# Hasdrubal Barca

> Carthaginian general (245–207 BC)

**Wikidata**: [Q311702](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q311702)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasdrubal_Barca)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/hasdrubal-barca

## Summary

Hasdrubal Barca was a Carthaginian general who lived from approximately 245 BC to 207 BC and played a significant role in the Second Punic War as a military commander for Ancient Carthage. He is best known for commanding Carthaginian forces across multiple major engagements in Iberia and Italy, ultimately dying at the pivotal Battle of the Metaurus in 207 BCE. He was the brother of the famed Hannibal Barca and a key figure in Carthage's military campaign against the Roman Republic.

## Biography

- **Born:** circa 245 BC
- **Nationality:** Carthaginian (citizen of Ancient Carthage, the Phoenician city-state and empire founded in 814 BC)
- **Education:** Not documented in available sources
- **Known for:** Serving as a Carthaginian general during the Second Punic War (218–201 BCE)
- **Employer(s):** Ancient Carthage (military service to the Carthaginian state)
- **Field(s):** Military command and strategy

## Contributions

Hasdrubal Barca's military career was defined by a series of major engagements during the Second Punic War, the second war between the Roman Republic and Carthage. His recorded battle contributions span both land and naval warfare across Iberia and Italy:

- **Battle of Cissa (218 BCE):** The first battle the Romans fought in Iberia during the Second Punic War, in which Hasdrubal was involved as part of the Carthaginian campaign in the Iberian Peninsula.
- **Battle of the Ebro River (Spring 217 BC):** A naval battle fought near the mouth of the Ebro River, representing Carthaginian maritime operations in the region.
- **Battle of Cannae (216 BCE):** A major battle of the Second Punic War in which Carthaginian forces achieved a landmark victory over Rome. Hasdrubal's family and command network were central to this engagement's context.
- **Battle of the Upper Baetis (211 BCE):** A double engagement comprising the battles of Castulo and Ilorca, fought in 211 BCE between Rome and Carthage on the Iberian Peninsula (present-day Spain).
- **Battle of Baecula:** Hasdrubal Barca commanded the Carthaginian army in this battle, which was Scipio Africanus's first major field battle after assuming command of Roman interests in Iberia. Scipio routed the Carthaginian forces under Hasdrubal's direct command.
- **Battle of the Metaurus (207 BCE):** A pivotal and decisive battle in the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, fought near the Metauro River in present-day Italy. This battle resulted in Hasdrubal Barca's death and is considered a turning point in the broader conflict.

## FAQs

**What was Hasdrubal Barca's role in the Second Punic War?**
Hasdrubal Barca served as a Carthaginian general throughout much of the Second Punic War (218–201 BCE), commanding forces in numerous major engagements across Iberia and Italy, including both land battles and a naval confrontation at the Ebro River.

**Which battles did Hasdrubal Barca fight in?**
He was involved in at least seven documented conflicts: the Battle of Cissa (218 BCE), the Battle of the Ebro River (217 BCE), the Battle of Cannae (216 BCE), the Battle of the Upper Baetis (211 BCE), the Battle of Baecula, and the Battle of the Metaurus (207 BCE), where he was killed.

**How did Hasdrubal Barca die?**
Hasdrubal Barca died in 207 BCE at the Battle of the Metaurus, a pivotal engagement fought near the Metauro River in present-day Italy. This battle was a decisive moment in the Second Punic War.

**Was Hasdrubal Barca related to Hannibal?**
Yes, he was the brother of Hannibal Barca. Historical and encyclopedic sources reference him as "the brother of Hannibal," and both were central figures in Carthage's military leadership during the Second Punic War.

**Where did Hasdrubal Barca operate geographically?**
His military campaigns spanned the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain) and the Italian Peninsula. Battles at Cissa, the Ebro River, the Upper Baetis, and Baecula took place in Iberia, while the Battle of the Metaurus occurred in Italy.

## Why They Matter

Hasdrubal Barca mattered because he was a critical pillar of the Carthaginian war effort during the Second Punic War, one of the most consequential conflicts in ancient history. His campaigns in Iberia represented a major theater of the war, where Carthaginian and Roman forces contested control of the Iberian Peninsula for over a decade. The battles he commanded — from Cissa to the Upper Baetis to Baecula — shaped the trajectory of Roman and Carthaginian territorial ambitions.

His death at the Battle of the Metaurus in 207 BCE was a watershed moment. The engagement is widely considered pivotal because it eliminated Carthage's ability to reinforce Hannibal's forces in Italy, effectively sealing the outcome of the war in Rome's favor. Without Hasdrubal's campaign to march reinforcements toward his brother, the Roman Republic might have faced a united Carthaginian army on Italian soil. His defeat and death at the Metaurus directly shifted the strategic balance of the war.

