Magon Barca

Magon also spelled Magon or short Mago. (243 BC-203 BC), was a general of the Bárcida family. He was the youngest of the three sons of Hamilcar Barca, brother of Hannibal and Hasdrubal.He played an important role in the Second Punic War, leading the forces of Carthage against the Roman Republic in Iberia, Cisalpine Gaul, and Italy.

Little is known about his early years, other than that, unlike his older brothers, he is not mentioned during the ambush in which his father was killed.

On the Italian peninsula

Hannibal listed him among the Carthaginian officials who accompanied him to Italy. In addition, Maharbal, Hanno the Elder, Muttinus, Carthalo and another Hasdrubal also accompanied him.

Mago fought alongside Hannibal in the invasion of Italy, and played a key role in many battles. In the battle of the Trebia he commanded the detachment that ambushed the Romans. After the battle, Mago commanded the rear of the Carthaginian column, as in Latium they marched south through the Aino swamps. In the battle of Cannae, Magón and Aníbal took positions with the Gallic infantry in the center, in the most vulnerable groups and in the fundamental position of the formation.

After the victory at Cannae, Hannibal sent Mago with a detachment to Brutius (southern Italy). As they advanced, Mago subjugated several cities and drew others to the Carthaginian side. From Bruttium, Mago sailed for Carthage, leaving Hanno the Elder in command of the Carthaginian garrison. Mago presented the gold rings of the fallen Roman horsemen in Cannae to the Carthaginian Senate to request reinforcements for Hannibal at the end of his speech. This prompted supporters of the Bárcid party in the Senate to mock their opponents, who were bitterly opposed to any aid to Hannibal. In response, Hanno the Great, leader of the opposition of the Bárcidas, asked Magón several questions, which shone more than Magón's presentation. However, the members of the Senate were sufficiently impressed to vote for the concentration of an army, consisting of 12,000 infantry, 1,500 cavalry, and 20 elephants as reinforcements for Hannibal. But when the news of the disastrous battle of Dertosa reached Carthage, Mago and his army were sent to Iberia, as reinforcements for Hasdrubal Barca there. But the Carthaginian Senate did not totally ignore the Italian front, and a force of 4,000 Numidian horsemen and 40 elephants were sent to Locros on Brutius, escorted by Bomilcar's Punic fleet.This was the only reinforcement Hannibal received from the government of he.

Iberian campaigns

Although Hasdrubal Barca nominally commanded all Carthaginian forces in Iberia, Mago was given an independent command, a division that later had serious consequences. The two Barca brothers, with the help of Asdrúbal Gisco, fought the Romans, under the command of the Scipio brothers during 215-212 BC. In an ambush against the cavalry of Publius Cornelius Scipio, Mago killed 2,000 Romans near Akra Leuké in 214 BC. C., and also helped in maintaining the loyalty to Carthage of the Iberian tribes. In general, the Carthaginians managed to maintain the balance of power in Iberia despite the efforts of the Scipios, but they were unable to send Hannibal any aid. The situation was quite favorable, so Hasdrubal Barca went to Africa with an army to crush the rebellion of Sifax, the king of the Numidian tribes in 212 BC. C., without the Scipios causing problems in Iberia. Magón and Asdrúbal Gisco guarded the Carthaginian possessions in Iberia without difficulty, despite the fact that the Scipios were more numerous during Hasdrúbal's absence.

The Scipio brothers launched a major offensive in 211 B.C. C. The Carthaginian armies separated with Asdrúbal Giscón near Gadir with 10,000 soldiers, and Magón near Cástulo with another 10,000, and Asdrúbal Barca with 15,000 soldiers near Amtorgis. The Scipios planned to deal with the Carthaginians and simultaneously destroy their armies.

