Editing Battle of Zama (section)

===Carthaginian===
{{main|Military of Carthage}}
[[File:Numidian cavalry.png|thumb|upright=0.7|alt= a pen and ink sketch of a man on a horse waving a spear|{{center|A Numidian cavalryman as imagined in 1891}}]]

Carthaginian citizens served in their army only if there was a direct threat to the city of [[Carthage]].{{sfn|Lazenby|1998|p=9}}{{sfn|Scullard|2006|p=494}} When they did they fought as well-armoured heavy infantry armed with long thrusting spears, although they were notoriously ill-trained and ill-disciplined. In most circumstances Carthage recruited foreigners to make up its army.{{efn|reference=Roman and Greek sources refer to these foreign fighters derogatively as "mercenaries", but the modern historian Adrian Goldsworthy describes this as "a gross oversimplification". They served under a variety of arrangements; for example, some were the regular troops of allied cities or kingdoms seconded to Carthage as part of formal treaties, some were from allied states fighting under their own leaders, many were volunteers from areas under Carthaginian control who were not Carthaginian citizens. (Carthaginian citizenship was largely reserved for inhabitants of the city of Carthage.){{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=33}}|group=note}} Many were from North Africa and these were frequently referred to as "Libyans". The region provided several types of fighters, including: [[Close order formation|close-order]] infantry equipped with large shields, helmets, short swords and long thrusting [[spear]]s; javelin-armed [[light infantry]] skirmishers; close-order shock cavalry{{#tag:ref|"Shock" troops are those trained and used to close rapidly with an opponent, with the intention of breaking them before, or immediately upon, contact.{{sfn|Jones|1987|p=1}}|group=note}} (also known as "heavy cavalry") carrying spears; and light cavalry skirmishers who threw javelins from a distance and avoided close combat{{snd}}the latter were usually Numidians.){{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=32–34}}{{sfn|Koon|2015|pp=79–87}}

The close-order African infantry and the citizen-militia both fought in a tightly packed formation known as a [[phalanx]].{{sfn|Koon|2015|p=93}} On occasion some of the infantry would wear captured Roman armour, especially those who served with Hannibal.{{sfn|Rawlings|2015|p=305}} Both Iberia and Gaul provided experienced but unarmoured infantry who would charge ferociously, but had a reputation for breaking off if combat was protracted. [[Balearic slinger|Slingers]] were frequently recruited from the [[Balearic Islands]].{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=32–34}}{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|pp=8–9}} The Carthaginians also employed [[war elephant]]s; North Africa had indigenous [[African forest elephant]]s at the time.{{#tag:ref|These elephants were typically about {{convert|2.5|m|ft|sigfig=1|adj=mid|-high}} at the shoulder, and were distinct from the larger [[African bush elephant]].{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=240}}|group=note}}{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|p=9}}{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=27}} The sources are not clear as to whether they carried towers containing fighting men.{{sfn|Sabin|1996|p=70, n. 76}}