Preview: The Qarthadastim

[[cF]HanBaal]

First of all sorry for clogging up the thread with an off-topic discussion, even if directly related to the faction of this preview.

So, moonburn, since you are going into the world of possibilities we will just have to agree to disagree. Just 3 quick but fundamental corrections. Rome wasn't by FAR as "easy to storm" in the 2nd punic war as in Brennus days more than a century before as you say. A lesson equally learnt by Carthage in the Mercenaries War that, even if not conquered, reforced extensively its defences by building triple walls and barracks inside for 40.000 infantry and 300 elephants. Carthage in its only real siege, by a gigantic roman army in the 3rd punic war (which wasn't a real war), and even after giving 200.000 individual equipments of war and its catapults to a treacherous roman condition for peace, resisted for 3 years and was only taken by a sea attack. Carthage NEVER surrendered. The same can't be said of Rome: Brennus and his Celts, Alaric and his Visigoths, Genseric and his Vandals... pussies xD

Second, Rome wasn't "deprived of soldiers" after Cannae as you say. 2 legions were sen't to the north by the roman senate in this same year and after Cannae, only to be destroyed by the Celts it's true, but if they were so desperately needed they would have stayed in Rome. If you search through the primary sources you'll see that days after Cannae Rome was fully prepared for a carthaginian siege, that never came. People tend to overestimate the loss of 86.000 (and consider around 10.000 escaped Cannae to Canusium) in the estimated recruiting pool of 750.000 able men romans had. And this not counting slaves, criminals and under and overaged Rome used to form more legions at the later part of the war. A testemony to the several more legions Hannibal destroyed in Italy in the 14 years after Cannae, contrary to the general belief no more proper battles were fought after it.

Third, Cannae wasn't a "few dozens kilometres away" from Rome. Rather few hundreds. And such a battle must have had many wounds among his soldiers, who must also have been very tired, and also many dead to bury of his already depleted army. And as Hannibal said in one of his speeches to his soldiers, the loot from the dead and the captured was their pay.

But as important as all these 3 points if not more, he now had many allies turning to him and which needed proper garrisons (basically all of Southern Italy except the latin colonies who constantly pressed on his new allies) who would make a perfect base of operations for both geting a steady chain of supplies which would be CRUCIAL for a prolonged siege/war in Central Italy, at the same time have his rear guarded and finally, receive reinforcements from Carthage. He got Locri for example, one of the biggest southern ports, from where he eventually got 4000 numidians and 40 elephants by the senate in 215BC, if you can call that proper reinforcements in the 14 years he was in the south.

To conclude, a common saying "Those who do not learn from mistakes, are destined to repeat them". This critic I made above was directed to you, not the carthaginian senate, who obviously could not know the consequences of their actions. Though I bet some did.

cumps