Battle of Dertosa
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| Battle of Cissa | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Second Punic War | |||||||
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| Combatants | |||||||
| Carthage | Roman Republic | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Hasdrubal Barca | Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus, Publius Cornelius Scipio | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 25,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, 20 Elephants |
30,000 infantry (2 Roman and 2 Allied Legions), 3,000 cavalry | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| Severe | Heavy | ||||||
| Second Punic War |
|---|
| Saguntum – Lilybaeum – Ticinus – Trebia – Cissa – Lake Trasimene – Ebro River – Cannae – 1st Nola – Dertosa – 2nd Nola – Cornus – 3rd Nola – 1st Capua – Silarus – 1st Herdonia – Syracuse – Upper Baetis – 2nd Capua – 2nd Herdonia – Numistro – Asculum – Tarentum – Baecula – Grumentum – Metaurus – Ilipa – Crotona – Utica – Bagbrades – Cirta – Po Valley – Great Plains – Zama |
| Punic Wars |
|---|
| First – Mercenary – Second – Third |
The Battle of Dertosa, also known as the ‘’’Battle of Ibera’’’, was fought in the spring of 215 BC on the south of the Ebro River across the town of Dertosa. A Roman army, under the command of Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus and Publius Cornelius Scipio defeated a similar size Carthaginian army under Hasdrubal Barca. The defeat cost the Carthaginians a chance to reinforce Hannibal at a critical juncture, and the Romans gained the initiative in Hispania. This battle also demonstrates the danger of implementing the double envelopment tactic.
Contents |
[edit] Strategic Situation
[edit] Italy
After the Battle of Cannae, several towns in Campania, Samnium, Lucania, Apulia and Bruttium had defected to Carthage. Hannibal had spend the 216/215 BC trying to secure a seaport, attacking Neapolis, Cumae and Nola unsuccessfully. A detachment under Mago Barca had secured objectives in Lucania and Bruttium. Leaving Hanno the Elder in command of the army in Bruttium, Mago sailed to Carthage to obtain reinforcements.
The Romans had fielded several armies, which followed a strategy of avoiding Hannibal in the open field and striking at his allies. The main Roman army under the dictator M. Julius Pera was guarding the direct approach to Rome. Marcus Claudius Marcellus battled Hannibal at Nola and secured Neapolis. The Master of Horse, T. Sempronius Gracchus, was on the field with a third army. Other legions guarded against any Gaulish uprisings in north Italy.
[edit] Sardinia
The legion posted in Sardinia suffered from sickness. The praetor, Muscius Scavola, had to collect pay and provisions for the troops locally. This had caused unrest and Hampsicora, a Sardinian chieftain, was fermenting rebellion and requested Carthaginian aid.
[edit] Africa
Carthage had raised 12,000 Infantry, 1,500 cavalry and 20 elephants under the command of Mago, which was to sail to Italy escorted by 60Quinqueremes. Upon receiving the appeal from Sardinia, a similar sized army was raised under Hasdrubal the Bald, for an expedition to Sardinia.
[edit] Spain
Hasdrubal has been on the defensive since the defeat of his fleet at Battle of Ebro River in the spring of 217 BC. He had left Boaster with a force to guard the Ebro line. Boaster had retreated when the Romans had crossed the Ebro, furthermore, he was tricked into surrendering the Spanish tribal hostages held at Saguntum to the Romans. This had caused revolts in Barcid Spain, especially among the Trudetani tribe near Gades in 216 BC. Hasdrubal had received 4,000 foot and 500 horse, with orders to march to Italy after securing Spain.
Gnaeus Scipio had received 8,000 reinforcements under his Brother Publius Scipio after the battle of Ebro River. The brothers enjoyed proconsular rank, and exercised joint command. The brothers adopted an aggressive naval strategy, raiding Barcid possessions in Spain and Balearic Islands. The Scipios recruited auxiliary troops from Spanish tribes, expanded their operational sphere, consolidated their hold and dealt with tribal unrest.
[edit] Prelude
The Romans had crossed the Ebro River and laid siege to Ibera, a small Spanish town allied to Carthage. Hasdrubal, leaving Himilco in charge at Cartagena, marched up and besieged a town allied with the Romans across Dertosa. The Scipios moved to engage Hasdrubal, and the armies encamped on a plain between Ibera and Dertosa within 5 miles of each other. After 5 days of skirmishing, the commanders drew out their armies for battle.
[edit] Opposing Armies
The Roman Infantry consisted of 2 Roman legions of 10,000 soldiers, 18,000 allied Italian troops. The cavalry was made up of 600 Roman and 1,800 Italian heavy horse. The Romans had recruited an auxiliary force of 2,000 Spanish foot and 400 horse.
Hasdrubal had 15,000 Libyan spearmen, 1000 mercenaries (most Ligurians) and 8,000 Spanish troops in his infantry detachment. The Carthaginian cavalry was made up of 450 Libyan/Punic and 1,200 Spanish heavy horse and 2,300 light Numidian horse. The Carthaginian army also had 20 elephants and 1,000 Balearic slingers.
[edit] Deployment before Battle
The Romans posted their troops in traditional manner, with the cavalry on the wings and the infantry in the center. The Roman and Spanish horse was placed on the right wing, the allied Italian horse on the left wing. The infantry line had the Italian troops on the wings next to the Horse, and the Roman legions in the center. 2,000 Roman/Italian troops and the Spanish infantry guarded the Roman camp.
Hasdrubal placed the Libyan and Spanish horse on his left wing facing the Roman horse, and the Numidian light horse on his right wing facing the Italian horse. He placed a phalanx of Libyans infantry, backed up by mercenaries, and next to the Spanish horse facing the Italian foot, and another phalanx of Libyan foot was placed next to the Numidian horse, also facing Italian foot. Between the Libyan infantry phalanxes, facing the Roman legions, was a thinned out Spanish infantry line. The Elephants were divided into two groups of 10 and placed in front of the cavalry on the wings. The Balearic slingers formed a skirmish line in front of the infantry. 2/3,000 troops were left to guard the Carthaginian camp.
[edit] Battle
[edit] Phase 1
The Roman legions charged the thinned out line of Spanish infantry opposite them, who were driven back almost instantly. The Carthaginian elephants placed on both the wings charged the Roman and Italian cavalry opposite them. The charge proved ineffective, and the elephants played no further role in the battle. The Italian infantry closed to support the Roman legions.
[edit] Phase 2
The Libyans and mercenaries placed on the flanks of the hard pressed Spaniards charged the Italian infantry opposite them, and the Italians are pushed back. The Carthaginian cavalry placed on the wings, on the flank of the Libyans close with the Roman and Italian horse, but they only skirmish, and their opponents manage to hold their ground, despite being outnumbered on both wings by their opponents. At this juncture, The Roman legions break the Spanish formation, and the Spaniards flee the battle.
[edit] Phase 3
The Carthaginian cavalry, seeing their center break and run, also takes flight on both wings. This dooms the Libyans and the mercenaries, who had the Italians hard pressed. The Libyans and mercenaries continue to fight, inflicting casualties and getting almost wiped out. A few manage to join the rout.
[edit] Aftermath
Hasdrubal survived the battle with most of his elephants and cavalry, and a few infantry (mostly Spaniards). The Roman pursuit was not vigorous enough to repeat their success after the Battle of Cissa. Hasdrubal retired to Cartagena, leaving the Romans firmly established on the south of the Ebro.
Hasdrubal would be reinforced by 2 armies under Mago Barca and Hasdrubal Gisco. The Carthaginians will not mount any effective campaigns north of the Ebro again.
The Scipio brothers will operate in the south of Ebro, mounting raids, instigating Spanish tribes to rebel, and building up their powerbase. The Scipios would receive no reinforcements from Italy. They will fight the Barca brothers and Gisco with varying results until 212 BC, when they will launch a major campaign which will lead to the Battle of the Upper Baetis.
[edit] Importance
Hasdrubal had tried to imitate the tactics used by Hannibal at Cannae. While Hannibal had brought about a spectacular victory, Hasdrubal had suffered a shattering defeat. Some of the factors for this contrasting result are:
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- Hannibal had a better army and staff officers, and better control his troops. The Spaniards of Hasdrubal were lukewarm about leaving Spain, which may have affected morale.
- The skill of the Carthaginian staff officers at Cannae is demonstrated by the actions of Hasdrubal (not Hasdrubal Barca), commanding the heavy cavalry. His unit charged and broke the Roman horse, regrouped, crossed the battlefield to attack the Italian horse from the rear, again regrouped, then attacked the Roam infantry from the rear. These were extremely complex moves orchestrated with flawless efficiency, a tribute to the skill of the troops and their commander. Hasdrubal Barca did not have such assets at Dertosa.
- Hannibal had a decisive advantage in Cavalry (10,000 against 6,000) at Cannae and took advantage of this to the fullest. Hasdrubal had a slight advantage (4,000 against 2,800), but failed to take any advantage or devise any formation to gain the upper hand.
- Hannibal had no elephants at Cannae. Hasdrubal had 20, but he gained no advantage from his use of them.
[edit] Strategic Importance
Although the Battle of Dertosa is not given the same importance as the Battle of the Metaurus, it had a critical influence on the strategic course of the war.
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- Had Hasdrubal won the Battle, there would have been at least 4 Carthaginian armies operating in Italy by 214 BC, that of Hasdrubal, Hannibal, Mago and Hanno the Elder.
- The Cornerstone of the strategy Hamilcar Barca had planned depended on undisputed command of the Barcids in Spain, and the ability to draw manpower and wealth from it. The defeat caused Carthage to send Mago Barca, along with Hasdrubal Gisco, a political rival of the Barcids to Spain. This ended the Barcid domination, with far reaching consequences. Also, Hannibal was never to get reinforcements from Spain.
- The Romans gained the initiative in Spain, which caused a drain of resources better employed elsewhere. Mago was sent to Spain with the reinforcements meant for Hannibal.
- Although Hannibal would receive 4,000 Numidian Horse and 40 elephants in 215 BC, these are pitiful compared to the 17,000 soldiers that would be lost in Sardinia and the 28,000 soldiers that would be tied up in Sicily later. In short, the defeat at Dertosa took away most of the political capital Hannibal had won in Carthage through his victory at Cannae.
