Battle Of Utica (203 BC)
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The Battle of Utica was fought in 203 BC between armies of
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
and
Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...
during the
Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of three wars fought between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 17 years the two states struggled for supremacy, primarily in Ital ...
. Through a surprise attack, the Roman commander
Scipio Africanus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (, , ; 236/235–183 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, most notable as one of the main architects of Rome's victory against Carthage in the Second Punic War. Often regarded as one of the best military com ...
managed to destroy a numerous force of Carthaginians and their
Numidian Numidia (Berber: ''Inumiden''; 202–40 BC) was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians located in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up modern-day Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunisi ...
allies not far from the outflow of the
Medjerda River The Medjerda River ( ar, وادي مجردة), the classical Bagrada, is a river in North Africa flowing from northeast Algeria through Tunisia before emptying into the Gulf of Tunis and Lake of Tunis. With a length of , it is the longest river ...
in modern
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
. Thus he gained a decisive strategic advantage, switched the focus of the war from Italy and
Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
to Carthaginian north Africa, and contributed largely to the final Roman victory.


Background

The invasion of Africa was a part of the initial Roman plans for the conduct of the Second Punic War. The Carthaginian General Hannibal thwarted them when he set out from his base in
Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
, went through southern
Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
and crossed the
Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
in 218 BC. The consul to whom the expedition to Carthage was entrusted, decided to transfer his army from
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
to Cisalpine Gaul to defend the north of Italy only to be heavily defeated at the resulting
battle of Trebia The Battle of the Trebia (or Trebbia) was the first major battle of the Second Punic War, fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and a Roman army under Sempronius Longus on 22 or 23 December 218 BC. It took place on the flood ...
; clearing the way for Hannibal's army to invade Italy proper. At the subsequent battle of Cannae in 216 BC, Rome suffered its greatest military defeat in history up until that point to the Carthaginian forces and their allies. These defeats severely depleted Rome's military reserves. With Hannibal's army rapidly gaining ground and allies in Italy, the idea of an assault on the Carthaginian homeland was out of question for the time being. During the following years, the war raged primarily in Italy, Iberia and Sicily, but north Africa was largely spared. The situation changed with the growing fortunes of Rome. Though unable to achieve outright victory, by 205 BC, the Romans had effectively contained the Carthaginian invasion of Italy by gradually wearing out Hannibal's invasion force and stripping away those allies he acquired after Cannae. Roman's achieved a decisive victory over Hannibal's brother,
Hasdrubal Hasdrubal ( grc-gre, Ἀσδρούβας, ''Hasdroúbas'') is the Latinized form of the Carthaginian name ʿAzrubaʿal ( xpu, 𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋 , , "Help of Baal"). It may refer to: * Hasdrubal I of Carthage was the Magonid king of Ancien ...
at battle of the Metaurus river, as he attempted to lead a second Carthaginian army into Italy. Hasdrubal died on battlefield and with him also died the best hope of Carthaginian reinforcements reaching Hannibal. The various Carthaginian forces had been driven off Sicily and Iberia or hemmed in the far south and northwestern corners of the Apennine peninsula. By the fall of Syracuse and the reconquest of the parts of Sicily that had been temporarily lost after the battle of Cannae, the Romans secured a base for a naval assault on Carthage. They made use of that by carrying out a number of raids on African soil in 208, 207 and 205 BC.Livy, XXIX.3 Since 206 BC, when Scipio Africanus finally expelled the Carthaginians from Iberia (see the battle of Ilipa), he was preoccupied with the idea that Africa should be the next target. To this end, he concluded an alliance with Syphax – one of the most powerful Numidian rulers at the time and an old foe of Carthage – even before he got authority from Rome to lead the future invasion. Even though Scipio was elected
consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...
for 205 BC, he had to endure hard political wrangling before the Senate approved his intentions. His main opponent was Quintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator (the Delayer), who argued that the expedition to Africa was too risky and that the primary objective was to fight Hannibal in
Bruttium 01 or '01 may refer to: * The year 2001, or any year ending with 01 * The month of January * 1 (number) Music * 01'' (Richard Müller album), 2001 * ''01'' (Son of Dave album), 2000 * ''01'' (Urban Zakapa album), 2011 * ''O1'' (Hiroyuki Sawa ...
. Scipio managed to persuade the senators that his plan was the perfect way to force the Carthaginians out of Italy.Plutarch, The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans:
Fabius In Roman mythology, Fabius was the son of Hercules and an unnamed mother. In "The Life of Fabius Maximus" from the '' Parallel Lives'' by Plutarch, Fabius, the first of his name, was the son of Hercules by a nymph or a woman native to the coun ...
Nevertheless, he was not given enough resourcesCassius Dio, Roman History
Book XVII
/ref> and had to spend a whole year in preparations. The Carthaginians were warned of what was coming when Scipio sent his legate C. Laelius with a naval force to plunder the area of Hippo Regius on the African coast west of Carthage (205 BC). They took various measures to prevent a major Roman invasion. However, the attempt to persuade the
Macedon Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an Classical antiquity, ancient monarchy, kingdom on the periphery of Archaic Greece, Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. Th ...
ian king
Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
to invade Sicily was unsuccessful, and the reinforcements sent to their own commanders in Bruttium and Liguria were not sufficient to revive the war in Italy (see the articles about the battle of Croton and the Po valley raid). Nor was Scipio dissuaded by Syphax's defection, who took the side of Carthage thanks to the diplomatic skills of
Hasdrubal Gisgo Hasdrubal Gisco (died 202BC), a latinization of the name ʿAzrubaʿal son of Gersakkun ( xpu, 𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋 𐤁𐤍 𐤂𐤓𐤎𐤊𐤍 ),. was a Carthaginian general who fought against Rome in Iberia (Hispania) and North Africa dur ...
and the charms of his daughter,
Sophonisba Sophonisba (in Punic, 𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 Ṣap̄anbaʿal) (fl. 203 BC) was a Carthaginian noblewoman who lived during the Second Punic War, and the daughter of Hasdrubal Gisco. She held influence over the Numidian political landscape, con ...
.


Prelude


Invasion of Africa

The invasion of Africa began in 204 BC. Several hundred transport ships carried the Roman army of no more than 35,000 soldiers to
Cape Farina Cape Farina (french: Cap Farina) is a headland in Bizerte Governorate, Tunisia. It forms the northwestern end of the Gulf of Tunis. The Tunisian towns of Ghar el-Melh (the ancient Castra Delia), Rafraf, Lahmeri, and the beach of Plage Sidi Ali ...
(
Rusucmona Ghar el-Melh ( ar, غارالملح, ''Ghar al-Milh'', "Salt Grotto"), the classical Rusucmona and CastraDelia and colonial is a town and former port on the southern side of Cape Farina in Bizerte Governorate, Tunisia. History Phoenician colo ...
), about 35 km northwest of Carthage. By his very arrival, Scipio caused much anxiety and fear, and he used the resulting confusion to capture several towns and plunder the countryside. The main Carthaginian commander who opposed him was
Hasdrubal Hasdrubal ( grc-gre, Ἀσδρούβας, ''Hasdroúbas'') is the Latinized form of the Carthaginian name ʿAzrubaʿal ( xpu, 𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋 , , "Help of Baal"). It may refer to: * Hasdrubal I of Carthage was the Magonid king of Ancien ...
, son of Gisgo. He despatched a significant cavalry force in order to stop the depredation and restrict Scipio's manoeuvres, but the Romans destroyed it near the town of Salaeca. Thus the Roman commander received a temporary advantage, which was strengthened when Scipio was joined by
Massinissa Masinissa ( nxm, , ''MSNSN''; ''c.'' 238 BC – 148 BC), also spelled Massinissa, Massena and Massan, was an ancient Numidian king best known for leading a federation of Massylii Berber tribes during the Second Punic War (218–201 BC), ult ...
, a leader of the Massylians. Hasdrubal was impeded by the wavering of Syphax, who "failed... to render them (the Carthaginians) whole-hearted assistance" and thus allowed the Romans to ravage the country with impunity.


