Welcome to a slightly different blog post. Which will hopefully become a semi-regular feature upon our page! In comparing General’s from history – their tactics and strategies and what helped them win. Without further ado; let us get into it by looking at our first General: Caesar. Let me know if you agree on who would win in the comments!
Born in 100bc to a patrician family that claimed heritage from Aeneas himself, Caesar was almost the definition of a ‘privileged’ Roman. Within a few years into his adult life he’d secured himself as Pontifex Maximus. Finding himself in the First Triumvirate shortly after allowed him to have access to a ridiculous amount of wealth, status and influence. His Gallic Campaigns are one of the most famous military achievements in history. And his assassination even more so.
Within this blog post, I will be using the General’s most famous tactics. As Alesia was essentially a siege, and not a battle within the open field, it has to be disregarded. As such, The strategy used at Pharsalus will have to be used. As Caesar used trained and disciplined soldiers, as was the Roman tradition by this time; this will have to be somewhat ignored. As the battle is about military strategy as opposed to the soldiers abilities themselves. Essentially, it would be stupid to put Alexander the Great’s Macedonian army against Napoleon Bonaparte’s Grand Armee since there would be no contest.
Hannibal Barca is a figure who is quite mysterious figure, as almost all of the knowledge we have of him is from the Roman point of view. What we do know is that he was born at the end of the First Punic War to Hamilcar Barca, one of the foremost general’s of his age. The Barcid clan was somewhat influential within the Carthaginian Assembly, but not very. Most Carthaginian’s (The Carthaginian Assembly was the same as the Roman Senate, so this was a place for Aristocrats) hated the idea of war and Hamilcar and Hannibal saw Carthage as having stabbed them in the back. From the age of nine, Hannibal was on military campaigns as his father conquered Spain to use its silver mines to pay off the huge debt Rome had put upon them.
Hannibal has three famous victories; The Trebia River, Lake Trasimene, and his most famous: The Battle of Cannae. It is the latter of which that will be used.
The Battle of Pharsalus and Cannae both have very similar topographies. Pinned by a river on one side, and mountains in almost every direction otherwise; both sides used these as an advantage. Let us discuss the layout of the side’s forces:
With 22,000 men at his disposal, Caesar had his men line up in 5-6 ranks deep, which was small for a Roman line (Pompey had 10 ranks). With his small cavalry force on his right flank, he hid 8 cohorts behind them, and it was by this that the battle was won.
Hannibal by contrast had around 26,000 men. He lined them up in an inverted crescent, with cavalry on both flanks. With his Spanish and Carthaginian troops next in, his Gallic and Italian Allies troops were in the centre, with himself with them to prevent them fleeing.
So. Who would win?
Hannibal relied on doing as much as he could to put the balance in his favour. When his men were lining up at Cannae, a southerly wind was pushing up against their backs. So he told his men to shuffle their feet, the dry land had led to the field becoming dusty – which went in the enemies eyes. We can assume similar tactics here. At Pharsalus, Caesar lined his men up twice the distance an army usually would, so when he charged he had to stop half way to recuperate and gather energy. It is here he makes his first mistake.
At Cannae, while Hannibal did not charge – he did send his Cavalry out at the first opportunity. It can be assumed he does so here. Caesar’s left flank would be totally ruined. They were tired and in the middle of recuperating (Hannibal was also known for attacking the enemy at rest). A Marc Antony was in charge of this flank and they would have likely been wrapped up and destroyed by the superior and swift Numidian Cavalry.
Caesar’s left flank would have managed much better. As his eight cohorts would have been revealed very quickly as the Numidian Cavalry came upon the smaller Roman cavalry force. The eight would have used their Pilum to attack the cavalry at close range, which would have been devastating. However, here is where historical precedent comes in. Within Cannae itself, Hannibal’s right flank struggled against the Roman’s left. And at Cannae, the leader of Hannibal’s left, Maharbaal was probably the greatest cavalry commander of his day. He took control from the often riotous Numidians and lead a charge at the other flanks rear. The same would happen here. With the eight cohorts pinned from both sides, it would break. And the rest of Hannibal’s plan would be put into action.
As Caesar had his men charge in real life, the trap Hannibal set would likely have been put into action. With the centre falling back gradually. Much of Hannibal’s Spanish troops actually were wearing Roman gear (since it was better than their own) that they’d salvaged from previous victories. As such, in the Roman’s peripheral – it might have looked like (just as it did at Cannae) that the Spanish troops that were gradually falling to their flanks were actually Roman.
Once the Cavalry had smashed into Caesar’s rear, it would have been all over. Caesar’s much thinner ranks would have likely resulted in a complete breakdown in military discipline. I doubt Hannibal would have gained such a huge victory over the Romans as he did at Cannae, as Caesar – being Caesar – would have come up with some plan to get even a few cohorts out. However, I think it’s an undeniable result.
Hannibal Barca, in my view was the greatest military mind of all time. His knowledge of the battlefield, of a soldiers psychology was unparalleled. Caesar was a very good tactician and was capable of thinking up strategies on the fly – but he was, at the end of the day; a risk taker. Who know’s what idea’s he would have come up with. But against Hannibal (ensuring the sides are evenly matched), he would have been out manoeuvred, out witted and out classed.
Sorry Roman fans, but the Lion’s Brood takes the victory.
The History Book 