1. Mago Barca was a Carthaginian, member of the Barcid family, who played an important role in the Second Punic War, leading forces of Carthage against the Roman Republic in Iberia and northern and central Italy.
16 Facts About Mago Barca
1. 2.
Mago Barca fought at the side of Hannibal in the invasion of Italy, and played a key role in many battles.
3.
From Bruttium, Mago Barca sailed to Carthage, leaving Hanno the Elder in command of the Carthaginian garrison.
4.
Mago Barca presented the golden rings of Roman equites fallen at Cannae to the Carthaginian Senate, requesting reinforcements for Hannibal at the end of his speech.
5.
Still, the Senate members were impressed enough to vote sending 4,000 Numidian cavalry, 40 war elephants and 500 talents to Italy, and Mago Barca was instructed to raise additional 20,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry from Spain for Hannibal.
6.
Mago Barca's army, numbering 12,000 infantry, 1,500 cavalry, 20 war elephants, with 1,000 talents was raised slowly, perhaps due to anti Barcid intrigues.
7.
Mago Barca moved with his army to the area between the Tagus and Douro rivers in a recruiting mission of Spanish mercenaries with Hanno, a newly arrived general.
8.
Mago Barca enjoyed joint command of the new army and raided the Roman army with his cavalry.
9.
Mago Barca led an assault on Cartagena, believing the city to be lightly held, and was beaten back with severe losses.
10.
Mago Barca then led a campaign to invade Italy with 15,000 men in early summer 205 BC.
11.
Mago Barca managed to capture Genoa, and he held control of northern Italy for nearly three years, warring with the mountain tribes and gathering troops.
12.
In 204 BC, Mago Barca was reinforced with 6,000 infantry and some cavalry from Carthage.
13.
The Romans refused to give battle and blocked Mago Barca, preventing him from reaching Hannibal.
14.
The Battle of Insubria was an indecisive Roman victory, but Mago Barca was severely wounded.
15.
Mago Barca managed to escape, but either died in a shipwreck or was killed by his slaves.
16.
Mago Barca was a capable cavalry leader, as his repeated ambushes of the Romans in Iberia and Italy demonstrate.