Larus (supposedly died 207 BC) was a leader of
Cantabrian mercenaries
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
in the
Carthaginian army The term Carthaginian ( la, Carthaginiensis ) usually refers to a citizen of Ancient Carthage.
It can also refer to:
* Carthaginian (ship), a three-masted schooner built in 1921
* Insurgent privateer
Insurgent privateers ( es, corsarios insurgen ...
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 ...
, according to
Silius Italicus
Tiberius Catius Asconius Silius Italicus (, c. 26 – c. 101 AD) was a Roman senator, orator and Epic poetry, epic poet of the Silver Age of Latin literature. His only surviving work is the 17-book ''Punica (poem), Punica'', an epic poem about th ...
's poem ''
Punica
''Punica'' is a small genus of fruit-bearing deciduous shrubs or small trees in the flowering plant family Lythraceae. The better known species is the pomegranate (''Punica granatum''). The other species, the Socotra pomegranate (''Punica pro ...
''.
[
]
Biography
Larus is mentioned only by Silius in his poem, where he is noted as the only outstanding man in the battle in Celtiberia
The Celtiberians were a group of Celts and Celticized peoples inhabiting an area in the central-northeastern Iberian Peninsula during the final centuries BCE. They were explicitly mentioned as being Celts by several classic authors (e.g. Strabo) ...
that pitted Punic generals Mago Barca
Mago Barca ( xpu, 𐤌𐤂𐤍 𐤁𐤓𐤒, ; 243–203BC) was a Barcid Carthaginian who played an important role in the Second Punic War, leading forces of Carthage against the Roman Republic in Iberia and northern and central Italy. Mag ...
and Hanno against their Roman homologue Marcus Junius Silanus. Some authors have doubted of the existence of Larus, noting in Silius the intention to embellish his chronicle of the war with epic heroes and duels in the style of ancient Greek literature
Ancient Greek literature is literature written in the Ancient Greek language from the earliest texts until the time of the Byzantine Empire. The earliest surviving works of ancient Greek literature, dating back to the early Archaic period, are ...
. However, others have doubted this approach, pointing out that his role in the battle is too notable to be entirely fictitious.
Assuming his historicity, Larus would have been active in 207 BC. After the Battle of the Metaurus
The Battle of the Metaurus was a pivotal battle in the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, fought in 207 BC near the Metauro River in Italy. The Carthaginians were led by Hasdrubal Barca, brother of Hannibal, who was to have brought sieg ...
, where Hasdrubal Barca
Hasdrubal Barca (245– 22June 207BC), a latinization of ʿAzrubaʿal ( xpu, 𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋 ) son of Hamilcar Barca, was a Carthaginian general in the Second Punic War. He was the brother of Hannibal and Mago Barca.
Youth and Iberian ...
and his newly hired Spanish mercenaries were defeated by Gaius Claudius Nero
Gaius Claudius Nero (c. 247 BCc. 189 BC) was a Roman general active during the Second Punic War against the invading Carthaginian force, led by Hannibal Barca. During a military career that began as legate in 214 BC, he was propraetor in 211 BC d ...
and Marcus Livius Salinator
Marcus Livius Salinator (254 – c. 191 BC) was a Roman general and politician who fought in the Second Punic War, most notably during the Battle of the Metaurus.
Born in 254 BC, Livius was elected consul of the Roman Republic with Lucius Aemilius ...
, Hanno and Mago would have started another recruitment campaign in Hispania
Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hispania ...
in order to replace Hasdrubal's army. Among their mercenaries it was Larus, leading a contingent of the Cantabrian youth armed with battle axe
A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes. Many were suitable for use in one hand, while others were larger and were deployed two-ha ...
s and caetra
Caetra was the shield used by Iberian, Celtiberian, Gallaecian and Lusitanian warriors. The shield was circular shaped with a diameter between 30 cm to 90 cm. It was tied to the warrior's body with ropes or leather strips that passed ...
s as per their custom. Larus was described as a man of immense stature and martial skill, embodying the Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
warrior ideal, who went to war wielding a double-headed axe (''bipennis'') with a single hand. He was also known as a fearsome unarmed fighter.Silius Italicus
Tiberius Catius Asconius Silius Italicus (, c. 26 – c. 101 AD) was a Roman senator, orator and Epic poetry, epic poet of the Silver Age of Latin literature. His only surviving work is the 17-book ''Punica (poem), Punica'', an epic poem about th ...
, ''Punica
''Punica'' is a small genus of fruit-bearing deciduous shrubs or small trees in the flowering plant family Lythraceae. The better known species is the pomegranate (''Punica granatum''). The other species, the Socotra pomegranate (''Punica pro ...
'', 16, 46-65[
Larus's first and only deployment started when the Roman forces attacked the Carthaginian positions. Believing themselves safe from attacks, Mago and Hanno had divided their camp and relaxed their defense, which encumbered their capacity of reaction. Their army was quickly routed except by Larus and his battalion, who mounted a fierce counterattack. Even when all his men were slain, Larus remained standing and doing battle, killing so many soldiers by himself alone that the Roman infantry began avoiding him in terror. Only Lucius Cornelius Scipio engaged him, fighting him in a singles duel and ultimately killing Larus after severing his arm. With the Cantabrian dead, the Punics were defeated and Hanno was captured.][
In his text, Silius speaks as well about another mercenary named Larus, who was compared to a ]gorgon
A Gorgon (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. W ...
for his frightening appearance. However, this was not the same as the Cantabrian Larus, but a Gaul soldier of the same name.[
]
See also
*Corocotta
Corocotta is a local hero for Cantabrians and his story is passed down orally in Cantabrian families from the elder generations to the younger. According to Roman sources (the only written history of the time), he was a guerrilla warrior or bandit ...
*Viriathus (Second Punic War)
Viriathus (supposedly died 216 BC) was a leader of Gallaecian and Lusitanian mercenaries in the Carthaginian army during the Second Punic War, according to Silius Italicus's poem ''Punica''.Silius Italicus, ''Punica'', 3, 354
Biography
Viriathus ...
References
{{reflist
207 BC
Ancient mercenaries
Carthaginian commanders of the Second Punic War
Celtic warriors
People whose existence is disputed
Year of birth unknown