with a predilection for sinking competing trade vessels, a tactic so common that it was not even regarded as an act of war (Bagnall 20). The Carthaginian army was a multicultural mercenary army comprised of recruits from its subject territories, each of which boasted different military skills (Bagnall 20).
The Roman army, by contrast, was not a mercenary army. In Rome, all males aged 18-46 were recruited into the cavalry or the infantry and were expected to remain in the military for 20 years; this meant that they were essentially career soldiers (Bagnall 24). Modeled on the Greek phalanx, the Roman legion consisted of 4,000 infantry organized into progressively smaller groups (Bagnall 25). The Roman army was formidable in its size, strength, and expertise.
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