Battle of Beneventum (214 BC), continued ...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Preliminaries
Hanno and Gracchus reached the city about the same time, but Gracchus got actual possession of the city due to the fact that there was a Roman garrison within it.
He encamped about a mile outside of the city, astride Hanno's path.
Hanno encamped roughly three miles from the city.
It was at this time that Gracchus received permission from the senate to promise the two legions that consisted of slaves, that were the battle won, and they brought him the head of an enemy, they would be granted their freedom.
It was not until the next day that the armies lined up in order of battle.
The two sides arrayed their respective forces in a fashion typical of the day.
Hanno, with his right wing on the Calor river, placed his cavalry.
Next to these, in his center, came his infantry.
To the left of these, "Flying in the air" so to speak due to the fact they were not protected by any topographical feature, was the other half of Hanno's cavalry.
The Roman line was longer than that of the Carthaginians.
The Roman left was similarly arrayed, except that the Roman cavalry was stationed on the left.
Traditionally, the Roman cavalry was weaker in number than the allied cavalry.
To the right of the Roman cavalry were the legions.
Traditionally, a Roman army consisted of four legions, the two Roman legions "Proper" (In the sense that they were Roman) so to speak were on the inner part of the Roman line and the two allied legions were placed to the left and right of these respectively.
However, it is not clear if there were any allied legions in this battle, it is not specified.
It is also not specified where the proper Roman legions and the legions manned by slaves were placed respectively.
To the right of the infantry was where the majority of the Roman cavalry was stationed.
TO BE CONTINUED …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... m_(214_BC)
MUSINGS ON THE SCHEME OF THINGS
Re: MUSINGS ON THE SCHEME OF THINGS
Battle of Beneventum (214 BC), continued ...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Battle
The ensuing battle was a bloody slogging match.
Gracchus' proclamation almost proved to be the Roman¹s undoing.
As not only were the slaves stopping to decapitate the slain, but they were carrying them around the battle field with them, thus hampering them.
Realizing what was happening, he declared no man would be freed unless the enemy were completely defeated.
While this was going on, Gracchus ordered his cavalry to attack Hanno's flanks, where the Numidian cavalry was stationed.
The Numidian cavalry fought skillfully against this cavalry charge, and for some time the combat on the flanks was in doubt.
However, Gracchus again sent word through his orderlies to the rank and file that unless the enemy were quickly defeated, they would not win their freedom.
Being thus motivated, the slave legions made one last desperate push, and forced the Carthaginian army to retreat back to their camp where they were swiftly followed by the legionaries themselves.
Upon arriving in the camp, the Carthaginians found that some of their Roman prisoners had armed themselves with weapons.
Completely surrounded, the Carthaginian reinforcements were utterly destroyed.
TO BE CONTINUED …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... m_(214_BC)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Battle
The ensuing battle was a bloody slogging match.
Gracchus' proclamation almost proved to be the Roman¹s undoing.
As not only were the slaves stopping to decapitate the slain, but they were carrying them around the battle field with them, thus hampering them.
Realizing what was happening, he declared no man would be freed unless the enemy were completely defeated.
While this was going on, Gracchus ordered his cavalry to attack Hanno's flanks, where the Numidian cavalry was stationed.
The Numidian cavalry fought skillfully against this cavalry charge, and for some time the combat on the flanks was in doubt.
However, Gracchus again sent word through his orderlies to the rank and file that unless the enemy were quickly defeated, they would not win their freedom.
Being thus motivated, the slave legions made one last desperate push, and forced the Carthaginian army to retreat back to their camp where they were swiftly followed by the legionaries themselves.
Upon arriving in the camp, the Carthaginians found that some of their Roman prisoners had armed themselves with weapons.
Completely surrounded, the Carthaginian reinforcements were utterly destroyed.
TO BE CONTINUED …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... m_(214_BC)
Re: MUSINGS ON THE SCHEME OF THINGS
Battle of Beneventum (214 BC), concluded ...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aftermath
The ensuing onslaught led to the total destruction of Hanno's army and the capture of his camp; less than 2,000 of his men escaped with their lives, including Hanno.
2,000 Romans were also killed in the battle.
