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Osprey Elite #201
The Carthaginians 6th–2nd Century BC
Carthage became Rome's greatest and most legendary enemy under the generalship of Hannibal in battles like Cannae. During the Punic Wars, Carthage's elite mercenary-professional army was ultimately defeated by Roman endurance and Scipio's genius.
Carthage, the port-city in Tunisia first settled by Phoenicians from Tyre, grew to extend a competitive maritime trading empire all over the Western Mediterranean and beyond, increasingly defended by the best navy of the period. In the 6th century BC this came into confrontation with Greek colonists in Sicily, starting major wars that lasted through the 5th and 4th centuries, and involved much interaction with different Greek forces. During the 3rd century Carthage first clashed with Roman armies, and in the course of three wars that raged over Spain, Sicily and Italy the Romans suffered the greatest defeats in their early history (e.g. Lake Trasimene and Cannae, 217 and 216 BC) at the hands of Hamilcar, Hannibal and Hasdrubal Barca, leading multinational armies of North Africans and Europeans.
It was 202 BC before Hannibal was decisively defeated by Scipio Africanus at Zama, and 146 BC before Carthage itself was finally captured and destroyed. The victors tried to wipe the memory of Carthage out of the historical record, and while Hannibal himself has attracted fascinated study, little work has been done on trying to explain the character and reconstruct the appearance of Carthaginian armies. The authors of this study present a careful synthesis of all available literary, archaeological and iconographic evidence, in the most up-to-date attempt to do so. Their findings are dramatized in a portfolio of detailed and animated color plates by Giuseppe Rava.
Carthage, the port-city in Tunisia first settled by Phoenicians from Tyre, grew to extend a competitive maritime trading empire all over the Western Mediterranean and beyond, increasingly defended by the best navy of the period. In the 6th century BC this came into confrontation with Greek colonists in Sicily, starting major wars that lasted through the 5th and 4th centuries, and involved much interaction with different Greek forces. During the 3rd century Carthage first clashed with Roman armies, and in the course of three wars that raged over Spain, Sicily and Italy the Romans suffered the greatest defeats in their early history (e.g. Lake Trasimene and Cannae, 217 and 216 BC) at the hands of Hamilcar, Hannibal and Hasdrubal Barca, leading multinational armies of North Africans and Europeans.
It was 202 BC before Hannibal was decisively defeated by Scipio Africanus at Zama, and 146 BC before Carthage itself was finally captured and destroyed. The victors tried to wipe the memory of Carthage out of the historical record, and while Hannibal himself has attracted fascinated study, little work has been done on trying to explain the character and reconstruct the appearance of Carthaginian armies. The authors of this study present a careful synthesis of all available literary, archaeological and iconographic evidence, in the most up-to-date attempt to do so. Their findings are dramatized in a portfolio of detailed and animated color plates by Giuseppe Rava.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 22, 2015
The trick with Osprey books is to manage expectations. These slim volumes are primarily written for gamers who want to ensure they paint models accurately, or for those history buffs specifically interested in military minutiae such as specific order-of-battle or panoply details, which are far too down-in-the-weeds for even military monography to tackle to any degree of satisfaction.
Osprey books fill this niche nicely, and are a fabulous resource for those who already have a background in the political, social, economic and contextual history of the subject they address.
This book works well in that regard, and does an excellent job of helping a reader reconstruct the appearance, basic tactics and arming and equipping of Carthaginian troops during the Punic Wars. Great care is invested in ensuring that every illustration is properly sourced in the text (which is pretty much only Polybius, Livy) and the remaining material culture. As such, you get snapshots that are as close to a photograph of the Carthaginians at war as you could hope for.
The book, and the series in general, will leave those seeking a narrative or a context cold, but Osprey is the only publisher doing what it does, and I am grateful for the opportunity to dive so deep on such a narrow topic.
Osprey books fill this niche nicely, and are a fabulous resource for those who already have a background in the political, social, economic and contextual history of the subject they address.
This book works well in that regard, and does an excellent job of helping a reader reconstruct the appearance, basic tactics and arming and equipping of Carthaginian troops during the Punic Wars. Great care is invested in ensuring that every illustration is properly sourced in the text (which is pretty much only Polybius, Livy) and the remaining material culture. As such, you get snapshots that are as close to a photograph of the Carthaginians at war as you could hope for.
The book, and the series in general, will leave those seeking a narrative or a context cold, but Osprey is the only publisher doing what it does, and I am grateful for the opportunity to dive so deep on such a narrow topic.
August 15, 2025
The authors Salimbeti and D'Amato are regular appearances on Osprey titles, and they always manage to bring scholarship, interesting artifacts and images of monuments and paintings which enlighten and justify the text and their hypothesis. All clearly explained for the layman, the gamer and accompanied by the impressive art of Giuseppe Rava.
