Carthaginian Pikemen?

[Denis Grey]

According to a recent publication, from 256BC onwards, Carthage re-equipped its heavy infantry in the Hellenistic style with sarrissas and small shields with a strap round the neck.  Is anyone aware of any evidence that would support - or contradict - this assertion?

[stevenneate]

I thought this one had been put to bed long ago. Who had resurrected this idea and do they provide any evidence?

[Erpingham]

Is this one of those cyclic theories, that is proposed every few years, debunked, becomes dormant then re-emerges? Any new evidence discovered this time round?

Add : crossed with Steve's post.

[DBS]

There is no evidence to support it. The problem arose with the late, great, Peter Connolly, who made the mistake of relying on the Loeb translation of Polybius. As so often with non-military classicists, the translator decided to translate longche as "pike". Because to classical linguists, all pointy sticks are the same: pike, lance, spear.

Of course, more considered opinion is that longche is actually a light spear or javelin.

Connolly was wonderful at giving some colour and shape to ancient warriors, but this was his most enduring slip. Does said new book also have Punic cavalry with horse armour? PC's other little error; his logic was that if the Seleucids used it, surely the Carthaginians would follow their fashion tips...

[DBS]

Oh, and of course an assumption in some quarters that the famous Xanthippus, when whipping the Carthaginians into shape during the Mercenaries War, must have reequipped them as phalangites, ignoring that in plenty of Hellenistic armies there was a steady move towards peltast type troops, which are a rather tempting fit for Polybius' longchophoroi...

[Duncan Head]

Plutarch, Marcellus 12.2? Where (in 215) the Carthaginian infantry are said to fight hand-to-hand with short spears.

[Erpingham]

IIRC, in the Western Mediterranean Way of War (WMWW) theory, Carthaginians went from hoplite style to long shield and two longche from contact with Italians, Iberians and Mediterranean Celts. This might be another source of the troop type in question. For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not arguing for WMWW. I don't think Paul McDonnell-Staff really demonstrated the whole theory but I think he was right to consider what interaction with opposing/allied military systems might do to the Carthaginian military.

[RichT]

Not to mention the plentiful evidence that "small shields and a strap round the neck" wasn't the Hellenistic style anyway.

It is somewhat depressing how firmly wrong ideas get established and how regularly they are repeated. The arc of history may bend towards truth but if so it does it exceedingly slowly.

[Andreas Johansson]

If the Carthaginians switched to pike phalanges from 256 BC, one might have thought Polybius would've put his famous comparison of phalanx v. legion in the context of the First Punic War.

[Denis Grey]

Thank you everyone.  It appears in one of Professor Esposito's recent books for Pen & Sword - and yes, is linked to Xanthippus.

I haven't read it myself, but it was mentioned in a post in NZ Wargaming FB group run by a friend of mine. 

[RichT]

Hmm. Gabriele Esposito is not a Professor.

You can't fault him for being prolific, but you can fault him for writing books that are, on the whole (and how shall I put this delicately of a fellow P&S author?) utter bollocks.

Yet there he is - 80 ratings average 4.4 on Amazon for his 'Hellenistic States', 16 ratings average 4.9 for his 'Army of Alexander'. While other books by other authors on similar topics even from the same publisher languish unnoticed and unrated. He is obviously doing something right.

(Embittered, me? Yup.)

[Keraunos]

I thought this one had been put to bed long ago. Who us resurrected this idea and do they provide any evidence?

Perhaps it is like the 17 year locusts, emerging every 17 years, making a mess then disappearing for another long siesta!

The evidence is that Newline Designs make some lovely Carthaginian phalangites, of which I have several bagfuls in my lead pile.  Can't make up my mind whether to sell them on to some unfortunate who still believes in them or paint them up as extra phalangites for Hellenistic armies.

[Jim Webster]

You can never have too many Hellenistic phalangites, you know you need them 

[Erpingham]

Hmm. Gabriele Esposito is not a Professor.

In fairness, Gabriele Esposito appears to have been a contract professor of Medieval, Modern and Contemporary History at the "Luigi Vanvitelli" University of Campania. A Professore a contratto, according to Wiki, is "usually a person of great professional experience that lacks an academic background". Though this doesn't mean that Mr Esposito does not have an academic qualification. Wiki also tells us that in 2020 there were 28,000 contract professors in Italian universities, so a more common role than professor would be in UK.

[RichT]

Somehow this reminds me of the "is there a doctor on the plane?" joke/meme.

Flight attendant (dealing with medical emergency): "Is there a doctor on the plane?"

Passenger: "Yes, I have an honorary doctorate in Marketing Communications from the University of Smallville"

etc etc

Edit to add - to be fair as well, his books on topics he knows something about may be excellent, but I've not read them.