Although Gracchus proclaimed the liberty of his soldiers for thus winning the victory, there were some 4,000 soldiers that he was displeased with.
As a result of this, he ordered that they should eat their evening meal standing, instead of sitting, for the rest of their service in the legions.
In the legions, the morning meal was taken standing, but the evening meal was taken sitting.
This gesture was meant to dishonor them for a perceived lack of courage during the battle.
Gracchus, after the battle, proceeded into Lucania, in order to prevent Hanno from raising another army in this area and using it to reinforce Hannibal.
Gracchus was eventually able to push Hanno into Bruttium as a result of his victory outside of Beneventum.
Being robbed of the prospect of badly needed reinforcements, Hannibal was forced to come to terms with the fact that he would be unable to conduct a successful campaign in Campania.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... m_(214_BC)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aftermath
The ensuing onslaught led to the total destruction of Hanno's army and the capture of his camp; less than 2,000 of his men escaped with their lives, including Hanno.
2,000 Romans were also killed in the battle.
Although Gracchus proclaimed the liberty of his soldiers for thus winning the victory, there were some 4,000 soldiers that he was displeased with.
As a result of this, he ordered that they should eat their evening meal standing, instead of sitting, for the rest of their service in the legions.
In the legions, the morning meal was taken standing, but the evening meal was taken sitting.
This gesture was meant to dishonor them for a perceived lack of courage during the battle.
Gracchus, after the battle, proceeded into Lucania, in order to prevent Hanno from raising another army in this area and using it to reinforce Hannibal.
Gracchus was eventually able to push Hanno into Bruttium as a result of his victory outside of Beneventum.
Being robbed of the prospect of badly needed reinforcements, Hannibal was forced to come to terms with the fact that he would be unable to conduct a successful campaign in Campania.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... m_(214_BC)
Re: MUSINGS ON THE SCHEME OF THINGS
Continued from p.48:
Second Punic War, continued ...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Africa (213 BC)
While the Romans made little progress in the Iberian theatre, the Scipios were able to negotiate a new front in Africa by allying themselves with Syphax, a powerful Numidian king in North Africa.
In 213 BC, he received Roman advisers to train his heavy infantry soldiers that had not yet been able to stand up to their Carthaginian counterparts.
With this support, he waged war against the Carthaginian ally Gala.
According to Appian, in 213 BC Hasdrubal left Iberia and fought Syphax, though history may have confused him with Hasdrubal Gisco; however, it did tie down Carthaginian resources.
Hasdrubal Gisco is the son of the Gesco who had served together with Hamilcar Barca, Hannibal's father, in Sicily during the First Punic War and son-in-law of Hanno the Elder who was one of Hannibal's lieutenants in Italy.
TO BE CONTINUED …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Punic_War
Second Punic War, continued ...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Africa (213 BC)
While the Romans made little progress in the Iberian theatre, the Scipios were able to negotiate a new front in Africa by allying themselves with Syphax, a powerful Numidian king in North Africa.
In 213 BC, he received Roman advisers to train his heavy infantry soldiers that had not yet been able to stand up to their Carthaginian counterparts.
With this support, he waged war against the Carthaginian ally Gala.
According to Appian, in 213 BC Hasdrubal left Iberia and fought Syphax, though history may have confused him with Hasdrubal Gisco; however, it did tie down Carthaginian resources.
Hasdrubal Gisco is the son of the Gesco who had served together with Hamilcar Barca, Hannibal's father, in Sicily during the First Punic War and son-in-law of Hanno the Elder who was one of Hannibal's lieutenants in Italy.
TO BE CONTINUED …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Punic_War
Re: MUSINGS ON THE SCHEME OF THINGS
Second Punic War, continued ...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sicily (213–212 BC)
Syracuse, located on the sea routes Hannibal needed to secure supply, and Lilybaeum both remained in Roman hands.
Hannibal was aided by the fact that Hiero II, the old tyrant of Syracuse and a staunch Roman ally, had died and his successor Hieronymus was discontented with his position in the Roman alliance.
Hannibal dispatched two of his lieutenants, who were of Syracusian origin, to negotiate with Hieronymus.
They succeeded in winning Syracuse over, at the price, however, of making the whole of Sicily a Syracusan possession.
