By the time of the outbreak of the First Carthaginian War, Carthage controlled the whole coast of northern Africa from Cyrenaica to the Atlantic. At first, the nucleus of the Carthaginian armies was made up of citizens in arms, backed up by levies from tributary allies, and foreign mercenaries who over time would become the backbone of these armies. This book explores the heterogeneous mixture of races of the Carthaginian forces that clashed with Rome, and discusses their clothing, equipment and weaponry. It details their tactical deployment and covers the campaign experiences of the great general Hannibal, who inflicted a number of massive defeats on Rome at Lake Trasimene (217 BC) and Cannae (216 BC), before his eventual defeat at the battle of Zama in 202 BC.