The Carthaginian Army
00:00 Introduction
00:37 The Founding of Carthage
04:12 The Carthaginian Fleet
08:45 The Sacred Band
10:27 Livonian-Phoenicians
13:14 Numidian Cavalry
15:38 Balearic Slingers
17:24 Iberian Mercenaries
19:32 Gauls
21:24 Mercenary Revolt
21:55 War Chariots
22:36 War Elephants
The history of the Carthaginian state spans several centuries, and naturally, over time, both the structure of the army and the weaponry of Carthage changed. It was founded in 814 BC by the Phoenicians.
The Carthaginian navy consisted of large warships, propelled by sails and oars, which were used to ram enemy vessels with a bronze ram mounted on the bow below the waterline. Initially, the trireme—a vessel with three rows of oars—was the primary warship. Later, quadriremes were used, and from the 4th century BC, quinqueremes formed the core of the Carthaginian navy.
The elite of the Carthaginian army was the so-called "sacred band," numbering up to 2,500 men. It was made up of Carthaginian aristocrats. These soldiers were considered sacred due to the oath they swore upon being accepted into the band.
The Carthaginian army also included Lybov-Phoenicians, who lived in Phoenician cities allied with Carthage and in conquered territories in North Africa.
But the core of the Carthaginian army was made up of numerous mercenaries who came from all over the Mediterranean, especially from Greece, Iberia, Gaul, and other regions.
Among them, it is worth noting the Numidian cavalry, Balearic slingers, and the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula: the Iberians, Lusitanians, Celtiberians, and Celts. For the war with Rome, the Carthaginians hired Gauls into their army. Naturally, the Carthaginians also hired Greek hoplites, who formed the traditional phalanx.
While using mercenaries had obvious advantages, there were also significant disadvantages. Any delay in payment led to complaints, and in 240 BC, the mercenaries rebelled. Carthage's war with the mercenaries lasted three years and shook the foundations of the state.
For a long time, the Carthaginians used war chariots in battle. However, after the war with Pyrrhus, the Carthaginians abandoned chariots forever, and from that time onward, they began using war elephants. #Carthage #army #AncientCivilizations #History #MilitaryHistory #AncientArmies #Navy #Trereme #Quinquereme #Mercenaries #SacredBand #WarElephants #NorthAfrica #Phoenicians