As a member of the Barcid family, Hasdrubal was part of the Carthaginian military aristocracy that challenged Roman dominance. His career illustrates the breadth of the Second Punic War, which was not confined to a single region but spanned multiple continents and theaters of operation, from North Africa to Iberia to Italy.

## Notable For

- Served as a Carthaginian general during the Second Punic War (218–201 BCE)
- Commander of Carthaginian forces at the Battle of Baecula, where he was routed by Scipio Africanus in Scipio's first major field battle in Iberia
- Participant in the Battle of the Upper Baetis (211 BCE), the double battle comprising Castulo and Ilorca
- Killed at the pivotal Battle of the Metaurus (207 BCE) near the Metauro River in Italy
- Brother of Hannibal Barca, one of history's most renowned military commanders
- Fought across both land and naval engagements, including the naval Battle of the Ebro River (217 BCE)
- Active in the Iberian theater of the war from its earliest stages, including the Battle of Cissa (218 BCE), the first Roman-fought battle in Iberia
- Connected to the Battle of Cannae (216 BCE), one of the most studied and consequential battles of the ancient world

## Body

### Early Life and Background

Hasdrubal Barca was born circa 245 BC into the Barcid family of Ancient Carthage, the Phoenician city-state and empire that had been established in 814 BC. As a member of a prominent Carthaginian military family, he belonged to the social and political elite that directed Carthage's strategic and military affairs. The available sources identify him as a human (Homo sapiens), a Carthaginian citizen, and a general by occupation.

### The Second Punic War Begins (218 BCE)

The Second Punic War, the second major war between the Roman Republic and Carthage, was fought between 218 and 201 BCE. Hasdrubal was involved from its earliest stages in the Iberian theater:

- **Battle of Cissa (218 BCE):** This engagement marked the first battle the Romans fought in Iberia during the war. It represented the opening of the Iberian front and established the peninsula as a critical theater of operations for years to come.

- **Battle of the Ebro River (Spring 217 BC):** Hasdrubal was involved in this naval battle fought near the mouth of the Ebro River. It demonstrated that the Carthaginian war effort in Iberia included both land and maritime operations, with Hasdrubal's command extending to naval engagements.

### The Middle Campaigns (216–211 BCE)

- **Battle of Cannae (216 BCE):** While the sources connect Hasdrubal to the broader context of this major Second Punic War battle, the engagement was one of the most significant victories in military history and shaped the strategic landscape in which Hasdrubal operated.

- **Battle of the Upper Baetis (211 BCE):** This was actually a double engagement — comprising the separate battles of Castulo and Ilorca — fought in 211 BCE in what is now Spain. The battles pitted Roman forces against Carthage and were part of the protracted Iberian campaign. The Upper Baetis engagements occurred in the same geographic region (modern-day Spain) where Hasdrubal had been operating for years.

### The Battle of Baecula

The Battle of Baecula was a particularly notable moment in Hasdrubal's military career. It was Scipio Africanus's first major field battle after taking command of Roman interests in Iberia. In this engagement, Scipio routed the Carthaginian army specifically under Hasdrubal Barca's command. This battle is documented as taking place in Spain and demonstrated the rising capability of Roman military leadership under Scipio against a seasoned Carthaginian commander.

### The Final Campaign: March to Italy and the Metaurus (207 BCE)

Hasdrubal Barca's final campaign brought him out of Iberia and into Italy. The **Battle of the Metaurus**, fought in 207 BCE near the Metauro River in present-day Italy, was a pivotal engagement in the Second Punic War. The battle resulted in Hasdrubal's death and is regarded as a decisive turning point. By eliminating Hasdrubal and his army, Rome prevented the junction of two Carthaginian armies on Italian soil — a merger that could have significantly strengthened the Carthaginian position against Rome.

Hasdrubal Barca died in 207 BCE, bringing his military career to an end at approximately 38 years of age. His death effectively ended Carthage's best remaining chance to support Hannibal's long-running Italian campaign.

### Legacy and Documentation

Hasdrubal Barca is documented across a wide range of encyclopedic and academic sources. His Wikidata entry (identified by multiple external authority identifiers including VIAF 62340381, GND 11854652X, and many others across international cataloging systems) records 40 sitelinks across various language editions of reference projects, indicating his recognition as a historically significant figure. He is the subject of biographical entries in major encyclopedias and historical databases, including Britannica (biography/Hasdrubal-Carthaginian-general-died-207-BC), Treccani (asdrubale-barca), and numerous other international reference works.

## References

1. Source
2. [The Histories](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Histories_(Paton_translation)/Book_III)
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013