06-08-2007, 08:52 PM
Another controversial Carthaginian topic is whether or not they used fighting towers on their elephants or simply rode them like horses
I agree though - they could have used spears rather than pikes in the phalanx. I guess it would depend on how Hellenized their army was.
As to the armor, I believe there is a spectrum. On the one side you would have a very Hellenistic appearence - most likely Thracian helmets, quilted linen armor, Macedonian pelta type shields - while on the other side you would have a more Republican Roman appearence - Montefortino helmets, lorica hamata, and perhaps Republican scuta. The change of shield type would depend on the answer to the spear/pike question. The pike is a two handed weapon and the Cathaginian infantry woudl not have been able to use a scutum type shield if they were using pikes. At any rate, at the start of Hannibal's campaign his Carthaginians would have looked very Hellenistic, after he had been in Italy for a time then his troops would have looked very Roman, and during the times in between the appearence would have been somewhere in between as well I imagine.
When I mentioned the Celts before I was only talking about swords. The Carthaginians had a number of different sword types to choose from: the Hellenistic xiphos or kopis, the falcata, or Celt-Iberian type sword along the lines of the hispaniensis. It would have depended on where and when the sword was acquired.
I've seen that shield design or one very much like it when I was searching for shield emblems. There are companies who make shield decals for wargaming miniatures who based some of their designs off the shield emblems from Chemtou. The only catch with those is that they might be Numidian rather than Carthaginian. All the designs do have a distinctive look and feel to them though.
I agree though - they could have used spears rather than pikes in the phalanx. I guess it would depend on how Hellenized their army was.
As to the armor, I believe there is a spectrum. On the one side you would have a very Hellenistic appearence - most likely Thracian helmets, quilted linen armor, Macedonian pelta type shields - while on the other side you would have a more Republican Roman appearence - Montefortino helmets, lorica hamata, and perhaps Republican scuta. The change of shield type would depend on the answer to the spear/pike question. The pike is a two handed weapon and the Cathaginian infantry woudl not have been able to use a scutum type shield if they were using pikes. At any rate, at the start of Hannibal's campaign his Carthaginians would have looked very Hellenistic, after he had been in Italy for a time then his troops would have looked very Roman, and during the times in between the appearence would have been somewhere in between as well I imagine.
When I mentioned the Celts before I was only talking about swords. The Carthaginians had a number of different sword types to choose from: the Hellenistic xiphos or kopis, the falcata, or Celt-Iberian type sword along the lines of the hispaniensis. It would have depended on where and when the sword was acquired.
I've seen that shield design or one very much like it when I was searching for shield emblems. There are companies who make shield decals for wargaming miniatures who based some of their designs off the shield emblems from Chemtou. The only catch with those is that they might be Numidian rather than Carthaginian. All the designs do have a distinctive look and feel to them though.
Dan Zeidler
Legio XX
Legio XX
