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Faction Preview:
Carthage
Units:Spirit of Rob, Mapwork:Uranos, Historial info:Apostate, Deadcell & Team, Chariots:Snevets, Garamantai and some Libyan textures & models with kind permission from:Laca, Additional Art:Lupus.
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Carthage
Carthage, a name which comes from the Phoenician "Quart-Hadasht" (New City), was a great city located in North Africa on the eastern side of Lake Tunis, opposite modern Tunis, in Tunisia. The city was founded around 814 BC by Phoenician settlers from the city of Tyre, bringing with them the city-god, Melqart. The Myth says, Carthage was founded by Queen Elissa-Dido, the first ruler of the city, as the Roman poet Virgil wrote in his masterpiece "Aeneid" ("Tales of Aeneias of Troy"). The first rulers probably were installed by the mother-city, later on the system of government turned to oligarchy, but there were also some democratic elements along with democratic constitutions, which became stronger with time. The religious system and deities derived from Phoenician traditions, but were also influenced by the Etruscans, the Egyptians and the Greeks.
Carthage's early years were defined by a long rivalry between the landholding and maritime families. In general, due to the city's dependence on maritime trade, the maritime faction controlled the government, and during the 6th century BC, Carthage began to acquire dominance over the Western Mediterranean. Merchants and explorers established a vast network of trade posts, bringing wealth and power to the city-state. In the early 6th century BC, Hanno the Navigator is supposed to have sailed down the African coast, perhaps as far as Sierra Leone. Meanwhile, under a leader named Malchus, the city began a systematic conquest of both the African interior and the coastal lands. By the beginning of the 5th century BC, Carthage was the commercial center of the region, a position it would retain until overthrown by the Roman Republic. The city had conquered the territory of the old Phoenician colonies, such as Hadrumentum, Utica, Kerkouane, and the Libyan tribes, spreading its control along the North African coast from modern Morocco to the borders of Egypt. Its influence had also spread into the Mediterranean, with control over Sardinia, Malta, the Balearic Islands and the western part of Sicily, while colonies had also been established in Iberia.
Carthage was for the Greeks the great Western rival, as the Persian Empire was the Eastern rival. It was inevitable that the Carthaginians would eventually find Greeks in their way. Moreover it seems that there had been an ancient rivalry between the Greeks and Phoenicians which was reflected in the struggles between Hellenic and Phoenician/Carthaginian colonies all over the Mediterranean Sea, since both were aiming to control local resources and trade routes. It is also interesting that in the very beginning of his Histories, the "father or History" Herodotus, suggests that according to the Persian scholars, the Phoenicians were the cause of the whole dispute between the Greeks and the Persians.
In historical times, when the Ionian city of Massalia (Marseilles) in southern Gaul was established by the Phokaeis who came from the coasts of Asia Minor, this hurt both Etruscan and Carthaginian interests and lead them to form an alliance against the Greeks, aiming to prevent the Greek colony from expanding and flourishing. Although the first objective failed, however, the combined attack to Hellenism's western frontiers continued and in 537 BC resulted in the evacuation of the Greek city of Alalia in Sardinia, and so the Greeks were completely cut off from the island. A couple of decades later, the Carthaginians allied with Libyans and Egestians in order to successfully prevent the establishment of Spartan colonies on the coasts of North Africa and in the West Sicily respectively. The next step was to try to reduce the Greek holdings in Sicily. Despite the Persian conquest of Phoenicia, the Carthaginians may had allied with them in order to throw the Greeks out of Sicily (as certain ancient Greek sources imply). Even if that isn't what really happened, the Carthaginian offensive in Sicily prevented the strongest Greek force, Syracuse, to join the war against the Persians in the east. In that time of unrest, while the Etruscans were advancing south in Italy, the Greeks were being assaulted on all sides. The Carthaginians chose this time to advance on the city of Himera, in an attempt to secure the northern coast of Sicily. Hamilcar assembled an army, including troops from many of their provinces like Iberians, Ligurians, Elysicians, Kyrnians and Sardinians, which is said to have been 300,000 strong, and marched on Himera. Theron, the tyrant of Acragas, asked help from his ally, Gelon, who responded by leading the Syracusian army by himself against the Phoenician invaders. The 3 armies met near Himera and Hamilcar stood on a nearby hillside and burned sacrificial victims to his gods (The Carthaginians were supposed to use children as sacrificial victims, although it is not known if this story is truth or legend). When his defeat became evident, he threw himself in the fire, for which the Carthaginians never forgave the Greeks. The Greeks massacred the Carthaginians after a lengthy and bloody battle, and the threat from this quarter was eliminated for quite some time. According to Greek tradition and the references of Diodorus, none of the Carthaginians escaped death or slavery. However, the Carthaginians didn't forget, and in 409 BC, Hamilcar's grandson took revenge for his forefather and sacked Himera by using siege engineers and artillery, new devices which the Greeks were unfamiliar with. However, that was just the beginning of continuous and wearing fights between Carthaginians and Greeks, and the Syracusian side ruled by Dionysios and Agathocles leading the Greeks. The Greeks failed to end the war victorious either in Africa or to completely exterminate the Carthaginian presence in Sicily, although they won several battles and actually managed to sack Motya, the strongest Phoenician city in Sicily. The significant collisions come to an end in 277 BC when Pyrros of Epeiros gave up the war against Carthage and was forced to leave Sicily.
