A Great War for Antiquity

Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

A Great War For Antiquity​
POD: Hasdrubal isn’t discovered to have crossed into Italy himself and manages to link up with Hannibal in Italy and destroy the Roman Army under Marcus Livius Salinator. They then march on the city of Rome. and lay it to seige. Not wanting to see Rome destroyed cooler heads prevail in the Senate and make peace with Hannibal. I kmow this isn't the best POD but I don't see any other possible point to begin and no Hannibal couldn't march on Rome after Cannae
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“The defeat of Rome at Carthaginian arms planted the seeds for the final and third war between the Romans and Carthaginians. As Hannibal returned to his city triumphant and victoriously and Italy lay waist to his campaign of terror, it was on that day that the Roman people swore that should war come again between Rome and Carthage again it would either see the end of Rome or the end of Carthage.”
-The Third Punic War by Lucius Vedius Aurelius

Treaty of Brundisium​
Despite Hannibal’s victories throughout the Italian peninsula when the peace talks finally began Rome still could bargain from a position of strength. Roman Legions in Iberia, under Publius Scipio were still roaming freely throughout the country and Hannibal had still failed to take hold of any major city throughout Italy. So the talks weren’t dominated completely by Carthage but nevertheless the treaty was mostly dictated by Carthaginian envoys.
The final treaty’s terms were this
-Sicily will remain under the jurisdiction of the Roman Republic, however the Ustica, Aeolian Islands, and the Aegadian Islands will be returned to Carthage
-Corsica and Sardinia will be returned to Carthage
-Carthaginian holdings in Iberia will remain under Carthage’s rule.
-Neither nation shall declare war upon one another or their allies for the next 50 years
-Rome will pay 2000 Talents to Carthage over the next 50 years.
 
Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

A Returning Hero​


Hannibal returned to Carthage for the first time since his childhood by 206 B.C. a joyous nation declared a week of celebration in honor of the hero. Hannibal and his brothers rode triumphantly through the city on the largest elephants the city could provide. The most distinguished soldiers of Hannibal’s mercenary army paraded through the city, inspiring awe in many of the city dwellers who had never seen such foreign warriors before.

However as the celebrations died down Hannibal began to get busy again. Hannibal, remembering the corruption amongst the Carthaginian government that had nearly destroyed his entire campaign, dedicated himself to reforming Carthage to one make it more efficient and two, remembering his childhood promise to his father, to prepare for any future conflict with Rome. He began by seeking election as Suffete, the city’s head executive and the de facto ruler the Carthaginian Empire. Despite some opposition from the same opponents of his during the Second Punic War Hannibal was easily elected by the popular majority of the people and his co-Suffete was his brother Hasdrubal.

Hannibal instantly began proposing new policies to the Council of Elders, the city’s main legislative body; Hannibal called for the creation of a permanent standing army, a continued policy of militaristic expansion in Spain, and a series of alliances in across the Mediterranean to isolate Rome. In terms of reform of the government Hannibal began reforming the Hundred and Four, a group that decided on the constitutional issues of the government which had accumulated too much power for Hannibal’s liking. He reduced the terms of service from life to two years and once out of office couldn’t run again for five years. These reforms earned Hannibal criticism from his opponents for trying to “Romanize” Carthage. In fact in private Hannibal admitted that one of the few things he admired about the Romans was their system of checks and balances.

These reforms, while popular with the masses, earned Hannibal many enemies amongst the Oligarchy, who detested seeing their power weakened by a man who hadn’t even lived more than two decades in his native city. These two forces in the Carthaginian government would eventually clash in the Hannibalic War
 
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Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

A Bitter Enemy​
Unlike in Carthage where celebrations were called for Rome was a dark and gloomy place. A good many of priests called the defeat at the hands of Carthage were beginning of the end for Rome. The Senate would go on to declare the day the Treaty of Brundisium to be day of mourning for Rome’s humiliation at the hands of the “African Barbarian”. In those years following the defeat a good many generals who had served in the Second Punic War were tried on charges of “Treason” and other trumped-up charges such as “Failure to Defend the State in its Hour of Need”. A good many lives would be destroyed by these trials, the most common results of the trials would be either be exile or the slitting of one’s own throat. Only Publius Cornelius Scipio would escape such trials, for he remained the only Roman General, along with his father and uncle, to say he had beaten Carthaginian armies. Needless to say the Scipii family was quite popular following the war and would remain so for much time

Rome’s chance to re-prove its military might came in 201 B.C. when it had learned that Macedon and the Seleucid Empire had formed a non-aggression pact and Philip IV, king of Macedon, declared war on the Kingdom of Pergamon . Rome used the excuse to declare war on Macedon. Officially stating it was “defending it’s allies from a brutal tyrant”, however in reality it was to reassert some form of military fear in its neighbors, particularly the Gallic tribes who were growing quite courageous in recent years.
 
Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

The Second Macedonian War
201 B.C. - 198 B.C.​
In 201 B.C. a Roman Army under recently elected Consul, Publius Cornelius Scipio, sailed for Greece and landed in Roman Illyria. Rome’s ally, the Aetolian League was quick to join in with Rome and began raiding the supply ships of Macedonian allied cities.

Scipio sent envoys to Philip V demanding that he end his alliance with Achaean League, end any future ambitions on Greece, and cease his war with the Kingdom of Pergamon. Philip, confident on his alliance made with Hannibal, refused the ultimatum. Meanwhile back in Carthage news of Roman intervention in Greece stirred much debate over what to do however Carthage was in the mists of near-civil war due to the growing conflict between Hannibal and the oligarchy.
Philip marched his army to meet the Romans, confident of both victory and Carthaginian support; his confidence would soon be shattered. The two armies met at the Battle of Dodora where the Macedonian Army was annihilated by the Roman Legions. Philip fell to same trap that Varro had at the Battle of Cannae and threw his army at the Roman center, betting on the superiority of the Phalanx to the Legion. Scipio, like Hannibal, had intentionally weakened his center and strengthened his flanks with calvary and the most experienced veterans. Nearly the entire Macedonian Army was destroyed and Philip was nearly killed himself in the retreat of his troops.

On the next day at the Macedonian camp, Scipio would lay out the end of the war to King Philip with the terms given to him by the senate
-Macedon will renounce all alliances with Achaean League
-Macedon will give up its fleet
-Macedon will pay 3200 Talents as tribute to Rome
-Macedon will not declare war on another nation for 50 years.
-Macedon will relinquish control of its Asia Minor territories to the Kingdom of Pergamon

Philip, with his army virtually destroyed, had not choice to accept the treaty. The short-lived war would officially end in early 198 B.C. when the Senate ratified the treaty.
 
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Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

Aftermath of the Second Macedonian War​
The Second Macedonian War would have far reaching consequences upon the ancient world. Following the end of its alliance with Macedon, the Achaean League would be merged with the Aetolian League, and other Greek city-states such as Athens, into a Hellas League. The League was essentially a Roman puppet established to check possible reassertion of Macedon and to establish a Roman presence in the Eastern Mediterranean. Rome and Pergamon would form a much a closer alliance, propelling Roman influence into Asia Minor. However not all of the fallout from the war would be good for Rome. The humiliation of Macedon would drive Philip into securing a more proper alliance with Carthage, giving Carthage a still semi-powerful ally neighboring Rome, which while inconsequential at the time have much greater impact by the time of the Third Punic War.
 

willbell

Carthage is much closer to home than Macedonia, the Romans will definitely have to reach a definitive end to Carthaginian wars (in the third punic war, or perhaps later) before they have any chance at the Hellenic powers.
 
Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

willbell said:
Carthage is much closer to home than Macedonia, the Romans will definitely have to reach a definitive end to Carthaginian wars (in the third punic war, or perhaps later) before they have any chance at the Hellenic powers.
Click to expand...
The only real reason Rome attacked Macedonia was to show the Carthaginians, and the rest of the Mediterranean that Rome is still a force to be reckoned with. Rome still has it's eyes on Carthage
 
Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

Crisis in Carthage​
The reason Carthage had not come to aide of Philip V was due to a number of things. Hannibal, now a member of the Council of Elders, strongly supported intervention on the grounds that Rome violated the Treaty of Brundisium. However many in the Council, fearing Hannibal’s popularity, argued against it saying one the treaty made between Hannibal and Macedon was invalid because it wasn’t approved by the council and two that Hannibal only wished to increase his own glory. As bad as the situation got, it slightly improved when the war was ended. The new Suffete, this time Mago Barca, was quick to draw up a new “official treaty” with Macedon and this time with Council approval.

The worsening relationship finally reached a boiling point when Mago, under the influence of Hannibal, proposed a law that would make grant Namibians and Iberians who had served with Carthage in the Punic Wars citizenship and their own piece of land. Nearly the entire Council of Elders was outraged over the proposition and threatened to have Mago forcibly removed from office. In the aftermath of the meeting many in the Council, led by Hanno II the Great, agreed to have the Barca brothers (Hannibal, Mago, and Hasdrubal) arrested and tried for “war crimes” and if that failed to have them killed.

