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Carthaginian
General, brother in law of Hamilcar Barca, Hasdrubal (or Asdrubal)
joined his fortune to that of his illustrious father in law. When the
latter drowned in the waters of the flooded in c229, Hannibal was too
young to succeed his father and Hasdrubal, commander in chief of the
army of Spain was elected. As admiral, Hannibal was the second rank in
the Spanish state. Carthage ratified the choice. The temperament of
Hasdrubal was rather political than warlike; he applied himself to
organise the new state and accentuated its monarchical character. Not
content with the military election that had brought him to power,
Hasdrubal convoqued a congress of the principal iberian chiefs and
succeeded in getting himself named commander in chief of all the nation.
Hasdrubal? Carthago Nova c. 228 BC Silver shekel
He then founded a new capital, Carthago Nova (Carthagena). Influenced
by the hellenistic model, he behave as a king, erecting a palace in the
new city and receiving a tribute from the local princes. In c226 En ~
226, the Roman Senate, alerted by the Greeks of Emporion (Emporiae),
woke up to the power of Hasdrubal and sent an ultimatum to Carthagena,
at the same time concluding a treaty with Sagunto, the most developed
of the Iberian cities. This treaty, negotiated by the aristocratic
party in power in the Spanish port, was attacked by the popular
faction, but the Romans encouraged the savage execution of the leaders
of the opposition and Hasdrubal had to accept the conditions of the
Senate.
He concluded a treaty with Rome, in which he agreed not to cross the
Ebro. He neverthelss continued his policy of developing relations with
the Iberian princes beyond the Jucar. His agents helped Indibilis to
federate the tribes of Catalonia and Edecon united those of Aragon. His
aim was to isolate the friends of Rome in their coastal towns.
It was then that a Celt, who had sworn that he would not survive his
master's crucifixion (on the orders of Hasdrubal) stabbed and killed
the Carthaginian monarch. |
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