How many Hasdrubals were there?

[Nuijt]

Hello Unrv readers,

 

I'm doig an essay about the Second Punic War and I'm kinda disorientated by the various numbers of Hasdrubals appearing all the sources I have. Unrv itself says Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal died at the battle at the Metaurus River in 207 B.C

But this same site also claims a Hasdrubal was leading the Numidian cavalery in the Battle of Cannae in 216 B.C

And it also tells me Hasdrubal was left in Spain to defend the Carthaganian interests there.

 

So I would like a bit more info on how many Hasdrubals there were in the Second Punic War, What they did and how they are related to one another so i can clear things up in my own essay

 

Thanks in Advance!,

 

Greetings, Nuytuh

 

P.s: Sorry for another topic opening

[Primus Pilus]

Hasdrubal "the Fair" Hannibal's brother-in-law. Pre dated Hannibal's command in Hispania and died before the outbreak of the second Punic War.

 

Hasdrubal Barca was the younger brother of Hannibal and was active in the Iberian campaign as well as Italy.

 

Hasdrubal Gisco was a general unrelated to the Barcid family. He followed Hasdrubal Barca as a general in Hispania (arriving around 214 BC) and fought against the entire line of Scipiones until he retreated to North Africa after Ilipa in 204.

 

Appian doesn't mention the Hasdrubal at Cannae at all while neither Polybius nor Livy provide any detail on the Hasdrubal they say commanded Hannibal's left wing at Cannae. While we can't be sure exactly who he was, he isn't one of the three above. It seems to have been a rather popular name.

[Pantagathus]

Yeah, unfortunately the primary Greco-Roman sources are pretty uninventive in their attempt to translate Punic names into Latinized forms. It seems from Livy and the like that everybody is either a Hannibal, Hasdrubal, Hamilcar or a Mago...

 

Of course the reality was that Punic names were quite a bit more diverse as evident from epigraphic data in Punic tophets/cemetaries. However, many of these names must have sounded quite odd, cumbersome or even barbaric to a typical Greek or Roman.

 

With the names used often, here are examples what they probably were closer to in Punic:

 

Hannibal = Hannobaal

Bomilcar = Bodmelqart

Hamilcar = Hadmelqart

 

One of my favorite Punic names is Esmounhilles...

[Nuijt]

Thanks! That's just the answer I needed!