The Syracusans' ambitions were great, but the army they fielded was no match for the arriving Roman force, leading to the Siege of Syracuse from 213 BC onwards.
The Siege of Syracuse from 213 BC onwards, was marked by Archimedes' ingenuity in inventing war machines that made it impossible for the Romans to make any gains with traditional methods of siege warfare.
It was imperative for the Romans to maintain control over Sicily, for otherwise the Carthaginians would be able to reinforce Hannibal in southern Italy with impunity.
The Roman commitment would be matched by the Carthaginians.
A Carthaginian army of 25,000 infantry, 3,000 cavalry and 12 elephants under Himilco was sent to relieve the city in 213, landing at and capturing Heraclea Minoa and followed up by taking Agrigentum.
Himilco began taking over Roman-garrisoned towns in Sicily.
The Roman garrison at Morgantina was betrayed from within, while the Roman garrison commander at nearby Enna heard of Morgantina's treachery and massacred Enna's civilian population.
A general revolt against Roman rule in Sicily erupted, with Roman garrisons either being expelled from towns or exterminated by the rebels with Carthaginian support.
TO BE CONTINUED …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Punic_War
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sicily (213–212 BC)
Syracuse, located on the sea routes Hannibal needed to secure supply, and Lilybaeum both remained in Roman hands.
Hannibal was aided by the fact that Hiero II, the old tyrant of Syracuse and a staunch Roman ally, had died and his successor Hieronymus was discontented with his position in the Roman alliance.
Hannibal dispatched two of his lieutenants, who were of Syracusian origin, to negotiate with Hieronymus.
They succeeded in winning Syracuse over, at the price, however, of making the whole of Sicily a Syracusan possession.
The Syracusans' ambitions were great, but the army they fielded was no match for the arriving Roman force, leading to the Siege of Syracuse from 213 BC onwards.
The Siege of Syracuse from 213 BC onwards, was marked by Archimedes' ingenuity in inventing war machines that made it impossible for the Romans to make any gains with traditional methods of siege warfare.
It was imperative for the Romans to maintain control over Sicily, for otherwise the Carthaginians would be able to reinforce Hannibal in southern Italy with impunity.
The Roman commitment would be matched by the Carthaginians.
A Carthaginian army of 25,000 infantry, 3,000 cavalry and 12 elephants under Himilco was sent to relieve the city in 213, landing at and capturing Heraclea Minoa and followed up by taking Agrigentum.
Himilco began taking over Roman-garrisoned towns in Sicily.
The Roman garrison at Morgantina was betrayed from within, while the Roman garrison commander at nearby Enna heard of Morgantina's treachery and massacred Enna's civilian population.
A general revolt against Roman rule in Sicily erupted, with Roman garrisons either being expelled from towns or exterminated by the rebels with Carthaginian support.
TO BE CONTINUED …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Punic_War
Re: MUSINGS ON THE SCHEME OF THINGS
Second Punic War, continued ...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carthaginian zenith (212–211 BC)
Spain (212–211 BC)
In Spain, the Carthaginians after 214 were able to stop the wave of defections to Rome.
The Scipio brothers captured Saguntum in 212 BC.
In 211, they hired 20,000 Celtiberian mercenaries to reinforce their army of 30,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry.
Observing that the Carthaginian armies were deployed apart from each other, with Hasdrubal Barca and 15,000 troops near Amtorgis, and Mago Barca and Hasdrubal Gisco, both with 10,000 troops, further to the west of Hasdrubal, the Scipio brothers planned to split their forces.
Publius Scipio moved 20,000 Roman and allied soldiers to attack Mago Barca near Castulo, while Gnaeus Scipio took one double legion (10,000 troops) and the mercenaries to attack Hasdrubal Barca.
This stratagem resulted in two battles, the Battle of Castulo and the Battle of Ilorca, which occurred within a few days of each other, usually combined as the Battle of the Upper Baetis (211 BC).
Both battles ended in complete defeats for the Romans as Hasdrubal had bribed the Roman mercenaries to desert and return home without a fight.
The isolated and outnumbered Romans were then killed off by the Carthaginians.