In the hundreds of books published by Osprey there were too few about Carthage, and the most recent one in the warrior series, although very interesting and with gorgeous plates, was almost entirely dedicated to the mercenary in the ancient world (not specifically the ones hired by Carthage). The authors of this work didn't fell into that trap; they managed to bring as much information on the Punic soldier and the evolution of their equipment and tactics as it can possibly be ascertained from the sources. Naturally they also mention the mercenaries and their equipment; it would be a severe mistake not to do it because they were an extremely important part of the Carthaginian army.
It includes a resume of the Carthaginian Military history, a competent chronology, a small discussion regarding Carthaginian cruelty, the organization of the army, including allies and mercenaries, tactics, troop types (including the old chariots, elephants, cavalry and artillery, etc.), Arms and equipment, dress and physical appearance, the Carthaginian Navy and some selected battles and campaigns (the conquest of Sardinia 545-509 BC; the battle of Himera 480 BC; the Mercenary revolt).
Terracotta statuettes, weapons and armour, the monument at Chemtou and votive steles from the Tophet of Carthage are shown with details which helped in the remarkable colour plates by Rava which include: Early Carthaginians 6th cent. BC (representing a Carthaginian war-chariot, its crew and Iolei warriors); First Battle of Himera 480 BC (with Hamilcar Magonid, a Sardinian Phoenician marine and a Carthaginian Hoplite equipped in the Greek way); High Ranking Officials c. 400 BC (A shophet, a Priest and a General performing a ceremony); The Mercenary Revolt 238 BC (excellent action scene representing a war elephant, a Gaetulian cavalryman, an Iberian Cavalryman and a Balearic slinger); Life in the City, mid 4th Cent. BC (including 2 well equipped Carthaginian citizen soldiers and a Greek mercenary watching women dancing and playing music); Battle of Lake Trasimeno 217 BC (this fabulous painting represents the last moments of the Roman Consul Caius Flaminius Nepos; also represented in this piece is a Roman triarius, a Garamantian light infantryman and an Insubrian Chieftain); Battle of Mylae 260 bc (a naval engagement, in this plate a Roman boarding party uses the corvus to attack Carthaginian marines); Hannibal Barca before Zama 202 BC (magnificent representation of Hannibal, his shield bearer, a Puno-Lybian Doryphoros, an Adyrmachid warrior and a Carthaginian citizen cavalry standard bearer).
In the hundreds of books published by Osprey there were too few about Carthage, and the most recent one in the warrior series, although very interesting and with gorgeous plates, was almost entirely dedicated to the mercenary in the ancient world (not specifically the ones hired by Carthage). The authors of this work didn't fell into that trap; they managed to bring as much information on the Punic soldier and the evolution of their equipment and tactics as it can possibly be ascertained from the sources. Naturally they also mention the mercenaries and their equipment; it would be a severe mistake not to do it because they were an extremely important part of the Carthaginian army.
It includes a resume of the Carthaginian Military history, a competent chronology, a small discussion regarding Carthaginian cruelty, the organization of the army, including allies and mercenaries, tactics, troop types (including the old chariots, elephants, cavalry and artillery, etc.), Arms and equipment, dress and physical appearance, the Carthaginian Navy and some selected battles and campaigns (the conquest of Sardinia 545-509 BC; the battle of Himera 480 BC; the Mercenary revolt).
Terracotta statuettes, weapons and armour, the monument at Chemtou and votive steles from the Tophet of Carthage are shown with details which helped in the remarkable colour plates by Rava which include: Early Carthaginians 6th cent. BC (representing a Carthaginian war-chariot, its crew and Iolei warriors); First Battle of Himera 480 BC (with Hamilcar Magonid, a Sardinian Phoenician marine and a Carthaginian Hoplite equipped in the Greek way); High Ranking Officials c. 400 BC (A shophet, a Priest and a General performing a ceremony); The Mercenary Revolt 238 BC (excellent action scene representing a war elephant, a Gaetulian cavalryman, an Iberian Cavalryman and a Balearic slinger); Life in the City, mid 4th Cent. BC (including 2 well equipped Carthaginian citizen soldiers and a Greek mercenary watching women dancing and playing music); Battle of Lake Trasimeno 217 BC (this fabulous painting represents the last moments of the Roman Consul Caius Flaminius Nepos; also represented in this piece is a Roman triarius, a Garamantian light infantryman and an Insubrian Chieftain); Battle of Mylae 260 bc (a naval engagement, in this plate a Roman boarding party uses the corvus to attack Carthaginian marines); Hannibal Barca before Zama 202 BC (magnificent representation of Hannibal, his shield bearer, a Puno-Lybian Doryphoros, an Adyrmachid warrior and a Carthaginian citizen cavalry standard bearer).
October 24, 2019
686 - 2019
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews