Hasdrubal the Fair

Hasdrubal the Fair (ca. 270 BC – 221 BC) was a Carthaginian military leader and politician, governor in Iberia after Hamilcar Barca's death.

Life
Livy's History of Rome records he was the brother-in-law of the Carthaginian leader Hannibal and son-in-law of Hamilcar Barca.

Career
Hasdrubal followed Hamilcar in his campaign against the governing aristocracy at Carthage at the close of the First Punic War, and in his subsequent career of conquest in Hispania.In 237 BC, they parted towards th Peninsula, but circa 231-230 BC, he allegedly interceded in Hamilcar's name making the Numid tribes from Northern Africa to submit to the Barcid family; from there, Numidia fell into Carthage influence sphere.

After Hamilcar's death (228 BC, while sieging Heliké), Hasdrubal succeeded him in the command, following Carthage's instructions, being Hamilcar's sons too young -Hannibal, the elder, was nineteen-. He largely preferred diplomacy to war campaigns. According to diplomatic customs at that time, Hasdrubal demanded the handing over of hostages to make himself sure of the submission of their places of origin.

Thus, he extended the newly acquired empire by skillful diplomacy, consolidating it by founding the important city and naval base of Qart Hadasht, who would be lately called, by the Roman, Carthago Nova (Cartagena) as the capital of the new province, and by a treaty with the Roman Republic which fixed the River Ebro, Iberus in those time, as the boundary between the two powers, establishing Carthage's zone up to his south. This treaty was caused by the fear of two important Greek colonies, Ampurias and Sagunto, before the continuous growth of Punic power in Iberia, who asked for help to Rome. Hasdrubal accepted reluctantly, as Punic dominion was still not fully established as to jeopardy a future expansion in a premature conflict.

Death
Not passed seven years after Hamilcar's death, Hasdrubal the Fair was assassinated in 221 BC, by a slave of the Celtic king Tago, who thus avenged the previous death of his own lord.

Hasdrubal's successor would be his brother-in-law and son of Hamilcar, Hannibal Barca.