As a result of the battles, the Romans were thrown back to their situation of 218.
They retreated to their coastal stronghold north of the Ebro, from which the Carthaginians failed to expel them.
It is notable that the Roman soldiers decided to elect a new leader, since both commanders had been killed, a practice hitherto known only in Carthaginian or Hellenistic armies.
Claudius Nero brought over reinforcements in 210 and stabilized the situation.
TO BE CONTINUED …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Punic_War
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carthaginian zenith (212–211 BC)
Spain (212–211 BC)
In Spain, the Carthaginians after 214 were able to stop the wave of defections to Rome.
The Scipio brothers captured Saguntum in 212 BC.
In 211, they hired 20,000 Celtiberian mercenaries to reinforce their army of 30,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry.
Observing that the Carthaginian armies were deployed apart from each other, with Hasdrubal Barca and 15,000 troops near Amtorgis, and Mago Barca and Hasdrubal Gisco, both with 10,000 troops, further to the west of Hasdrubal, the Scipio brothers planned to split their forces.
Publius Scipio moved 20,000 Roman and allied soldiers to attack Mago Barca near Castulo, while Gnaeus Scipio took one double legion (10,000 troops) and the mercenaries to attack Hasdrubal Barca.
This stratagem resulted in two battles, the Battle of Castulo and the Battle of Ilorca, which occurred within a few days of each other, usually combined as the Battle of the Upper Baetis (211 BC).
Both battles ended in complete defeats for the Romans as Hasdrubal had bribed the Roman mercenaries to desert and return home without a fight.
The isolated and outnumbered Romans were then killed off by the Carthaginians.
As a result of the battles, the Romans were thrown back to their situation of 218.
They retreated to their coastal stronghold north of the Ebro, from which the Carthaginians failed to expel them.
It is notable that the Roman soldiers decided to elect a new leader, since both commanders had been killed, a practice hitherto known only in Carthaginian or Hellenistic armies.
Claudius Nero brought over reinforcements in 210 and stabilized the situation.
TO BE CONTINUED …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Punic_War
Re: MUSINGS ON THE SCHEME OF THINGS
Battle of the Upper Baetis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle of the Upper Baetis was a double battle, comprising the battles of Castulo and Ilorca, fought in 211 BC during the Second Punic War between a Carthaginian force led by Hasdrubal Barca (Hannibal's brother) and a Roman force led by Publius Cornelius Scipio and his brother Gnaeus.
The immediate result was a Carthaginian victory in which both Roman brothers were killed.
Before this defeat, the brothers had spent seven years (218BC - 211BC) campaigning in Hispania, which had limited the resources available to Hannibal, who was simultaneously fighting the Romans in Italy.
This double battle also represents the only Carthaginian victory in a major land battle during the Second Punic War in which Hannibal was not in command of the Carthaginian armies.
Background
After the defeat of Hasdrubal Barca in the Battle of Dertosa in the spring of 215 BC, the Romans had secured their bases north of the Ebro.
They then proceeded to win over some Iberian tribes in the region.
Both the Romans and Carthaginians faced and put down Iberian tribal revolts.
The Scipios received no reinforcement from Italy, where Hannibal had the Romans hard pressed.
Due to a lack of support from Rome, the Scipios mounted no decisive operations against the Carthaginians in 214–213 BC.
In 215 BC, the brothers complained about the lack of Roman supplies and finance for their army.
The Roman Senate responded by sending private companies to supply their forces.
Two of these merchants, Pomponius and Postumius, turned out to be criminals who cheated the Scipios of their money.
In 214 BC, Rome suffered a financial crisis as a result of the strains of war, increasing the Scipios' funding troubles.
Despite the lack of any reinforcement or renewed funding, the Scipios went over to the offensive in 212 BC, re-capturing Saguntum, which had been lost to Hannibal in 219 BC.
Meanwhile, Hasdrubal had been reinforced by two armies, led respectively by his younger brother, Mago Barca, and Hasdrubal Gisco.
According to Livy, the Romans fought multiple battles against the Carthaginians south of the Ebro from 215–214 BC, at Iliturgi, Munda, and Orongi.
