Hanno, son of Bomilcar
Encyclopedia
Hanno, son of Bomilcar
, was a Carthaginian
officer in the Second Punic War
, and nephew of Hannibal Barca, Carthages leading General as his mother was one of Hannibals three elder sisters. When Hannibal's army reached the Western bank of the Rhône River
they began preparations to cross. A group of Gauls
gathered on the Eastern bank, intent on preventing the army from crossing. Hanno led a small group north to cross. The group crossed in small rafts they built. Once across they headed south toward the Gauls. Hanno sent a smoke signal to inform Hannibal that Hanno's force was ready. Hannibal began to send his cavalry across in canoes. As the cavalry attained a foothold on the Eastern bank, the Gauls approached, ready to fight. At this point Hanno's force attacked the Gauls' rear causing enough confusion to force the Gauls to retreat.
At the Battle of Cannae
Hanno led the Numidian cavalry
on the right (northern) side of the Carthaginian army. Hasdrubal
led the Spanish
and Celtic cavalry on the left (south near the Aufidus river
) of the Carthaginian army. Hasdrubal was given about 6,500 cavalry, and Hanno had 3,500 Numidians. Hasdrubal's force was able to quickly destroy the Roman cavalry
(on the south), pass the Romans' infantry rear, and reach the Roman allied cavalry while they were engaged with Hanno's Numidians. Once the Romans' allied cavalry was destroyed, Hanno and Hasdrubal were able to lead both cavalries into the Roman infantry's rear.
Bomilcar (Suffete)
Bomilcar was a Carthaginian nobleman and commander in the Second Punic War.He was the father of the Hanno who commanded a portion of Hannibal's army at the passage of the Rhone, 218 BC. This Bomilcar seems to have been one of the Carthaginian Suffetes and to have presided in that assembly of the...
, was a Carthaginian
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
officer in the Second Punic War
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
, and nephew of Hannibal Barca, Carthages leading General as his mother was one of Hannibals three elder sisters. When Hannibal's army reached the Western bank of the Rhône River
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
they began preparations to cross. A group of Gauls
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
gathered on the Eastern bank, intent on preventing the army from crossing. Hanno led a small group north to cross. The group crossed in small rafts they built. Once across they headed south toward the Gauls. Hanno sent a smoke signal to inform Hannibal that Hanno's force was ready. Hannibal began to send his cavalry across in canoes. As the cavalry attained a foothold on the Eastern bank, the Gauls approached, ready to fight. At this point Hanno's force attacked the Gauls' rear causing enough confusion to force the Gauls to retreat.
At the Battle of Cannae
Battle of Cannae
The Battle of Cannae was a major battle of the Second Punic War, which took place on August 2, 216 BC near the town of Cannae in Apulia in southeast Italy. The army of Carthage under Hannibal decisively defeated a numerically superior army of the Roman Republic under command of the consuls Lucius...
Hanno led the Numidian cavalry
Numidian cavalry
Numidian cavalry was a type of light cavalry developed by the Numidians, most notably used by Hannibal during the Second Punic War. They were described by the Roman historian Livy as "by far the best horsemen in Africa."...
on the right (northern) side of the Carthaginian army. Hasdrubal
Hasdrubal, commander of the service corps
Hasdrubal, commander of the Service Corps was a Carthaginian officer in the Second Punic War. After the Battle of the Ticinus Hannibal led his army East along the Po River to catch the Roman army. When a convenient place was found to cross the army began building rafts...
led the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Celtic cavalry on the left (south near the Aufidus river
Ofanto
The Ofanto, known in ancient times as Aufidus, from the Greek Ophidus, Ωφιδους, meaning snake, is a 170 km river in southern Italy...
) of the Carthaginian army. Hasdrubal was given about 6,500 cavalry, and Hanno had 3,500 Numidians. Hasdrubal's force was able to quickly destroy the Roman cavalry
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
(on the south), pass the Romans' infantry rear, and reach the Roman allied cavalry while they were engaged with Hanno's Numidians. Once the Romans' allied cavalry was destroyed, Hanno and Hasdrubal were able to lead both cavalries into the Roman infantry's rear.