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Osprey Warrior #150
Carthaginian Warrior 264–146 BC
The armies of Carthage were diverse, made up of men of various ethnic groups, military specializations, and even motivations. Whilst some were citizen soldiers fighting on behalf of their state, others were ruthless mercenaries who remained loyal only so long as they were paid. As the Punic Wars progressed and the merits of professional soldiers became appreciated, mercenaries became the backbone of Carthaginian armies. Backed up by detailed reference to historical sources, this book examines the life of a Carthaginian warrior, following his experiences from initial recruitment to final battle, and focusing on what he ate, the equipment he carried and the tactics he used on the battlefield. This in-depth analysis of warriors in daily life and battle is accompanied by archival photographs and vibrant illustrations from Steve Noon.
64 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2010
44 people want to read
About the author
Nic Fields
87 books21 followersDr Nic Fields started his career as a biochemist before joining the Royal Marines. Having left the Navy, he went back to University and completed a BA and PhD in Ancient History at the University of Newcastle. He was Assistant Director at the British School of Archaeology, Athens, and is now a lecturer in Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 24, 2019
675 - 2019
Omong-omong, apakah KPG sudah berhenti menyadur dan menerbitkan buku-buku serial Osprey? Tapi... mungkin peminat yang gemar membeli dan membaca serial ini sepertiku tidak banyak di Indonesia ya.
Omong-omong, apakah KPG sudah berhenti menyadur dan menerbitkan buku-buku serial Osprey? Tapi... mungkin peminat yang gemar membeli dan membaca serial ini sepertiku tidak banyak di Indonesia ya.
May 31, 2025
I was looking for more information on the training of the soldiers of Carthage but I doubt I will find much of that unless I read something written closer to the time period.
Nevertheless, this small book was a good introduction to the different mercenaries that made up Carthage's armies and a good discussion of the lifestyle they lived and what battle might have looked like for them.
Nevertheless, this small book was a good introduction to the different mercenaries that made up Carthage's armies and a good discussion of the lifestyle they lived and what battle might have looked like for them.
November 1, 2014
Osprey has published a great many books of military history in a large number of series, none of which runs more than 96 pages (many are half that length), and they’ve been mostly successful in providing generally well-written overviews of individual battles or campaigns, or military units. Fields (who is new to me) is an ex-Royal Marine and biochemist who did a Ph.D. in ancient history and later was involved with the British School at Athens, taught at the University of Edinburgh, and is now a freelance author -- quite a varied career. And he seems to have done a pretty good job here.
Carthage, the Phoenician city on the coast of what is now Tunisia, was the superpower of its day, controlling an empire that spread over most of the Mediterranean. Rome, the up-and-coming empire-builders, ran into them in a serious way when they first tried to expand into Sicily, and the result was a series of three hard-fought wars spread over more than a century that ended with the utter defeat and destruction of Carthage.
This volume is better organized than many earlier ones, with sections on the political organization of Carthage itself, the Carthaginian military structure (based, like the Roman republican army, on the Greek system) and how it was recruited and equipped, how it campaigned, and the events of the Punic Wars themselves (though that’s somewhat skimped, being covered in detail elsewhere among Osprey’s publications.). The Carthaginians depended not only on conscripts at home but also on Iberian cavalrymen, slingers from the Balearic Islands, and mercenary commanders like Xanthippos (whom Fields describes as Spartan, and whom artist Steve Noon paints as such, though all that is known for sure is that he was Greek), and all this is well covered. Fields is, in fact, a fluent and interesting writer. It’s also nice that the photos in the more recent Osprey volumes are all in color, in a resolution far superior to the older volumes. There’s even a decent basic bibliography for further reading.
Carthage, the Phoenician city on the coast of what is now Tunisia, was the superpower of its day, controlling an empire that spread over most of the Mediterranean. Rome, the up-and-coming empire-builders, ran into them in a serious way when they first tried to expand into Sicily, and the result was a series of three hard-fought wars spread over more than a century that ended with the utter defeat and destruction of Carthage.
This volume is better organized than many earlier ones, with sections on the political organization of Carthage itself, the Carthaginian military structure (based, like the Roman republican army, on the Greek system) and how it was recruited and equipped, how it campaigned, and the events of the Punic Wars themselves (though that’s somewhat skimped, being covered in detail elsewhere among Osprey’s publications.). The Carthaginians depended not only on conscripts at home but also on Iberian cavalrymen, slingers from the Balearic Islands, and mercenary commanders like Xanthippos (whom Fields describes as Spartan, and whom artist Steve Noon paints as such, though all that is known for sure is that he was Greek), and all this is well covered. Fields is, in fact, a fluent and interesting writer. It’s also nice that the photos in the more recent Osprey volumes are all in color, in a resolution far superior to the older volumes. There’s even a decent basic bibliography for further reading.
December 11, 2010
A good brief examination of Carthaginian forces from 264-146 BC. Carthage used many mercenaries in its armed forces, and the book speaks to that. It begins with a nice chronology of events over the time period covered (pages 7-12), even going back to the very founding of Carthage itself (814 BC).
Subjects covered include the Constitution of Carthage, its armies (mercenaries as well as citizen warriors), recruitment and training of the troops, weapons used, salary and food, and the experience of battle.
This book covers a fair amount of territory. Sometimes coverage is a bit thin, but--overall--a fine addition to the Osprey "Warrior" series.
Subjects covered include the Constitution of Carthage, its armies (mercenaries as well as citizen warriors), recruitment and training of the troops, weapons used, salary and food, and the experience of battle.
This book covers a fair amount of territory. Sometimes coverage is a bit thin, but--overall--a fine addition to the Osprey "Warrior" series.
January 14, 2022
Muy interesante. Inicia describiendo lo poco que se sabe del sistema político cartaginés y continúa describiendo el sistema militar, basado en mercenarios. Por ello, describe tanto lo puramente cartaginés como el soldado ibero, libio, celta y griego, por haber mercenarios y aliados de estas culturas bajo mando cartaginés.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews