What did Hamilcar do when he got to Iberia?

Answer 1

This answer deals with Hamilcar Barca a leading politician in Carthage who led a group there with designs on war to reestablish the power of Carthage that had been lost by the First Punic War. In that war Hamilcar was a leading general. His activities after the defeat of Carthage led to the 2nd Punic War. He was the father of the famous general Hannibal.

Hamilcar gained a commission to lead an army to regain the prominence of Carthage but the details of the mission were unclear.

Both Rome and Carthage had been very active after the 1st Punic War. Rome had to contend with the Gauls to the north of Italian peninsula and to the east with problems in the kingdom of Illyria.

Carthage was involved with ending rebellions with their mercenary armies and other affairs on the North African coast.

Hamilcar was bent on revenge against Rome. He however needed to conceal his main objective from Rome, lest they interfere in Africa.

Here are the steps that are important to Hamilcar's plans.

1. He had to make sure that Carthage kept up its indemnity payments to Rome that were part of the peace treaty ending the 1st Punic War. Failure to comply would again antagonize Rome, perhaps into violence. Such an event would foil his plans in Iberia.

2. Hamilcar led an army from North Africa to the Straights of Gibralter and crossed into Spain.. the Iberian peninsula.

3. His intention was to reap the wealth there and make good on payments to Rome.

4. That was not his only intention however. The Romans "bought" this idea and did not realize the other motives of Hamilcar.

5. Gaining control of Spain would enable him to exploit the wealth of it to yes repay Rome, but also to use that wealth to raise an army against Rome.

6. In order to regain control of Iberia, Hamilcar with the help of his two sons, Hannibal & Hasdrubal, along with his brother-in-law Hasdrubal the Elder, fought many battles to become dominant in Iberia.

7. During his 9 years of wars in Iberia, Hamilcar of course made many enemies in the Iberian Peneinsula. During an attack by against him in 229 BC BCE, he spilt his forces between himself and his sons.

8. Hamilcar drowned in his escape from the forces of a local ruler named Orissus.