So, having the Persians to keep the Hellenic factions busy, Carthage was actually free to deploy colonies in the Mediterranean Sea. The only problem left, were the Hellenic city-states of Sicily. Sicily also was – for the Carthagians – the "doorway" to Europe. So, in the 5th and 4th century BC, Carthage's war theater and prize was Sicily...
The Carthaginians had Greek allies, like the cities of Selinus and Region, and they should use them to prevent the Greeks from uniting against them. Their enemies in Sicily are prone to fighting with their own kind, but if a Hellenic faction becomes too strong in Sicily and it attempts to unite the island under one rule, the Carthaginians must be ready to quickly engage in war and secure their interests in the western half of Sicily. A powerful faction, with many resources and a mighty navy, the Carthagians had a superb and huge army of warriors to claim their "rights", in every corner of the Mediterranean.
Regions around Carthage
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Carthaginian Units
Phoenician Spearmen –
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The limited numbered Carthaginian citizens who will still fight and defend their growing empire. Many by this time had given up their weapons. Around 520 B.C., Carthage abandoned its citizen army and began to rely heavily on mercenaries.
Sacred Band of Baal -
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The Sacred Band of Baal was a ceremonial kind of unit made up of the aristocrats of Carthage. These men were rich and could afford the best armor and weapons. They bore an image of Baal-Hammon, one of Carthage's main gods. A unit of the Sacred Band was always present in the city.
Phoenician Marines -
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These are the people that give power to Carthage and strike fear into men when they travel to the western mediterranean. The Carthaginians are descendants of a great naval people, the Phoenicians. They are armed with javelins, swords, and equipped with linen cuirases and helmets similar to the greek style. Their shields are mentioned having no rims.
Phoenician Cavalry -
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These men represent a small but well equipped section of the populace who fight as capable cavalry.
Phoenician Chariots -
Crew Members
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Chariot
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Still using one of the oldest units from their Phoenician roots, the chariot was a major part of the Carthaginian army before cavalry units took over its place. The unit is a heavy war-chariot with three men and four horses. One steers the the horses while the other two are armed with bows and swords for combat.
Phoenician General's Bodyguards -
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The best armed and trained men of Carthage. These are often the richest citizens who are tied with the goverment of Carthage and thus have a great interest in the outcome of battles and will fight hard to ensure Carthage's domination of the Western Mediterranean continues.
Phoenecian General
These men lead Carthage's forces in the field against her enemies
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Phoenician Infantry -
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Infantrymen that will defend their city against any invader, they are armed with a short sword, a medium sized shield, but lack good armor.
Phoenician Coastal Levies -
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Levies from the small settlements along the coast of Africa, they are armed with a short spear, a wicker shield, but are not armored.
Carthaginian African Mercenaries
Libyan Javelineers -
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The Carthaginians were fond of hiring many Libyans and Numidians as their skirmishers. The people had a great talent filling in these lines for the Carthaginians. They are armed with a shield made out of animal hide, javellins and a small dagger.
Libyan Spearmen -
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Neighboring Libya offered Carthage some very versatile warriors. Libyan spearmen are armed with a simple conical helmet, a wooden shield, and linothorax armor.
Libyan Cavalry -
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The best skirmishing cavalry in the western mediterranean, even up to the days of the punic wars.
Libyan archers -
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Archers from the libyan people, they have no armor and also fight with a small axe, a known Libyan melee weapon.
Garamantai Warriors -
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A numerous Libyan tribe, who fight on foot or chariots (ingame you will have acess to both infantry and chariot troops)
Our next preview will feature the rest of the troops recruitable from the rest of Carthage's sphere of infleunce.
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We sincerly hope you have enjoyed our 14th faction preview
The Hegemonia Team
