Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Sacred Band of Carthage
The Sacred Band of Carthage was the elite military force guarding the city of Carthage itself. Unlike most of the Carthaginian military, it was formed entirely of Carthaginian citizens as opposed to mercenaries; in fact, it was the only armed force of Carthage where mercenaries were forbidden to join. It was the only military force allowed in the city itself, and dressed in white, the color asscoiated with death in Carthaginian society. The band usually formed a phalanx formation of spearmen or pikemen, on the Macedonian model. They were eventually wiped out completely at the end of the Third Punic War, along with Carthage itself. Though they reached a certain level of prestige, they were never as important as the Carthaginian navy.
Last updated: 10-12-2005 18:31:45
03-10-2013 05:06:04
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details