Livy's chronology is confused and contradicted by Polybius, who explicitly states that the Scipio brothers did not venture south of the Ebro until 212 BC.
As a result, most historians consider these engagements to be ahistorical.
The Scipios had persuaded Syphax, a Numidian king, to open hostilities against Carthage with an army that had been trained by Statorius, a Roman centurion, in 213 or 212 BC.
On the whole, the situation in Iberia was stable enough for Hasdrubal Barca to shift his attention to Africa in 213/212 BC in order to put down this rebellion.
Hasdrubal Barca returned to Iberia in late 212 BC, bringing with him 3,000 Numidians under Masinissa, the future king of Numidia.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... per_Baetis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle of the Upper Baetis was a double battle, comprising the battles of Castulo and Ilorca, fought in 211 BC during the Second Punic War between a Carthaginian force led by Hasdrubal Barca (Hannibal's brother) and a Roman force led by Publius Cornelius Scipio and his brother Gnaeus.
The immediate result was a Carthaginian victory in which both Roman brothers were killed.
Before this defeat, the brothers had spent seven years (218BC - 211BC) campaigning in Hispania, which had limited the resources available to Hannibal, who was simultaneously fighting the Romans in Italy.
This double battle also represents the only Carthaginian victory in a major land battle during the Second Punic War in which Hannibal was not in command of the Carthaginian armies.
Background
After the defeat of Hasdrubal Barca in the Battle of Dertosa in the spring of 215 BC, the Romans had secured their bases north of the Ebro.
They then proceeded to win over some Iberian tribes in the region.
Both the Romans and Carthaginians faced and put down Iberian tribal revolts.
The Scipios received no reinforcement from Italy, where Hannibal had the Romans hard pressed.
Due to a lack of support from Rome, the Scipios mounted no decisive operations against the Carthaginians in 214–213 BC.
In 215 BC, the brothers complained about the lack of Roman supplies and finance for their army.
The Roman Senate responded by sending private companies to supply their forces.
Two of these merchants, Pomponius and Postumius, turned out to be criminals who cheated the Scipios of their money.
In 214 BC, Rome suffered a financial crisis as a result of the strains of war, increasing the Scipios' funding troubles.
Despite the lack of any reinforcement or renewed funding, the Scipios went over to the offensive in 212 BC, re-capturing Saguntum, which had been lost to Hannibal in 219 BC.
Meanwhile, Hasdrubal had been reinforced by two armies, led respectively by his younger brother, Mago Barca, and Hasdrubal Gisco.
According to Livy, the Romans fought multiple battles against the Carthaginians south of the Ebro from 215–214 BC, at Iliturgi, Munda, and Orongi.
Livy's chronology is confused and contradicted by Polybius, who explicitly states that the Scipio brothers did not venture south of the Ebro until 212 BC.
As a result, most historians consider these engagements to be ahistorical.
The Scipios had persuaded Syphax, a Numidian king, to open hostilities against Carthage with an army that had been trained by Statorius, a Roman centurion, in 213 or 212 BC.
On the whole, the situation in Iberia was stable enough for Hasdrubal Barca to shift his attention to Africa in 213/212 BC in order to put down this rebellion.
Hasdrubal Barca returned to Iberia in late 212 BC, bringing with him 3,000 Numidians under Masinissa, the future king of Numidia.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... per_Baetis
Re: MUSINGS ON THE SCHEME OF THINGS
Battle of the Upper Baetis, continued ...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prelude
In 212 BC, the Scipio brothers captured Castulo, a major mining town and the home of Hannibal's wife Imilce.
They then wintered at Castulo and Ilugia.
The brothers hired 20,000 Celt-Iberian mercenaries to reinforce their army of 20,000 Romans.
The Romans strength had been reduced by losses sustained against the Carthaginians and Iberian tribes since 218 BC and the need to garrison the main Roman base at Tarraco.
Observing that the Carthaginian armies were deployed separately from each other, with Hasdrubal Barca's army near Amtorgis; and, further to the west, Mago Barca with 13,500 men alongside Hasdrubal Gisco's army, the Scipio brothers decided to divide their forces.
Publius Scipio led Roman and allied soldiers to attack Mago Barca near Castulo, while Gnaeus Scipio took one-third of the Roman army in Spain and the mercenaries to attack Hasdrubal Barca.
