A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry
A look at history and popular culture
Hey folks, fireside this week! Next week we'll cap off our look at the Carthaginian army by covering some of the 'odds and ends' components (slingers, elephants), before looking at how that mixture of troop-types was employed in battle during the third century. Percy, enjoying a look out of my office window through the curtains. … Continue reading Fireside Friday, May 15, 2026
This is the fourth part of our series (I, II, III) looking at how Carthage's complex, multi-ethnic armies were raised and structured. Last week, we looked at Carthage's unusual system for raising vassal forces: long-serving Carthaginian generals could inhabit positions within the personalist, non-state mobilization systems of Numidia and Iberia, enabling them to access military … Continue reading Collections: Raising Carthaginian Armies, Part IV: Allies and Mercenaries
This is the third part (I, II) of our series looking at how Carthage's complex, multipart armies were raised and constituted. Last time, we looked at the backbone of Carthage's armies: North African troops levied out of Carthage's subject communities in North Africa. These fellows seem to have been directly employed by the Carthaginian state, … Continue reading Collections: Raising Carthaginian Armies, Part III: Generals, Warlords and Vassals