The coordination of the three Carthaginian armies was crucial in defeating and killing the Scipio brothers and destroying most of the Roman forces in Iberia in the battles that followed. The Scipios separated their armies, with Publius Scipio marching west with 20,000 troops to attack Mago near Castulo, while Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio led 35,000 to attack Hasdrubal Barca. Hasdrúbal Gisco's force marched to join Magón Barca, who, with the help of Indíbil and Masinissa, defeated and killed Publius Scipio, and then with their combined armies joined Hasdrúbal Barca in defeating and killing Gnaeus Scipio in a period of 23 days. However, a lack of coordination after the battle led to the escape of the surviving Romans, around 8,000 men, north of the Ebro River. These men twice withstood Carthaginian attacks, and were later reinforced by 20,000. men from Italy in 210 B.C. c.

Scipio Africanus, taking advantage of the lack of coordination between the Carthaginian generals and the dispersed location of their armies, ended up taking Cartagena in a daring expedition in 209 BC. C. Magón and his army arrived after a 3-day march from Cartagena at that time. The Carthaginians moved their base to Gadir.

In 208 B.C. C., after the battle of Baecula, Hasdrubal Barca left Iberia to invade Italy and bring reinforcements to his brother Hannibal, who was operating in Lucania. Magón moved his army to the area between the Tagus and Duero rivers on a mission to recruit soldiers for Hannon the Elder, a recently arrived general.

His mission was successful, recruiting large masses of Celts and Celtiberians, but he divided the army into two camps and relaxed his vigilance. His army was surprised and dispersed by the Roman forces under the command of Marco Junio Silano in 207 BC. C. After the death of the Celtic leader Laro, Hannón was captured, but Magón managed to escape with a few thousand survivors to Gadir, a city where they joined the forces of Asdrúbal Giscón. The scattered Carthaginians from his army were billeted in various cities and Mago focused on recruiting new troops. This strategy was thwarted with Scipio's strategy of forcing a decisive battle that same year.

Mago enjoyed joint command of the new army and led a raid against the Roman army with his cavalry. The foresight of Scipio Africanus, who had kept his cavalry outside the camps in a concealed position, led to the defeat of this raid.

After suffering defeat from Ilipa in 206 B.C. C., Asdrúbal Gisco returned to Africa and Magón withdrew to Gadir with the remains of his army. His deputy, Hannon, was defeated by Lucius Marcius the Seventh, and Magon was unable to take advantage of the rebellion of the Iberian tribes under Indibil or the mutiny of Roman soldiers in 205 BC. C. he led an attempt in Cartagena, believing a slight opportunity, and suffered heavy losses. Upon returning, he found the gates of Gadir closed, and sailed for the Balearic Islands after crucifying the city's magistrates for treason. The port of Mahón, in the Balearic Islands, still bears his name.

Third Carthaginian expedition to Italy

Magon led an invasion campaign into Italy (this time by sea) with 15,000 men in the early summer of 205 BC. C. The army sailed from Menorca to Liguria under the escort of 30 quinqueremes. Mago managed to capture Genoa, and held control of northern Italy for nearly three years, at war with the hill tribes and raising troops. The Romans sent 7 legions to keep watch on him and recapture northern Italy, but he was not spared from general action. In 204 B.C. C. Magón was reinforced with 6000 infantry soldiers and some cavalry from Carthage.

Wounded in a battle in Cisalpine Gaul, Mago was called to Carthage together with Hannibal for his defense, since Scipio (the future Scipio the African) had destroyed the armies of Hasdrubal Gisco, and Hanno, son of Bomilcar, and he had captured Sifax, an ally of Carthage in Africa. Mago and his army sailed from Italy in 202 BC. C. under the escort of the Punic fleet, and was not bothered by the Roman navy. However, he died at sea before reaching Carthage.

Mago's ability as a field commander is glimpsed in his actions at the battles of Trebia and Cannae, in which his failure could have doomed the Carthaginian army. He was a capable cavalry leader, as his repeated ambushes of the Romans on the Iberian peninsula and in Italy demonstrate.