This stratagem would lead to two battles, the Battle of Castulo and the Battle of Ilorca, which took place within a few days of each other.
Gnaeus Scipio arrived at his objective first.
However, Hasdrubal Barca had already ordered the armies of Indibilis and Mandonius (Iberian chieftains friendly to the Carthaginians) and Hasdrubal Gisco to join Mago near Castulo.
Hasdrubal Barca held his ground against Gnaeus Scipio, staying within his fortified camp, then managed to bribe the Celt-Iberian mercenaries to desert Gnaeus Scipio.
This led to Hasdrubal's army outnumbering that of Gnaeus Scipio.
Hasdrubal bided his time, avoiding any battles with the Romans.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... per_Baetis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prelude
In 212 BC, the Scipio brothers captured Castulo, a major mining town and the home of Hannibal's wife Imilce.
They then wintered at Castulo and Ilugia.
The brothers hired 20,000 Celt-Iberian mercenaries to reinforce their army of 20,000 Romans.
The Romans strength had been reduced by losses sustained against the Carthaginians and Iberian tribes since 218 BC and the need to garrison the main Roman base at Tarraco.
Observing that the Carthaginian armies were deployed separately from each other, with Hasdrubal Barca's army near Amtorgis; and, further to the west, Mago Barca with 13,500 men alongside Hasdrubal Gisco's army, the Scipio brothers decided to divide their forces.
Publius Scipio led Roman and allied soldiers to attack Mago Barca near Castulo, while Gnaeus Scipio took one-third of the Roman army in Spain and the mercenaries to attack Hasdrubal Barca.
This stratagem would lead to two battles, the Battle of Castulo and the Battle of Ilorca, which took place within a few days of each other.
Gnaeus Scipio arrived at his objective first.
However, Hasdrubal Barca had already ordered the armies of Indibilis and Mandonius (Iberian chieftains friendly to the Carthaginians) and Hasdrubal Gisco to join Mago near Castulo.
Hasdrubal Barca held his ground against Gnaeus Scipio, staying within his fortified camp, then managed to bribe the Celt-Iberian mercenaries to desert Gnaeus Scipio.
This led to Hasdrubal's army outnumbering that of Gnaeus Scipio.
Hasdrubal bided his time, avoiding any battles with the Romans.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... per_Baetis
Re: MUSINGS ON THE SCHEME OF THINGS
Battle of the Upper Baetis, continued ...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Battle of Castulo
As Publius Scipio neared Castulo, he was harassed day and night by the Numidian light cavalry under Masinissa.
When informed that Indibilis was moving across his line of retreat with 7,500 Iberians, Publius Scipio decided not to face Mago but to attack the Iberian chieftain, fearing that he would be surrounded by Carthaginian forces.
Leaving 2,000 soldiers in his camp under the legate Tiberius Fonteus, he marched out that night to launch an attack on the Iberians and, hopefully, evade Masinissa's cavalry.
Scipio marched throughout the night and caught Indibilis and his men by surprise in the early morning; and, with a numerical superiority, began to gain the upper hand in the ensuing action.
However, the Iberians managed to hold off the Romans in the confused night battle just long enough for Masinissa to arrive.
With the Numidian horse attacking from the flank, the Roman assault on the Iberians began to slacken.
When Mago and Hasdrubal Gisco arrived with their combined armies, the Romans finally, after a grim struggle, broke and fled, leaving Publius Scipio and most of their comrades dead on the field.
Mago gave the Numidians enough time to loot the dead before force marching the army towards Hasdrubal Barca's position.
A handful of Roman survivors managed to reach their camp.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... per_Baetis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Battle of Castulo
As Publius Scipio neared Castulo, he was harassed day and night by the Numidian light cavalry under Masinissa.
When informed that Indibilis was moving across his line of retreat with 7,500 Iberians, Publius Scipio decided not to face Mago but to attack the Iberian chieftain, fearing that he would be surrounded by Carthaginian forces.
Leaving 2,000 soldiers in his camp under the legate Tiberius Fonteus, he marched out that night to launch an attack on the Iberians and, hopefully, evade Masinissa's cavalry.
