Hamilcar Barca

King of Carthage - 306 BC - ?

Born in the city of Carthage in 333 BC, Hamilcar grew to be a hard man, and a ferocious defender of the Carthaginian Empire.

His mother, Tanitia, died giving birth to Hamilcar’s brother Hasdrubal, when the boy was at a young age, and his father, Gesco Barca, a general and warrior, was a demanding man, especially when it came to his eldest son. After the death of their mother, Gesco swore to never marry again, and so, his sons were raised chiefly by their grand mother and of course Gesco. Once Tanitia died, Gesco shut himself down emotionally, and raised his sons with a cold practical hand. Life was hard, and he intended to make them strong, and though his methods could be harsh at times, the boys learned their lesson, and soon grew into strong young men with high senses of duty and honor.

Once they were old enough, Gesco allowed the boys to join him on campaign as he lead Carthaginian and mercenary armies in an effort to expand the growing empire and defeat her enemies. It was during this time that Hamilcar and Hasdrubal grew to love their father, and not just respect him, a love that was returned by Gesco. It was also during this time that the boys began to learn their first lessons in warfare. Gesco noticed quickly how fast Hamilcar picked up on the essential lessons of warfare, leadership, and wielding the great power of a finely trained army, and from then on, the military dominated his life.

By age sixteen, Hamilcar was commanding the light troops of his father’s army with Hasdrubal as his second. By eighteen, he had become an officer in the elite sacred band, which had been restarted following their annihilation in 340 BC, and by twenty, he had risen to command of the unit, his brother Hasdrubal again his second. At this time, Gesco was ordered to proceed into Iberia with his army to protect the frontiers of the empire, and claim new territory. For two years, Hamilcar remained in command of the sacred band while his father was in Iberia. He fought many battles, and increased his fame through his heroic and steadfast service. Tragedy struck when he was twenty two, however, and with that tragedy a new chance to showcase his military talents. His father had been ambushed on a routine patrol, by Iberian rebels and he and his cavalry compliment were killed. With the vacancy in command of the Iberian Army, Iberian rebels launched an uprising against their Carthaginian rulers. Hamilcar was sent to replace his father in command of the army.

At twenty three years of age, he led the army in a fierce, crushing campaign against the rebels. In his grief over his father’s death, Hamilcar crushed all opposition in the Carthaginian ruled provinces of Iberia, killing all of the men of the tribes responsible for the uprising, burning their villages, and transporting the women and children of those tribes back to Carthage where they became slaves. Through these harsh measures, he brought peace back to the provinces, and secured for himself a place amongst Carthage’s elite.

He was still in Iberia when word reached him that King Hanno had fallen ill, apparently through poison, and his presence was requested in the great city by the Council of Elders, and the Tribunal of 104, both political bodies of aristocrats that shared a balance of power with the Carthaginian king. Hamilcar left his brother, who had joined him in Spain with a portion of the sacred band, which he now commanded, in charge of his army, and with an escort set out for Carthage immediately. Though rumors persisted that Hamilcar would be named the new king, he refused to accept them, and instead hoped earnestly for Hanno’s recovery. However, this was not to be, and by the time he reached Carthage, his king had died.

Upon his arrival, he was summoned before the Tribunal and Council, and appointed the new king of Carthage. His first task was to oversee the state funeral of Hanno. Shortly after the state funeral, Hamilcar was crowned during an elaborate ceremony in which his future queen, Alissar, danced for him. However, on the night of his coronation, a large army under the command of a rival general by the name of Juba, attempted to kill Hamilcar and claim the empire for himself.

Hamilcar escaped the clutches of his assasins and fled with Alissar and a handful of loyal guards to the docks of the city where they were rescued by Bodershtart's fleet following its' victory over the fleet of Juba. Following the escape, the fleet sailed to Lilybaeum, where Hamilcar met with Egyptian envoys and planned the campaign that would reclaim his throne. From Lilybaeum, Hamilcar sailed to Iberia to gather his army and prepare to invade Africa.