Hamilcar’s Legacy: The Grand Strategy
Hamilcar stood out far above the Carthaginians of his age in military and diplomatic skill and in strength of patriotism; in these qualities he was surpassed only by his son Hannibal, whom he may have imbued with his own deep suspicion of Rome and trained to be his successor in the conflict. While one historian commented that had he not been the father of Hannibal, Hamilcar’s Sicilian front might have received scant notice. Hamilcar is thought to be the best commander of the ] and as a man, Cato placed Hamilcar a cut above most leaders, including most Romans. By the power of his personal influence among the mercenaries and the surrounding African peoples, superior strategy and some luck, Hamilcar, and also cooperation, if unenthusiastic, from Hanno the Great, Hamilcar crushed the revolt by (237 BC) amid a war marked with cruelty atrocities from both sides.
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