Hannibal's Dynasty: Power and Politics in the Western Mediterranean, 247-183 BC

Hannibal's family dominated Carthage and its empire in Africa and Spain for the last forty years of the 3rd century BC. His father Hamilcar Barca created a powerful empire; Hamilcar's son-in-law Hasdrubal developed it in the face of Roman opposition, and Hannibal and his two brothers led it to its apogee, posing a critical threat to Rome before Carthage's final catastrophic defeat. Dexter Hoyos shows how the aristocratic Barcid family won dominance in the free republic of Carthage, and how they exploited family connections to lead Carthage to greatness at home and abroad. Accessible and enlightening,Hannibal's Dynastyprovides the full story of Carthage's achievement, going beyond the usual focus on Hannibal and military matters alone to look at a wide range of political and diplomatic issues too.

Dexter Hoyos researches and teaches Roman history and historians, and Latin, at Sydney University.