Reign of Suffete Bodo Barca
(280 – 275 BCE)
The new Suffete was an expert orator with outstanding charisma.
For the longest time, Carthage had been a power to be reckoned with in the Western Mediterranean. The last decades, Rome – a once insignificant tribe on the Italian peninsula – had grown into a power. Not a match for Carthage yet, but some Senators thought they might become one and should be stopped. The last few Suffetes had taken over not only Sicily but also the southern tip of this peninsula. People expected a clash – soon.
It did not come under Suffete Bodo Barca. Instead, to secure Carthage in her time of uncertainty due to high perceived threat amongst her neighbours and unruly newly conquered areas, he
allied Rome instead.
If he had expected it to be a peaceful time with Rome secured as an ally, however, he was rudely awakened. Within a month, Rome went to war against her southern neighbours, and called Carthage into the conflict. Bodo sent an 18.000 men strong army to the front, but fate was not with Carthage. Their first battle was won easily enough, and the fortress laid to siege. Then came two big armies, bigger than the Carthagian army. And the second battle was lost thoroughly. The commander of the army was captured by the enemy, the entire army was gone.
The port of Elea soon after the second army arrived to start the siege.
Lesser men would settle there and then, but Bodo Barca was not a small man. He promptly ordered the raising of an even bigger army – this time 22.000 men strong, including elephants. The army was once more sent to capture land to be gained before Rome steamrolled all opposition. This time, things went better, and the fortress was captured with ease. Rome on her side had by this time taken over most of the remaining land areas, and the Suffete had got intel that they did not plan to award Carthage with this key fortress deep into Magna Graecia. He therefore signed a separate peace agreement with the enemy, gaining Carthage a foothold deep into the soon Roman territory; the port of Elea.
Closing in on the end of his term, and shortly after Rome annexed the remaining areas, Rome again called in Carthage to war in Magna Greacia. In an ironic twist, the enemies were Messapia and
Syracuse, the latter having reformed recently on the toe of Magna Greacia from a rebellion in one of the small states there. The remaining elite of the fallen Syracuse had taken control of the rebellion and reinstated the city state – without the actual Syracuse. A curious situation which were now facing an early end as Roman and Carthagian armies moved towards their new enemies.
