History ArtisticLicenseHistory / BarbariansRising

* ''Barbarians Rising'' follows the popular belief that the falcata was a Lusitanian weapon, despite it was actually an Iberian one and therefore limited to the Mediterranean coast (and there is evidence that it might have been actually a Greek design brought there by sea commerce). Lusitanians favored straight gladii, like those used by Celtiberians and later adopted by the Roman themselves. The series might have got away with it by leaving to interpretation that the falcatas were looted or bought from other regions of Hispania, but instead it shows the Lusitanians explicitly calling them "their fathers's swords".

* Hannibal and the Carthaginian elite were of Phoenician origin, which would make them look vaguely like modern Israelis, with olive skin and Semitic traits. Meanwhile, the show opts to portray them with '''black''' actors, and some of the guests imply rather unsubtletly that the Punic Wars were somehow important for black people's history. In real life, there were probably few to no black people in the Carthaginian army at the time, as most of it was composed by other Phoenicians, Berbers and white mercenaries like Hispanics and Gauls.

* In real life, Viriathus took several years to kickstart his rebellion after the Massacre of the Lusitanians, not a single night. By the time it exploded, Galba had been replaced by Vetilius a long time before, so he never witnessed firsthand its effects. Vetilius was not an ArchEnemy of Viriathus either: the battle of Tribola was actually the first, only and last time they faced off, and it was by killing Vetilius that Viriathus got noticed by Rome in the first place. The statement made in ''Barbarians Rising'' that Vetilius was obssessed with Viriathus and carried a manhunt for him during many months is just plain wrong.

* Boudicca did not get killed by a Roman soldier in battle as the show suggests. According to Tacitus, she took poison shortly after the battle.

* Hannibal in particular was not a freedom fighter as stated in the show, but just a military man motivated by a family feud against another nation. The war between Rome and Carthage can be best described as TheEmpire vs. a MegaCorp, with both of them being pretty morally questionable by modern standards. Strangely, the show itself doesn't shy away from showing that Hannibal's oath against Rome was directly based on revenge, which turns it into a sort of inner contradiction.
* Lusitanians didn't wear Gallic trousers as portrayed in the series, but short tunics down to their thighs. This is strange, as otherwise the show got several elements of their tribe surprisingly right (though, sadly, not their weapons).

* Hannibal and the Carthaginian elite were of Phoenician origin, which would make them look vaguely like modern Israelis, with olive skin and Semitic traits. Meanwhile, the show opts to portray them with '''black''' actors, and some of the guests imply rather unsubtletly that the Punic Wars were somehow important for black people's history. In real life, there were probably few to no black people in the Carthaginian army at the time, as most of it was composed by other Phoenicians, Berbers and Caucasian mercenaries like Hispanics and Gauls.

* First and foremost, the show's usage of the term "Barbarian" is exaggerated and sometimes incorrect. While its ample meaning as "non-Roman/Greek" is TruthInTelevision, Romans would have never referred to Carthaginian citizens as barbarians, among other things because Carthage was a prosperous commercial empire with a very high culture and Greek influences just like Rome itself (the term was still theoretically fit for them, and Romans could have used it as an insult or to make a point during the Punic Wars, but definitely not as a casual tag). Similarly, Spartacus was a barbarian because he was born in Thrace, but it is unlikely Romans would have emphasized his barbarism as a sort of definitory trait, given that he had been a Roman soldier and gladiator for many years before his rebellion.
* The barbarians were not freedom fighters against the evil, pro-slavery empire of Rome, as slavery was common virtually everywhere at the time. All barbarian tribes presented in this show practiced it, some of them even indulging in human sacrifices, ritual mutilations and other horrifying things even Romans were scandalized at (some of them rightfully, others not so much, but still).
* Hannibal was not a freedom fighter as stated in the show, but just a military man motivated by a family feud against another nation. The war between Rome and Carthage can be best described as TheEmpire vs. a MegaCorp, with both of them being pretty morally questionable by modern standards. Strangely, the show itself doesn't shy away from showing that Hannibal's oath against Rome was directly based on revenge, which turns it into a sort of inner contradiction.

* All the Boii Gauls from the series are portrayed with full, short beards and buzzcut-esque haircuts. Historical Gauls are described to usually shave their chins and sport long moustaches, as well as flowing manes of hair. This is another weird point, as Cumelios and some Lusitanians (though not all) do have more or less correct hairstyles for their own culture.

* ''Barbarians Rising'' follows the popular belief that the falcata was a Lusitanian weapon, despite it was actually an Iberian one and therefore limited to the Mediterranean coast. Lusitanians favored straight gladii, like those used by Celtiberians and later adopted by the Roman themselves. The series might have got away with it by leaving to interpretation that the falcatas were looted or bought from other regions of Hispania, but instead it shows the Lusitanians explicitly calling them "their fathers's swords".