The plan failed due to a slave leaking it to the Barcid Family. Hannibal and his brothers finally came to conclusion that the Council must be dealt with, permanently. They and their families fled the city, along with units of the Sacred Guard, whom where loyal to Hannibal. They took to eastern Africa to raise an army to march on the city. Mago was sent to Iberia to secure the armies there and Hasdrubal was sent to broker a deal with the kings of Western (Syphax) and Eastern Massylii (Massinassa). Hannibal meanwhile began forming army amongst Carthaginian peasants, farmers, and discharged Punic War soldiers. The start of the Hannibalic War, or the Carthaginian Civil War, had begun.
 
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Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

Hannibalic War Part I
197 B.C. - 195 B.C.​
Back in Carthage the Council of Elders, led by Hanno II the Great, was at a loss. The only competent commander they had was Hasdrubal Gisco but only a couple hundred Sacred Guard units to command, while there were a good many of volunteers there were not as much as Hannibal was getting. For the Council their main hope depended on who the Numidian Kingdoms decided to join. When the decision did come it was King Massinassa who joined Hannibal and King Syphax who joined the Council. For Hannibal it was mostly good news as the Eastern Massylii Kingdom was located at the flank of Carthage, however the council also perceived this as good news since now they had an ally, whether or not this ally would be helpful or not appeared to never occur to them.

Meanwhile in Iberia Mago had mostly an easy job, the Carthaginian colony was entirely loyal to Hannibal even the tribes Hannibal had fought brutally for most of his life still preferred him to a distant and foreign council of old men. The most important thing that would occur for Mago in this war would be the securing of Sardinia and Corsica, which Hannibal and Mago suspected Rome would try and snatch up as they had done in the Mercenary War decades ago.

Back in North Africa, Hannibal was now forced to change his strategy. With Western Massylii closer to him it made more sense to take out Syphax immediately then it did the Council. Hannibal then marched his army of some 20,000 men into Western Massylii. Syphax, who had never fought Hannibal before, confidently marched to meet Hannibal in battle. In what became known as the Battle of the Plains the army under Syphax was ambushed while marching intense desert heat and annihilated. Syphax tried to escape but was killed by his own troops who were retreating as well. Hannibal met with Syphax's son and the son agreed to surrender the Kingdom of Eastern Massylii to Hannibal.
 
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Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

Hannibalic War Part II
197 B.C. - 195 B.C.​
Meanwhile in Western Massylii King Massinassa, an old war-comrade during the Second Punic War, raised an army and marched towards the Carthage. Hasdrubal Gisco, under pressure from the Council, marched out of the confines of Carthage to meet Massinassa in battle. Hasdrubal would be defeated at the Battle of Zama and retreated to the city of Utica, where held up for a siege. The situation only grew worse when Hannibal arrived to reinforce Massinassa’s army. Hannibal personally met Hasdrubal under a banner of truce and offered surrender with promises that he would be given fair treatment “We all Carthaginians here, let us end this bloodshed.” Hannibal was reported to have said. Nevertheless Hasdrubal refused saying he had a duty to Carthage.

The siege went on for another six months and then finally the city fell after a brutal assault. During the fighting in the streets Hasdrubal was reported to have been seen fighting with his troops until he was finally struck down. The fighting and looting of the city would go on throughout the night. When the night was over Hannibal instantly began preparing his men for the march on Carthage.

Meanwhile in Carthage the situation was despereate. There only commander who had stood a remote chance against Hannibal was dead and only a couple thousand Sacred Guard Units where left defending the city. The Council resorted to desperate measures to try an build some form of defense. Slaves were freed, prisoners pardoned, old men and young children, and even women were all given weapons to defend the city. The situation resembeled that that of Rome following the defeat at Cannae. However some in the Council offered a different approach. They proposed that they should have Rome come in to intervene on their behalf in exhange for Corsica and Sardinia. In any other situation this proposal would meant career suicide, however given the special cicumstances and envoy was sent to Rome to beg for intervention.
 
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Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

Hannibalic War Part III
197 B.C. - 195 B.C.​
Hannibal reached Carthage within days of his sacking of Utica and immediately laid siege to city. The city’s massive three walls proved to be one of Hannibal’s more formidable foes. He managed to get through the first fall after about three weeks. Hannibal then settled in after seeing how high his casualties were in taking the first wall. Dissent in his army was a problem at first but when news of the Council’s attempt to bring Rome into the conflict emerged the problem was virtually non-existent due to desires of revenge against the Council. As for the envoy that was sent to Rome, it never got there. Sailors loyal to Hannibal captured the envoy and presented them to Mago in Corsica. Mago then sent the news to Hannibal.

After about another two weeks, Hannibal made for another attack on the city. He did manage to get through the second walls but the casualties were becoming too high for Hannibal to sustain. Realizing that he would have to resort to another long-drawn out siege and to starve the populace out, Hannibal began to settle in. To take care of the food transports into the city, Hannibal bought out mercenary-pirates to blockade the port of Carthage.

