.:: The Rise of Hamilcar | (Chapter 2) ::. The first Punic War lasted 23 years. It spanned a generation. In the last years of the war, a Carthaginian general emerged by the name of Hamilcar Barca when he defeated war luminary Marcus Fabius Buteo.

However, due to a lack of necessary support from the miserly oligarchs back in North Africa, he was never able to drive the final nail in Rome's coffin, and his men, equipment, food and other necessities eventually depleted.

This gave Rome the chance she desperately needed after her losses to Hamilcar, whose men were growing hungry, tired and wondering day-to-day whether they were getting paid, to rally back, securing victory, ending the first Punic war.

On one notable occasion, Hamilcar's troops, mercenaries all, had been caught looting the countryside by a greater Roman force. This was not an action Hamilcar had authorized. These troops were hungry. They were promptly killed. Hamilcar requested a truce, time enough to honor the dead, but this was rejected by Roman Consul Fundanius. Some short while later, in an ironic twist of fate, this same consul would suffer a bitter defeat and requests a truce to bury his own dead. Hamilcar obliged, replying that his quarrel was with the living and the dead had paid their dues. This was the character of Hamilcar Barca, the same man who, once defeat finally came, refused to disarm his soldiers or return Roman dissenters despite agreed-upon terms of surrender. He would later be allowed to leave Sicily, honor in tact, in the company of his still-armed forces without a hint of submission.

Hamilcar was a good and honest man even by the accounts of Roman propagandists so let it be a surprise when some years after this "defeat" at the hands of Rome--again emphasizing that it wasn't so much a military defeat as it was a misallocation of resources by an unfriendly Council of Elders--he required his son Hannibal to take a blood oath "never to be a friend of Rome." Hannibal would honor this all the days of his life. But why would Hamilcar and now, by extension, Hannibal have enmity towards Rome who had shown so much grace in victory?

Gaius Lutatius Catulus was the Roman general to which Hamilcar's top lieutenant Gisco, on behalf of Carthage, pledged surrender. He had also accepted the peace terms between the two sides. Except... he didn't have the authority to do that. The Roman Senate, unhappy with the terms, tacked on extra reparation payments and reduced the area of the Mediterranean on which Carthage could trade.

These payments would lead to Carthage's inability to pay their mercenaries (a vast majority of their army) which would lead directly to an internal conflict known as the "Mercenary Wars." While Carthage was distracted by this, Rome invaded Sardinia and Corsica, previously acknowledged as Carthage's territory, and charged Carthage 1,200 silver talents for the privelige. This betrayal would be enough to create enmity within the best-natured man but what followed hardened hatred into Hamilcar's heart forever: Carthage turned on him.

Led by his unsuccessful military predecessor and rival, representative of the aristrocratic elements within Carthage, Hanno II the so-called "Great" sought a scapegoat for the surrender to Rome. Citing Hamilcar as responsible for the terms and resulting aftermath. He wanted to Hamilcar's head. Carthage had a history of hauling defeated generals before the tribunal of 100 to be crucified and, in an effort to avoid this, Hamilcar had to rally his populist party.

The aristocrats favored peace with Rome at all costs. It had been their choice to support Hanno's conquests in North Africa over Hamilcar's efforts in Sicily against Rome, reducing the size of the navy and leading ultimately to Rome's victory.

Hanno's personal wealth, agricultural in nature, benefitted far more from expanding holdings in Africa than from protecting merchant ships on the high sea. He voted not to continue the war with Rome, siphoned resources best used in that war and then refused to pay the Berber mercenaries after the war! Later he leads the faction opposing Hannibal and is responsible for preventing reinforcements being sent to Hannibal after the Battle of Cannae. His refusal to pay the mercenaries leads to the Mercenary Wars, and is a primary reason (other than the prospect of a hot wife) the Berbers side with Rome at the end of the second war! Hamilcar was furious, determined to remind the aristocrats it had been their failures, not his, that lost the war.

Having gained immunity from prosecution in Carthage, Hamilcar began recruiting and training a new army under the ruse of securing Carthage's African domain. He was giving the aristocrats exactly what they wanted and, as such, received no opposition. Hamilcar immediately co-opted this army, his army, and instead headed into Iberia, modern-day Spain and Portugal. This, naturally, concerned Rome.

As discussed earlier, passing through Iberia is a second route into Italy proper and so Rome sent an emissary to Hamilcar demanding to know why Carthage was positioning troops here. Hamilcar promptly explained that looting in Iberia, which was rich in silver mines, provided a large portion of the reparations payment mandated by Rome. More than happy to be "getting paid, son," Rome's proxy promptly packed up, went home and smiled upon Hamilcar as he establishes the Barcid empire beginning with Novo Carthago. Hannibal joins his father conquering Iberia, cutting his teeth on the locals now in anticipation of his struggles against Rome later.

Hamilcar dies during this period but, according to some sources, left to his son a grand strategy, a plan for total war with Rome that Hannibal might later fulfil. Remember, Carthaginian armies had two possible supply routes, one by land and one by sea. By this time Rome has learned much about ships and ship-building and enjoys a monopoly on the sea. This suited the Iberian-based Hannibal just fine.

In 219 BC, Hannibal besieges Saguntum. He claims it as his in accordance with The Ebro Treaty, which stated that Carthage may not carry out military endeavors north of the Ebro as long as Rome did not venture south of it. Rome had a loose relationship with Saguntum, however, and considered this an act of aggression against Rome herself. Saguntum begged Rome for help, who was occupied elsewhere, for eight months before succumbing to Carthage's military might. Rome offered Carthage two options: surrender Hannibal or prepare for war. The Council of Elders, split in opinion, asked the Roman envoy to decide for them. One member sent by Rome, bitter Marcus Fabius Buteo, declared "Let there be war!" thus unleashing a rabid Hannibal to fulfil his father's vengeance. Casus belli.

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