the last post where i have starting writing about Hannibal Barca the great Carthaginian commander is only is only that a start there will be losts more to come but just wanted to get it posted in sections rather than all one go as he did have a very interesting life and needs to be all written about.
thanks for your time.
Monday, 12 October 2009
Hannibal Barca -In the beginning
Hannibal Barca - Strength, power, intelligence
Hannibal Barca, a man who dedicated his life to fighting the Roman Empire.
Hannibal’ father, Hamilcar Barca had fought the Romans in the 1st Punic war. While the Carthaginians had lost to the Romans, Hamilcar was still a formidable commander and had gained great respect from his men and his country.
Hannibal was born around 6 years before the end of the of 1st Punic war and so would have seen first hand while growing up how his father would have commanded the great army of Carthage. Hannibal the eldest son of one of the leading men of Carthage, inherited a fierce pride in his ancestry and the city which he grew up in. Even thou he was to spend more time within Spain and Italy, it was Hannibal’ great pride and love of his country which inspired him to lead Carthage armies against the Roman Empire.
When Hannibal was only 9yrs old his father had decided to take and army from Carthage and march to Spain. Hamilcar’s plan was to colonise Spain and turn it into a new Carthage. Hamilcar wished to be away from the rule of the Roman Empire.
Before he left he thought that Hannibal should accompany him to Spain and so he took his son to offer sacrifice at the altar of Melqart. This was a normal part of Carthaginian life before such a great expedition, his father, officers and nobles who were travelling with Hamilcar would take and oath to the ‘God of the City’.
Hannibal was lead to the altar and placed his hand on the sacrificial offering and was asked to swear that he, Hannibal Barca, would never be a friend to the Romans. At the age of just 9yrs he made that oath to always fight.
They began their march to Spain in 236 BC and upon arriving set about the colonisation. For 9yrs Hamilcar and his army battled and won over the native tribes of Spain. While Hamilcar was a great commander and soldier, he didn’t care for policies and being a statesman. His heavy handed methods might have meant that the Carthaginian Spain would advance slowly, but sadly in 230 BC Hamilcar was killed. Opinions differ as to how. One theory is that a Roman party was sent to find and kill him. The other theory was simply that he was killed in battle with the Spanish natives.
With Hannibal’s father now dead command of the armies fell to Hamilcar’s son-in-law, Hasdrubal ‘the handsome’.
Hasdrubal the handsome dealt with the colonisation in a very different way. He established friendships with the tribes rather than going to war with them.
Hasdrubal the handsome, with diplomacy extended Carthaginian influence across southern Spain from Gates to the Mediterranean, spreading north towards the river Ebro. He also found a new base on the Mediterranean coastline at New Carthage.
The influences that the Carthaginians had over the Spanish would be long lasting ones. Carthaginians had superiority in metal-working techniques (hence in weaponry) and they also came from a very proud and civilised race, very old and so enjoyed the use of the alphabet, which their ancestors had invented. Also with centuries of warfare behind them came a great knowledge, which no other country could compare to, of strategy, tactics and discipline in combat. The Spanish also inherited religion. Carthaginian pantheon of their Canaanite ancestors, one where human were sacrificed. As time went on less and less people were sacrificed.
The nobles however, like Hamilcar, his son Hannibal and other leaders of Carthage had been largely influenced by Greek culture. Hannibal had been taught Greek by a Greek tutor, and later when he commanded the armies and went on his campaign he would take with him 2 Greek secretaries.
Under the leadership of Hasdrubal the handsome, the Carthaginians continued to grow within Spain, and would soon become a great force.
Vengeance could never have been far from young Hannibal’ mind as he watched Carthage grow in strength once again. His father Hamilcar surely had in mind to strike at the Roman Empire when he marched to Spain to colonise it. This great hatred Hamilcar had of the Roman’ would have played a big part in Hannibal’ life while growing up and no doubt hearing from his father how great Carthage once was before the Roman Empire began invading and taking territory from them.
The Roman Empire had begun to become anxious of the growing power of the Carthaginians in Spain and so in 226 BC the Romans sent out a mission to Hasdrubal the handsome to try and come to some sort of an agreement as to both of their influences.
Hasdrubal the handsome not wanting at this point in growing his empire, to start a major disagreement with the Romans, agreed to their suggestions. However he new with his power growing each day that he could, if he so wanted, break any treaty that he had with the Romans. So the treaty was signed to the effect that the river Ebro should form the northern limit of the Carthaginians sphere of influence and the southern limit of the Romans. The Romans also added a specific clause into the treaty, it stated that the Carthaginians would not cross the Ebro ‘for the purpose of waging war’.