Scipio marched throughout the night and caught Indibilis and his men by surprise in the early morning; and, with a numerical superiority, began to gain the upper hand in the ensuing action.
However, the Iberians managed to hold off the Romans in the confused night battle just long enough for Masinissa to arrive.
With the Numidian horse attacking from the flank, the Roman assault on the Iberians began to slacken.
When Mago and Hasdrubal Gisco arrived with their combined armies, the Romans finally, after a grim struggle, broke and fled, leaving Publius Scipio and most of their comrades dead on the field.
Mago gave the Numidians enough time to loot the dead before force marching the army towards Hasdrubal Barca's position.
A handful of Roman survivors managed to reach their camp.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... per_Baetis
Re: MUSINGS ON THE SCHEME OF THINGS
Battle of the Upper Baetis, concluded ...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Battle of Ilorca
Gnaeus Scipio had lost the advantage of numbers with the desertion of the mercenaries.
Although unaware of Publius Scipio's fate, Gnaeus decided to withdraw towards northern Iberia after Mago and Hasdrubal Gisco arrived with their armies.
The Romans moved out of their camp, leaving their camp fires burning, and made for the Ebro at night.
The Numidians located them the following day; their attacks forced the Romans to take position for the night on a hilltop near Ilorca.
The main Carthaginian army, which now comprised the forces of Hasdrubal Barca, Hasdrubal Gisco, and Mago, arrived during the night.
In desperation, the Romans tried to create a defensive wall with baggage and saddles, as the ground was too stony for digging.
The Carthaginians easily overran this, and Gnaeus was killed in the fighting; most of his army was destroyed.
Aftermath
The Roman fugitives fled north of the Ebro, where they eventually gathered a hodge-podge army of 8,000–9,000 soldiers.
The Carthaginian commanders made no coordinated attempts to wipe out these survivors and then send help to Hannibal Barca.
In late 211 BC, Rome sent 13,100 troops under Claudius Nero to reinforce its forces in Iberia.
Nero scored no spectacular victories and the Carthaginians did not launch a coordinated assault on the Romans in Iberia.
With the arrival of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, the son of Publius Scipio, with another 10,000 troops in 210 BC, the Carthaginians would come to regret their earlier inaction when engaged in the Battle of Cartagena in 209 BC.
With the Carthaginian armies in Iberia failing to eliminate the Romans, Hannibal would not get any reinforcements from Iberia during the crucial year of 211 BC, when the Romans were besieging Capua.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... per_Baetis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Battle of Ilorca
Gnaeus Scipio had lost the advantage of numbers with the desertion of the mercenaries.
Although unaware of Publius Scipio's fate, Gnaeus decided to withdraw towards northern Iberia after Mago and Hasdrubal Gisco arrived with their armies.
The Romans moved out of their camp, leaving their camp fires burning, and made for the Ebro at night.
The Numidians located them the following day; their attacks forced the Romans to take position for the night on a hilltop near Ilorca.
The main Carthaginian army, which now comprised the forces of Hasdrubal Barca, Hasdrubal Gisco, and Mago, arrived during the night.
In desperation, the Romans tried to create a defensive wall with baggage and saddles, as the ground was too stony for digging.
The Carthaginians easily overran this, and Gnaeus was killed in the fighting; most of his army was destroyed.
Aftermath
The Roman fugitives fled north of the Ebro, where they eventually gathered a hodge-podge army of 8,000–9,000 soldiers.
The Carthaginian commanders made no coordinated attempts to wipe out these survivors and then send help to Hannibal Barca.
In late 211 BC, Rome sent 13,100 troops under Claudius Nero to reinforce its forces in Iberia.
Nero scored no spectacular victories and the Carthaginians did not launch a coordinated assault on the Romans in Iberia.
With the arrival of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, the son of Publius Scipio, with another 10,000 troops in 210 BC, the Carthaginians would come to regret their earlier inaction when engaged in the Battle of Cartagena in 209 BC.
With the Carthaginian armies in Iberia failing to eliminate the Romans, Hannibal would not get any reinforcements from Iberia during the crucial year of 211 BC, when the Romans were besieging Capua.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... per_Baetis