. His work has allowed us to greatly increase the variety in our units with a large number of new linothoraxes to go with new elephant towers and blankets. We will continue to work the textures he has provided us into our future work.
Gustave - made Carthaginian shields used in our overhaul here. He is a member of the Europa Barbarorum II who released and updated his shield designs for Rome II.

*Hannibal and Scipio. Hannibal remains a work in progress.

Introductions and Reforms Explanation

Introduction By 264 BC, Carthage had established itself as the dominant mercantile and naval power of the Western Mediterranean. With the decline of the Hellenistic states after a half a century of in-fighting, it stood as perhaps the strongest power period. Its empire stretched along the Libyan and North African coasts and into Iberia where it held hegemony over the other Punic colonies. The local Libyan population made up the basis of its land forces with a nucleus of Phoenician officers and elites. Through its trade contacts, it could call upon mercenaries from throughout Italy, Sicily, Corsica et Sardinia, Iberia, and nearby Moorish and Berber tribes. While the Romans disparaged these forces as mere mercenaries, the system itself would prove remarkably resilient. Unluckily for Carthage, only Rome, its closest true threat, proved itself more capable of bouncing back from defeat. Evidence indicates that Carthage used its massive wealth to supply much of its mercenary forces. After the Third Punic War and the sack of the city, the Romans found large supplies of cuirasses and arms despite draconian limitations placed upon after the conclusion of the Hannibalic War. The cavalry likely fought with spears good for throwing and melee, but was otherwise equipped similarly to the heavy infantry. Tthe Spartan mercenary Xanthippus found the Carthaginian cavalry to be high quality. To build up the infantry, he introduced Hellenistic style drill.

The early forces of Carthage were armed and fought mostly in the Greek fashion. Linothoraxes, dory spears, hoplons, and greaves made up the basic kit of the heavy infantry. This force was supplemented by highly skilled light infantry. The Iberians made use of the small round caetra shield, the soliferrum (an iron javelin similar to the pilum), and well made iron swords. While lightly armored, they were versatile and capable soldiers in the hands of the right general. Sometime during the conquest of Hispania, the Iberian forces began to longer scutum type shields used by the Celtiberians who also occasionally served as mercenaries for the Barcids. The Celts and Ligurians fought with javelins, spears, and their longswords with elites donning mail armor. The Moorish tribes contributed some of the archers and javelinmen. The Sardinian tribes provided quality archers while the Balearic isles contributed highly skilled slingers. From Sicily came various mercenaries; some in the Greek fashion, and some more lightly armed tribal elements.

After the First Punic War, Hamilcar Barca subdued the Numidian tribes and built strong relationships with their chieftains that would serve himself and his sons well until the end of the century. While looking rag tagged, the Numidians were perhaps the elite light cavalry of the ancient world, and would teach the Romans harsh lessons. In Iberia, Hamilcar and his successor Hasdrubal the Fair likely introduced the oval thureos shield to their forces as the terrain and tactics of the local tribes would have been inhospitible to hoplite forces. They retained spears as their primary weapons, but also carried swords for close combat. Hannibal's army also likely began to employ javelins in a similar fashion as the Roman heavy infantry. Hannibal famously began to equip his men with discarded Roman equipment to include mail armor and scutums. He also drew upon Italian allies to supplement his forces, though they rarely showed a willingness to leave their own territory. By the Third Punic War, the thureos and longche seem to have been fully adopted by all Carthaginian forces.

The versatility of Carthage's forces served as a lesson for the Romans who themselves would make contingents of these 'mercenaries' part of their own forces in the second century. Numidian light cavalry would become a staple in Roman armies along with Balearic slingers, Iberian cavalry, and at times, heavy infantry.

Early Carthaginians