Hannibal Barca, a man who dedicated his life to fighting the Roman Empire.
Hannibal’ father, Hamilcar Barca had fought the Romans in the 1st Punic war. While the Carthaginians had lost to the Romans, Hamilcar was still a formidable commander and had gained great respect from his men and his country.
Hannibal was born around 6 years before the end of the of 1st Punic war and so would have seen first hand while growing up how his father would have commanded the great army of Carthage. Hannibal the eldest son of one of the leading men of Carthage, inherited a fierce pride in his ancestry and the city which he grew up in. Even thou he was to spend more time within Spain and Italy, it was Hannibal’ great pride and love of his country which inspired him to lead Carthage armies against the Roman Empire.
When Hannibal was only 9yrs old his father had decided to take and army from Carthage and march to Spain. Hamilcar’s plan was to colonise Spain and turn it into a new Carthage. Hamilcar wished to be away from the rule of the Roman Empire.
Before he left he thought that Hannibal should accompany him to Spain and so he took his son to offer sacrifice at the altar of Melqart. This was a normal part of Carthaginian life before such a great expedition, his father, officers and nobles who were travelling with Hamilcar would take and oath to the ‘God of the City’.
Hannibal was lead to the altar and placed his hand on the sacrificial offering and was asked to swear that he, Hannibal Barca, would never be a friend to the Romans. At the age of just 9yrs he made that oath to always fight.
They began their march to Spain in 236 BC and upon arriving set about the colonisation. For 9yrs Hamilcar and his army battled and won over the native tribes of Spain. While Hamilcar was a great commander and soldier, he didn’t care for policies and being a statesman. His heavy handed methods might have meant that the Carthaginian Spain would advance slowly, but sadly in 230 BC Hamilcar was killed. Opinions differ as to how. One theory is that a Roman party was sent to find and kill him. The other theory was simply that he was killed in battle with the Spanish natives.
With Hannibal’s father now dead command of the armies fell to Hamilcar’s son-in-law, Hasdrubal ‘the handsome’.
Hasdrubal the handsome dealt with the colonisation in a very different way. He established friendships with the tribes rather than going to war with them.
Hasdrubal the handsome, with diplomacy extended Carthaginian influence across southern Spain from Gates to the Mediterranean, spreading north towards the river Ebro. He also found a new base on the Mediterranean coastline at New Carthage.
The influences that the Carthaginians had over the Spanish would be long lasting ones. Carthaginians had superiority in metal-working techniques (hence in weaponry) and they also came from a very proud and civilised race, very old and so enjoyed the use of the alphabet, which their ancestors had invented. Also with centuries of warfare behind them came a great knowledge, which no other country could compare to, of strategy, tactics and discipline in combat. The Spanish also inherited religion. Carthaginian pantheon of their Canaanite ancestors, one where human were sacrificed. As time went on less and less people were sacrificed.
The nobles however, like Hamilcar, his son Hannibal and other leaders of Carthage had been largely influenced by Greek culture. Hannibal had been taught Greek by a Greek tutor, and later when he commanded the armies and went on his campaign he would take with him 2 Greek secretaries.
Under the leadership of Hasdrubal the handsome, the Carthaginians continued to grow within Spain, and would soon become a great force.
Vengeance could never have been far from young Hannibal’ mind as he watched Carthage grow in strength once again. His father Hamilcar surely had in mind to strike at the Roman Empire when he marched to Spain to colonise it. This great hatred Hamilcar had of the Roman’ would have played a big part in Hannibal’ life while growing up and no doubt hearing from his father how great Carthage once was before the Roman Empire began invading and taking territory from them.
The Roman Empire had begun to become anxious of the growing power of the Carthaginians in Spain and so in 226 BC the Romans sent out a mission to Hasdrubal the handsome to try and come to some sort of an agreement as to both of their influences.
Hasdrubal the handsome not wanting at this point in growing his empire, to start a major disagreement with the Romans, agreed to their suggestions. However he new with his power growing each day that he could, if he so wanted, break any treaty that he had with the Romans. So the treaty was signed to the effect that the river Ebro should form the northern limit of the Carthaginians sphere of influence and the southern limit of the Romans. The Romans also added a specific clause into the treaty, it stated that the Carthaginians would not cross the Ebro ‘for the purpose of waging war’.
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