Siege of Utica

Having collected abundant booty and numerous slaves, in the autumn Scipio moved to Utica. His intention was to capture the ancient
Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...
n city and make it a base for his further operations.Livy, XXIX.35 The direct assault on the walls was repulsed even though it was supported by siege engines and the Roman fleet, so that the Romans had to undertake a regular
siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
of the city. The emergence of two large enemy armies effectively ended the siege very soon.Cassius Dio, XVII, 69 These were the forces of Hasdrubal Gisgo and his son-in-law Syphax, who apparently did not hesitate anymore.
Appian Appian of Alexandria (; grc-gre, Ἀππιανὸς Ἀλεξανδρεύς ''Appianòs Alexandreús''; la, Appianus Alexandrinus; ) was a Greek historian with Roman citizenship who flourished during the reigns of Emperors of Rome Trajan, Hadr ...
stated that Hasdrubal had 20,000 infantry and 7,000 cavalry, while according to the tradition passed by ancient authors such as
Polybius Polybius (; grc-gre, Πολύβιος, ; ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , which covered the period of 264–146 BC and the Punic Wars in detail. Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed ...
and
Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Ancient Rome, Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditiona ...
, the army of Hasdrubal amounted to 33,000 and that of Syphax was twice the size, but these numbers are considered as exaggerated by modern researchers, who estimate a combined Carthaginian-Numidian strength of 33,000–47,500. The two armies forced Scipio to retreat to a promontory not far from Utica, which was later called Castra Cornelia. He fortified the narrow neck of land and set his winter quarters, relying on supplies of corn and clothing that were being sent to him from Sicily, Sardinia and Iberia. Hasdrubal and Syphax built their separate camps some distance from Castra Cornelia.Cassius Dio, XVII, 69


Peace negotiations

Throughout the winter, the Carthaginians continued to build up their forces. They prepared a fleet in order to cut the supply routes and fully blockade the Roman army and were waiting for Ligurian and Iberian mercenaries.Appian, The Punic Wars, 3.17 The actual hostilities ceased for a time due to the efforts of Syphax to arbitrate for a reconciliation. Hasdrubal accepted the proposed terms, which stipulated that both Rome and Carthage should recall their armies respectively from Africa and Italy, but did not stop the aforementioned military preparations. Peace under such conditions was definitely not the purpose with which Scipio negotiated with Syphax. At first, he used the negotiations as a cover for trying to win over the Numidian to Rome. As these attempts proved to be of no avail, the Roman leader nevertheless continued to send envoys to the Numidian camp. Scipio aimed, firstly, to mislead the enemy that he was insecure and therefore anxious to conclude peace and, secondly, to reconnoitre the position and organization of the enemy. His envoys, who were carefully selected for the latter purpose, informed him that both camps consisted primarily of huts built from wood, reed, and other flammable material.


Battle


The burning of the camps

On the basis of this information, Scipio elaborated his plan for the battle. He knew that the Carthaginian preparations to attack Castra Cornelia were continuing, and with the first signs of the spring he launched a preemptive strike. The ancient authors provide two versions of what happened. According to Livy and Polybius, Scipio placed a detachment (2,000 strong) on a hill overlooking Utica so as to deceive the enemy's scouts that he was preparing to attack the city. Another small detachment was left to guard the Roman camp against possible attack from the city's defenders. The main forces marched at night, more than 10 kilometers, and reached the camps of Hasdrubal and Syphax before dawn. Scipio separated the army in two-halves and ordered Laelius and Massinissa's Numidians to set fire to and destroy Syphax's camp. Laelius and Massinissa left Syphax's warriors almost no chance to escape, as they were caught sleeping and utterly unprepared. The flames that started from the huts outside the palisades spread easily and engulfed the whole camp. All the exits were blockaded by the Romans, and numbers of unarmed soldiers were slaughtered; others were caught by the flames, as well as many pack animals, or were trampled to death at the gates. The same happened with the army of Hasdrubal. Its soldiers were awakened by the news that the neighbouring camp was ignited, and some of them rushed to help the Numidians without arms, thinking that the flames were the result of an accident. Scipio waited for this moment of confusion to attack with his part of the Roman army. The Carthaginians could not offer any organized resistance and were crushed. Only their general (as well as Syphax), with a small body of troops, managed to escape.


