Hasdrubal (Commander of the auxiliary corps)

Hasdrubal is one of the military leaders of the army of Carthage during the Second Punic War (from 218 to 201 BC). After the battle of Titine, Hannibal led his army east along the banks of the Po River , trying to catch up with the retreating Roman army. When a convenient place for crossing was found, the army of the Carthaginians began to build rafts. Hasdrubal monitored the crossing of the main forces of the army.

Fabius Maxim , who had just been appointed a dictator (at the end of 218 BC), intended to block access for Hannibal’s troops to possible winter apartments. Fabius correctly calculated the road that the army of Hannibal was supposed to cross through the Apennines , and promptly took the only passable pass on her path. The Carthaginians were threatened by starvation. Hannibal ordered the convoy ministers to tie bundles of brushwood to the horns of the convoy bulls and set fire to them after dark. Hasdrubal directly supervised this entire operation. At night, brushwood was set on fire and the bulls, mooing with horror and pain, scattered through the mountains, including the pass occupied by the Romans. This spectacle was so distracting (and at first scared) by the Romans that Hannibal, taking advantage of the turmoil in the enemy’s camp, was able to transfer his army through the pass without a fight. In the morning, Hannibal sent a squad of Spaniards to bring out the spearmen who remained with Hasdrubal in the old place to distract attention. The Romans lost about 1,000 people , and the lancers of Hasdrubal joined the main forces.

At the Battle of Cannes, Hasdrubal led the Spanish and Celtic cavalry on the left (southern, closest to the Aufid River) flank of the Carthaginian army. Hasdrubal had about 6,500 horsemen, and Hannon had 3,500 horsemen on the opposite flank. The forces of Gasdrubal quickly defeated the Roman cavalry in the south, bypassed the Roman infantry and reached the Roman allied cavalry on the right flank, which at that moment was fighting the Numidians of Hannon. After the destruction of the Roman allied cavalry, Gannon and Gasdrubal were able to direct all the forces of their cavalry to the rear of the Roman infantry.