After about 7 months Hannibal finally received his chance to end the siege. Dissidents in the city offered to open the gates of the city in exchange that Hannibal would let food into city, Hannibal happily agreed and called off his ships. Two days later the gates of Carthage were opened. Only a few die-hard Sacred guard units resisted with much of population surrendering without a fight. Many of the members of the Council willingly surrendered, but a few such as Hanno II committed suicide. Hanno’s head would be put on display in the center of Carthage.

Hannibal was now the undisputed ruler of the Carthaginian Empire.
 
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Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

Aftermath of the Hannibalic War​
Hannibal was now one the most powerful men in the Mediterranean. He proclaimed himself Suffete and ordered the dissolution of the Council, the Hundred and Four, and left only the Popular Assembly untouched. Councilmen and Judges who had opposed him were crucified or exiled, with their land acquisitioned by the state.

With absolute power now in his hands, Hannibal could now focus on his long-planned reforms that had been continuously blocked by the Council. He began the creation of a permanent-standing army that all could enlist in, regardless of class or property qualifications. He granted Carthaginian citizenship to Numidians and Iberians who had served with him in his army and granted thousands of soldier’s land grants in Iberia and North Africa. He would form an alliance with the Seleucid Empire following the Roman alliance with Ptolemaic Egypt.

Other changes included the merging of Western and Eastern Massylii into one kingdom, the Kingdom of Numidia, under King Massinassa which was similar to the Hellas League in terms of being a vassal but was much more autonomous. Changes to government he made were that he declared the position of Suffete was for life and could only be removed by a unanimous vote by the Popular Assembly. He created a Suffete Council which were all appointed by the Suffete in charge but were approved by the Popular Assembly. The reforms were done one to increase Hannibal’s popularity and consolidate his power and two to genuinely make the Carthaginian government more efficient.

Hannibal would serve as Suffete of Carthage until his death in 182 B.C. where power was passed on to his son Hamilcar
 

willbell

I am loving it, I don't know much about the time period but it is well written, especially considering the format that can sometimes (not in this case) disappoint.
 
Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

The Roman Wolf​
Back in Rome, the Hannibalic War had some hoping that this would give Rome the chance to retake Corsica and Sardinia but those hopes were quickly dashed when Mago was sent to secure the two islands. However this would not deter Roman expansion into other parts of the Mediterranean. The first act would be the annexation of Illyria. Rome had had Illyrian puppets and protectorates but to counter the possible Macedonian expansions into Illyria, Rome began annexing its several protectorates and would make war on the remaining tribes. Closer to home in Italy the Romans began pushing north into the Gallic tribes of Northern Italy and would only be stopped when they reached the Alps.

Unlike the Carthage which had undergone a massive reform in its society Rome’s had stayed the same for the most part. No civil wars were started, Roman militarization was still commonplace, and the Senate was the still the supreme law of the land. The only thing that really changed was Rome’s foreign policy. Going from a rather lethargic style to an aggressive and very active style.
 
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Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

Reign of Hamilcar Barca Part I​
When Hannibal was dying in 182 B.C. he had made the decision to pass power on to his 37 year old son, Hamilcar. He considered his brothers but discarded it citing their ages and stating they would most likely die only a few years after him. When Hannibal finally did die he was finally deified by the Popular Assembly with a large statue of him built off the coast of the city. “It will put the Colossus of Rhodes to shame” declared one Assemblyman. While it didn’t outdo the Colossus it certainly was a technical marvel with the statue being seen from ships miles away as they approached the Carthaginian harbor. Hamilcar would begin his reign mostly as a continuation of the reign of Hannibal, carefully consolidating power and enacting several reforms, such as granting all of Iberians in Carthaginian Iberia citizenship. However a power struggle would emerge soon.

Mago, the youngest of the original Barcid brothers, had taken not being declared Suffete following the Hannibal’s death as a personal offense. He had seen himself as more than worthy of Hannibal’s legacy, not his Hamilcar. He planned on assassinating Hamilcar and having himself put in place. He tried to recruit Hasdrubal, who was now Captain of the Sacred Guard but was turned down. Instead this offer would lead to Hasdrubal to informing his nephew of the plot. When Hamilcar would ask why he even warned him Hasdrubal answered it was because as a Sacred Guardsmen it was his duty and his respect of his dead brother’s wishes. Mago was captured in his sleep, taken to the outskirts of the city, beheaded, and his body was burned. Mago’s fate remained unknown to anyone but Hasdrubal and Hamilcar, even the Sacred Guardsmen who had murdered him where taken out to ensure absolute secrecy.
 
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