Appian's story

The version of Livy and Polybius is supported by other ancient historians, such as Florus and Frontinus. In "The Punic Wars", a part of his "Roman History", Appian relates another story of the events. According to Appian, Scipio detached only Massinissa and his horsemen to prevent Syphax from rendering help to Hasdrubal. With the bulk of his legionaries, the Roman commander suddenly attacked Hasdrubal's camp and slaughtered almost all of his soldiers, because those who initially made their escape were rounded up by the Roman cavalry. When Syphax knew what was happening, he sent a cavalry detachment to assist Hasdrubal, but these horsemen were met and routed by Massinissa. Fearing that Scipio would turn on him after dealing with Hasdrubal's army, Syphax abandoned his camp and retreated to safety with his army.


Aftermath


Casualties

The Carthaginians suffered heavy casualties and their field forces were virtually eliminated for some time. According to Polybius, the combined Carthaginian and Numidian forces lost 91,500 killed or captured, with 2,500 survivors. Livy claims 40,000 killed, 5,000 captured and 2,500 survivors, contradicting Polybius's claim of 93,000 soldiers, while Appian gives 30,000 dead and 3,000 captured.Livy, XXX.6 All sources agree that the losses of the Romans were minimal; however Cassius Dio recorded that a “large number“, were lost when a late arriving force of Iberian mercenaries attacked the following morning, catching the Romans off guard.


Analysis

Polybius wrote: "...it is not possible to find any other disaster which even if exaggerated could be compared with this, so much did it exceed in horror all previous events. Therefore of all the brilliant exploits performed by Scipio this seems to me the most splendid and most adventurous." With one single strike Scipio was able to get rid of the Carthaginian blockade and to renew the offensive operations of the previous summer. What followed shortly afterwards was the
battle of the Great Plains The Battle of the Great Plains ( la, Campi Magni) was a battle between a Roman army commanded by Scipio Africanus and a combined Carthaginian-Numidian army late in the Second Punic War. It was fought on the plains south of Bulla Regia around the ...
, which ended with another crushing defeat of Hasdrubal Gisgo and Syphax.''Caven'', Punic Wars, pp. 242-243; ''Scullard'', Scipio Africanus, pp. 128-131 Carthage had to recall its armies from Italy for a last decisive encounter that took place in 202 BC, and resulted in a final defeat and a peace treaty, ending the
Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of three wars fought between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 17 years the two states struggled for supremacy, primarily in Ital ...
in 201 BC.


References


Citations


Bibliography


Primary sources

* ''Livius'', Titus
The History of Rome, Vol. IV
(ed. E. Rhys, translated by C. Roberts), University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center (see also a Russian translatio

* ''Polybius''

Bill Thayer's Web Site

(alternative English translation a
The Perseus Digital Library
Tufts University) * ''Cassius Dio''

Bill Thayer's Web Site

* ''Appian'', Roman History

Livius Articles on Ancient History * ''Frontinus''

(see also in Russia


Secondary sources

* ''Barceló'', Pedro, Hannibal, München, Beck, 1998, * ''Caven'', Brian, The Punic Wars, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London 1980, * ''Connolly'', Peter, Greece and Rome at War, Greenhill Books, 1998, (see excerpts in Russia

* ''Delbrück'', Hans, History of the Art of War, Vol. I: Warfare in Antiquity (translated by W. Renfroe), University of Nebraska Press, 1990, (see excerpts in Russia

* ''Fournie'', Daniel, Second Punic War: The Battle of Zam

retrieved from HistoryNet.com on October 22, 2007 * ''Mommsen'', Theodor, The History of Rome, Book III, The Gutenberg Project eBook (see also in Germa

* ''Scullard'', H. H., Scipio Africanus: Soldier and Politician, New York, Cornell University Press, 1970, Standard Book Number 8014-0549-1 * ''Smith'', William (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, University of Michigan * ''Кораблев'', Илья, Ганнибал, Москва, "Наука", 1976

Студенческое научное общество


External links

A comprehensive history of the Second Punic war for German readers: * ''Gottwein'', Egon
Politische und kulturelle Entwicklung Roms: Der 2. Punische (Hannibalische) Krieg
(o
Navicula Bacchi
A concise online description of Scipio's expedition to Africa: * Akinde, Michael, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus
Scipio Africanus : Africa (204 – 201 BCE)
A detailed map of a part of northern Africa in Roman times:
Numidia
(o
Navicula Bacchi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Utica (203 Bc) 203 BC, Utica Utica 203 BC Utica 203 BC Utica (203 BC) Battles involving Numidia