06-15-2007, 07:56 AM
If we accept that the locally raised Carthaginian troops (the native Carthaginian officers and mercenaries and the Liby-phoenician troops) were equipped in a Hellenistic manner prior to being requipped with Roman equipment then I don't think it is unreasonable to claim that Carthage, whose written language and religion were eastern and who had strong ties with their eastern Motherland, would equip them in the manner of an eastern Hellenistic army. To support this there is the one tombstone Paul mentioned of a Numidian mercenary with a Carthaginian name that depicts a thureos shield, a sword with a Greek style hilt, two spears, and a peaked helmet that looks like a Pilos type - basically a thureophoroi type soldier. There is a picture of it on page 150 of Greece and Rome at War.
It is also not unreasonable that Carthage might have hired soldiers from the east to come serve as officers for their locally raised troops - they could afford to make it worth someone's while to move to Carthage and it is just human nature that someone would want to jump at the chance for adventure/more money/more power/more experience or what have you.
The distance is not as much of a factor as you might think. Hannibal sent Spanish mercenaries back to Carthage to boost the local defense (and to make sure they stayed loyal, no doubt) and Spain is at least as far from Carthage as Carthage is from Greece. According to Connolly, Polybius quoted figures from a bronze tablet placed by Hannibal that stated Hannibal sent 13,850 Spanish infantry, 1,200 cavalry, and 850 Balearic slingers back to Carthage before he set out to cross the Alps. If Carthage had the hulls to move 15,900 troops from Spain to Carthage then they certainly could have imported a few eastern mercenaries if they wanted to do so.
Polybius apparently also states the Liby-phoenicians were organized into speirai...interesting.
The native Carthaginian officers most likely would have worn whatever they wanted because they could afford to, Carthaginian mercenaries most likely would have worn whatever they could afford, and the Liby-phoenicians most likely would have worn what they were given.
It is also not unreasonable that Carthage might have hired soldiers from the east to come serve as officers for their locally raised troops - they could afford to make it worth someone's while to move to Carthage and it is just human nature that someone would want to jump at the chance for adventure/more money/more power/more experience or what have you.
The distance is not as much of a factor as you might think. Hannibal sent Spanish mercenaries back to Carthage to boost the local defense (and to make sure they stayed loyal, no doubt) and Spain is at least as far from Carthage as Carthage is from Greece. According to Connolly, Polybius quoted figures from a bronze tablet placed by Hannibal that stated Hannibal sent 13,850 Spanish infantry, 1,200 cavalry, and 850 Balearic slingers back to Carthage before he set out to cross the Alps. If Carthage had the hulls to move 15,900 troops from Spain to Carthage then they certainly could have imported a few eastern mercenaries if they wanted to do so.
Polybius apparently also states the Liby-phoenicians were organized into speirai...interesting.
The native Carthaginian officers most likely would have worn whatever they wanted because they could afford to, Carthaginian mercenaries most likely would have worn whatever they could afford, and the Liby-phoenicians most likely would have worn what they were given.
Dan Zeidler
Legio XX
Legio XX
