Warrior Bio: Hannibal Barca, the Annihilator; circa 216 BCE.

Author's Note:  I chose not to include Hannibal's infamous war-elephants in this match because it would be too unfair of an advantage over his opponent, who would have no effective counter to them, skewing the outcome of the match.  That said, if and when I use Hannibal for another match in which his opponent has something in their arsenal that would be just as influential, such as elephants of their own (here's looking at you, Alexander), I'll revise this Bio to reflect their use.

This stylized sculpture presents Hannibal as a grim, strong figure wearing an idealized helmet made to emulate the wreaths of victory.  Hannibal Barca hated Rome with a great passion, and the feeling was mutual.  This image is used without permission from http://israeliteidentity.com/.

-Offensive Assessment

~Close Quarters Combat; Falcata, Espasa, Shield.  There was a great trade and military relationship between the Spanish Celts and Carthage – in return for their allegiance and military service against their mutual enemies, the Romans, the Carthaginians used their great naval power to bring wealth to both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar.  Spanish iron and trade goods were exchanged for Carthaginian crops and pottery, and over time both of their militaries showed great influence upon one another.  The falcata, which was identified by the Romans as the “Spanish saber”, became a favorite weapon of Carthage light, skirmishing infantry.  The falcata is believed to have developed from Greek kopis swords brought to the region by traveling merchants, where it caught on quickly due to its great slashing power.  However, it is not outside of the realm of possibility that it evolved of its own accord among the Celts, as they were renowned metal-workers of their right.  The other sword to come from Spain to Carthage was the espasa – a twenty-five inch long, double-edged stabbing sword.  It too was popular with Carthaginian soldiers, replacing the Greek-style xiphos employed by the Carthage Sacred Band and later corps of citizen-soldiers.  The Romans were also impressed by the espasa, calling it the gladius hispanicus, and adopting it for their own use to conquer lands from the Atlantic Ocean to the Baltic Sea.  Both of these swords were used in one hand, allowing them to be used in tandem with a shield, and gave the wielder multiple options for attack or defense.  However, neither possessed great range, which could actually hurt them when not in rank-and-file combat.  Altogether, they get four (4) of five (5) possible points in this category.

~Weapons of Reach; Sarissa, Shield.  Thanks to the aspirations of global-domination of Alexander the Great, the Greek phalanx-style of combat was popular all across the Mediterranean, with Carthage being no exception.   The primary weapon of Carthage’s citizen-soldiers was the sarissa, a polearm fifteen to nineteen feet long and topped with iron at both ends.  Soldiers fighting with the sarissa would be packed tightly together, using their tall pikes with both hands and hanging their shields from a strap that ran across their necks and left shoulders.  When massed and properly disciplined, infantry such as this could be almost unstoppable on open ground, with the density of their pikes creating a wall that neither light missiles nor enemy soldiers could penetrate.  However, the weakness of the phalanx presented itself whenever it was drawn onto rough terrain or not properly supported by other elements of the army, as weaknesses would open up in the line and disorder become rampant.  Furthermore, soldiers fighting in the phalanx were at a distinct disadvantage against swordsmen, as they could not properly wield their shields and were often not equipped with efficient melee weapons.  Overall, though, the sarissa presents several good features key to success on the battlefield, and it was used excellently by Hannibal Barca.  All told, it gets eight (8) of ten (10) points in this category, as though it possesses great reach there is a massive dead zone between the spear head and the user, inside of which an agile enemy could play havoc.

Despite presenting a Macedonian phalanx, this artist's rendition of the infamous Greek battle formation would be nearly identical to a similar formation made by Carthaginian heavy infantry.  Due to Alexander's rampant success in using the sarissa along with other weapons-types, making for a very effective mixed-arms force, many armies of the Mediterranean fought in the same style that he had popularized, including Carthage itself.  This image is used without permission from http://www.livius.org/.

~Long-Distance Fighting; Sling and Bullets, Javelins, Shield.  One of the key components of Hannibal’s army was the Balearic slingers – shepherds by trade, they were masters of fighting with their slings in defense of their homes and flocks.  Hannibal employed many of them as light skirmishers to help flesh out the traditional javelin-throwers in his army from Numidia, Iberia (Spain), and poorer districts of Carthage.  However, the Balearic slingers did not use stones like much of the Ancient World – rather, they crafted lead bullets about the size and shape of a man’s thumb that were many times more lethal than regular shaped stones.  These projectiles were capable of killing from a great distance, with ancient writers constantly stressing the advantage of range and lethality that these slings and bullets had over bows and arrows.  A bullet found at Athens dated to be contemporary with slingers from Hannibal’s era has been found with thunderbolts engraved on one side and the inscription “Take that!” written on the other side in Greek.  This was a common practice among slingers all across the Mediterranean from Rhodes to the Balearic Islands.  As said, traditional skirmishers in service to Hannibal and Carthage also used javelins and light shields to fight at a distance, though they were not as influential in the ranged game as these slingers were.  Additionally, the slingers could collect ammunition from the battlefield if their bullets were expended, using small stones to good effect.  Altogether, eighteen (18) of twenty (20) possible points are awarded in this category, thanks to the reliability, lethality and incredible distance of the Balearic slings and their slingers.

~Specialized Weapons; Celtic Longsword, Shield.  One of the most iconic elements of Hannibal’s army of mercenaries and allies was the Celts.  They fought in their traditional style with three-foot long slashing swords and oval shields, and that was Hannibal’s brilliance.  He did not try to force his soldiers to all fight the same way, but rather used each of them to their strengths, relying on his force of personality to maintain cohesion in the ranks.  Celts fought alongside Celts, Balearic slingers alongside Balearic slingers, and Numidians alongside Numidians.  In this way chaos was averted that would otherwise rule the goings-on of his army and instead every man was able to fight as efficiently as possible.  Anyway – as when used by the Gallic Celts, the Celtic longsword gets five (5) of five (5) possible points here.

Due to his high status in one of Carthage's wealthy families, in ceremonial events Hannibal Barca would likely have worn ornate bronze - or even gold - armor such as this chest-plate, which depicts one of the Carthaginian gods on its front face as well as intricate detail-work.  This image is used without permission from http://www.carthagelives.com/.

 

-Defensive Assessment

~Head; Thracian, Montefortino and Iberian Helmets.  Greek-style helmets were very popular in Carthage both because of their style and their functionality.  The most common of these was the Thracian model – a bronze, crested helmet featuring adjustable cheek-plates and ear cut-outs to not restrict the senses.  Members of the corps of elite Carthaginian citizen-soldiers who fought hoplite-style with spear and shield, formerly referred to as the Sacred Band, identified themselves by painting a broad black stripe around the rim of the helmet, just above the eyes.  The second type of helmet to be found in Carthage’s armies was the Montefortino.  Used by both Celtic mercenaries and native Carthaginians like Hannibal, this helmet was taken from the Romans and like their maille hauberks were stripped from Roman corpses following battles.  Like the Thracian helmet it gave good visibility and protection, and both types were topped by crests of feathers or horsehair plumes.  The third and most common head protection was the Iberian cap, a simple conical bronze version used by Spanish and Celtic mercenaries.  It was not often decorated with plumes or paint, as they were mass-produced for the rank-and-file troops.  It could feature cheek-plates but typically did not, as they increased the time and resources needed to produce them.  All in all, sixteen (16) of twenty (20) points are awarded in this category.

~Torso; Linothorax, Lorica Hamata.  Due to Alexander’s influence, the primary body armor of most North African soldiers was linothorax – layers of linen glued together and supported by bronze or iron plates within layers.  Good linothorax would be between twelve and twenty layers thick, and more than capable of stopping most attacks to the body whether they were arrows or swords.  This armor was standard for men of the Sacred Band and popular among most Carthaginian citizen-soldiers due to its flexibility without sacrificing good defense.  However, once frequent contact was made between the armies of Rome and Carthage, the Carthaginian soldiers were noted as taking great pains to loot Roman chain-maille, referred to as lorica hamata, as it was even better protection than their linothorax.  It may be likely that top-tier commanders such as Hannibal Barca had used both types of armor in conjunction to create an even more formidable defense, but evidence for this has not been found.  Together, both of these different armor types loot eight (8) of ten (10) possible points.

This video (found here) demonstrates the effectiveness of linothorax armor against a variety of weapons and methods of attack, and also depicts the construction and use of it.  The video was not uploaded by me, and is used without permission from http://www.youtube.com/.

~Limbs; Greaves.  As with the rest of their arms and armor, the Carthaginians looked to the formerly-dominant Greeks for inspiration, and when protecting their limbs they used bronze greaves backed by wool to reduce shock and increase comfort for the wearer.  Unfortunately for them, the smiths of Carthage did not have knowledge of the Greek secret for making the greaves stay in place by virtue of their shape, but instead had to rely on various leather straps and hooks to keep them on.  Regardless, these greaves were normally made from good material – probably forged in Spain and imported to the city – and would have been well-maintained.  However, there are no recorded usage of bracers or other arm-protection among the armies of Carthage, and for that Hannibal must settle for a score of three (3) of five (5) points in this category.

~Mobile; Shields.  The types of shields used by Hannibal’s armies were as varied as the men that carried them.  Libyan, Spanish and Numidian infantry and cavalry wielded small metal bucklers called caetra.  Roughly two feet across and made entirely of iron, they made for great protection without causing much exhaustion in the user.  The shield favored by Carthaginian heavy infantry – descendants of the Sacred Band, who Hannibal would have fought among – was the Greek-style aspis, a large shield made from layers of thin wood and covered in a thin sheet of bronze or brass.  The Sacred Band were unique in that they did not paint devices or symbols on their shields – instead placing them on their linothorax – keeping them all-white in appearance.  Despite possessing a handle and supporting grip-strings on the interior of its face, the Carthaginian aspis was worn by a strap that ran across the neck and hung over the left shoulder, allowing the soldier to wield his sarissa with both hands.  Another type of shield was the scutum, originally of Etruscan design but now popular with Celts and Spanish mercenaries.  Unlike the Roman scutum it was flat and not rimmed with iron, but did share the same general shape and offensive boss.  The final variation of shield was called the thureos, and was native to Carthage and its military.  Oval in shape, it had an iron or bronze boss and was painted with personal symbols.  The thureos was used by Carthaginian light infantry skirmishers, but quickly spread to use among the Balearic slingers as well.  Regardless of their individual variations, all of these shields share a great propensity for personal defense and offense, doing a great job of protecting the wielder while giving him multiple options in combat.  For that reason they get all five (5) possible points in this category.

Due to Carthage's weak navy following the events of the First Punic War, Hannibal was forced to invade Rome by land rather than sea.  To accomplish this, he made the infamous crossing of the Swiss Alps; a dangerous journey in which many of his followers perished.  If the ancient historian Polybius is to be believed, Hannibal entered the mountains with 38,000 infantry, 8,000 cavalry and 37 war-elephants, and left them with only 20,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry and less than ten elephants.  Modern historians heavily debate the accuracy of these numbers, but the fact remains that the Alpine crossing was a monstrous toll on Hannibal's army.  This image is used without permission from http://www.vineland.org/.

-Variables Assessment

~Tactics; Hannibal was a master strategist and tactician.  At the Battle of Cannae in 216 BCE, he completed the greatest military maneuver imaginable:  the double envelopment.  By placing his light infantry in the middle of his line and his heavier units on the outside, he was able to lure the Roman army sent to defeat him into a terrible trap.  As his light units were beaten back and the battle-line expanded outwards, his anchoring units on the wings of the formation continued to advance along the flanks of the Roman army until all but the Roman rear was in combat and enveloped.  At that moment Hannibal sent his Numidian and Spanish cavalry around the battle to complete the double envelopment.  The Romans were said to have been packed so tightly together that they could not use their weapons properly, or even fight back at all.  Men died of heat-stroke and suffocation; some were even trampled underfoot as they lay down to die.  The exact number of Roman losses may never be known, but the closest estimate is that fifty-two thousand, seven hundred Romans and allied soldiers were killed, captured or lost that day out of the more than eighty thousand that took the field.  All five (5) points are awarded to Hannibal here.

~Training; Hannibal accompanied his father, Hamilcar Barca, on an expedition to Spain made to secure valuable silver mines at the age of nine.  From there he stayed in military camps until he was nineteen, when he returned to Carthage for further military education.  As a member of the Carthaginian elite, Hannibal was trained in the usage of swords, spears, slings, shields, bows, and all manner of weapons.  He was educated as a leader of men and exhibited brilliance and bravery on the battlefield many times, even after losing an eye to infection when on campaign in Rome following Cannae.  However, beyond his corps of heavy Carthaginian infantry, proper military training was not regulated among the various units that made up his army.  The Spanish Celts and Libyan infantry would have had some sort of tribal combat experience, while the Balearic slingers were true professionals.  His Numidian infantry and cavalry would have benefited from their proximity to Carthage, but would not have been as well-trained as native Carthaginians.  All told, four (4) of five (5) points are awarded here.

This video (found here) gives an excellent representation of the events that took place at Cannae in 216 BCE.  I would reccommend it to anyone trying to get a better understanding of the battle.  This video was not uploaded by me, and is used without permission from http://www.youtube.com/.

 ~Morale; beyond the native Carthaginian native infantry, almost all of Hannibal’s army was composed of mercenaries and allies.  If a less charismatic commander had tried to weld the many pieces into one whole, it likely would not have worked.  And it did not work after Hannibal was defeated at Zama by Scipio Africanus or at the final siege when Carthage was razed to the ground and her people destroyed.  Lesser commanders lacked the personality and drive to keep cohesion in the forces, and that was one of many reasons why the Carthaginian military machine finally fell into defeat to Rome.  Despite their loyalty to Hannibal, without him there was little reason for the many elements of the army to stay together.  For that three (3) of five (5) points are given, an average score.

~Innovation; mercenaries were used by many different cultures and leaders before Hannibal came to power in Carthage, but never in the numbers or efficiency that he did.  Common military doctrine dictated that mercenary-soldiers were to fill in spots in the battle-line wherever they were needed.  Hannibal changed that by using his mercenaries to their strengths rather than trying to shoehorn them in where they wouldn’t fight as well as when in their traditional roles.  Beyond that, Hannibal’s innovations on the battlefield were many – despite possessing large numbers of professional soldiers, he chose to gradually weaken his enemies in lightning-fast engagements with small units.  This allowed him to preserve his forces while still doing great harm to the enemy.  In conclusion, Hannibal’s advancements over his contemporaries would be too many to list, and it’s easy enough to give him a perfect score of all five (5) possible points in this category.