* Hannibal and the Carthaginian elite were of Phoenician origin, which would make them look physically look vaguely like modern Israelis, with olive skin and Semitic traits. Meanwhile, the show portrays them with '''black''' actors, and some of the guests imply rather unsubtletly that the Punic Wars were somehow important for black people's history. In real life, there were probably few to no black people in the Carthaginian army at the time, as most of it was composed by other Phoenicians, Berbers and Caucasian mercenaries like Hispanics and Gauls.
* The character of Cumelios seems to be based on Hannibal's Lusitanian commander according to Silius' ''Literature/{{Punica}}'', as he even dies in Cannae the same way Silius tells about the historical guy. However, the latter is described as young instead of elderly and named Viriathus instead of Cumelios. (The name change can be justified, though, because viewers might have become confused at having two important characters with the same name.)

* Ditalcus wasn't a Lusitanian, but a Turdetanian deserter who joined Viriathus's party after it took off. Even if they had got it right, his tragic background (namely, that his entire tribe was butchered in a punitive action triggered by Viriathus) could not have happened in real life, as at the time Turdetania formed part of a rich Roman province.

* Magalus claims there are few Boii Gauls left, and only a few of them join Hannibal and Cumelios, implying the Romans killed the rest. In reality, Gauls (both Alpine and Cisalpine) composed the biggest reserves in Hannibal's army, as many of them hated Rome and joined him through his travel to Italy. Gaul was still mostly unconquered by Rome at the time and would remain so until Julius Caesar's time.
* In real life, Viriathus took several years to kickstart his rebellion after the Massacre of the Lusitanians, not a single night. By the time it exploded, Galba had been replaced by Vetilius a long time before, so he never witnessed firsthand its effects. Vetilius was not an ArchEnemy of Viriathus, either: the battle of Tribola was actually the first, only and last time they faced off, as it was at that very battle where Viriathus became famous and Vetilius died, all at the same time. The statement made in ''Barbarians Rising'' that Vetilius was fixated on Viriathus and carried a manhunt for him during many months is just plain wrong.

* All the Boii Gauls from the series are portrayed with full, short beards and shortish hair. Historical Gauls are described to usually shave their chins and sport moustaches, as well as long manes of hair. This is another weird point, as Cumelios and other Lusitanians do have more or less correct hairstyles for their own culture.

* Members of Attila's entourage wear modern hoodies.

* Hannibal wears a bizarre fusion of an Attic type helmet and a Late Roman ridge helmet. Putting aside the fact that it's clearly made of modern plastic, it also has a Chi-Rho emblazoned on the front, a ''Christian'' symbol that wouldn't come into use until centuries after Hannibal's death.

* Hannibal and the Carthaginian elite were Phoenicians, which would probably make them vaguely olive-skinned. Meanwhile, the show portrays them with ''black'' actors, and some of the guests imply rather unsubtletly that the Punic Wars were somehow important for black people's history. In fact, there were few to no black people in the Carthaginian army at the time, as most of it was composed by other Phoenicians, Berbers and Caucasian mercenaries like Hispanics and Gauls.
* The character of Cumelios seems to be based on Hannibal's Lusitanian commander according to Silius' ''Literature/{{Punica}}'', as he even dies in Cannae the same way Silius tells about the historical guy. However, the latter is described as young instead of elderly and named Viriathus instead of Cumelios. (The name change can be justified, though, because viewers might get confused at having two important characters with the same name.)
* The show makes it look like the Scipio who intercepted Hannibal in Hispania and the one who fought him in Zama are one and the same. In reality, they were respectively father and son.once more they imply that Scipio was present at the defeat at Cannae when he was actually in Spain at the time.
* Ditalcus wasn't a Lusitanian, but a Turdetanian deserter who joined Viriathus's party after it took off. His tragic background (namely, that his entire tribe was butchered in a punitive action triggered by Viriathus) could not have happened in real life, as at the time of the rebellion's rise, Turdetania was entirely disconnected from Viriathus and actually formed part of a rich Roman province.

* The Lusitanians didn't ally with Hannibal in an EnemyMine scenario against Rome. In real life, the Spaniards that joined Hannibal did it because they were either already Barcid vassals or rogue mercenaries seeking to make a buck, not because any of them gave a crap about the threat of Rome. In fact, several Spanish mercenary parties also fought ''for'' Rome during the war and afterwards.

* In real life, Viriathus took several years to kickstart his rebellion after the Massacre of the Lusitanians, not a single night. By the time it exploded, Galba had been replaced by Vetilius a long time before, so he never witnessed firsthand its effects. Vetilius was not an ArchEnemy of Viriathus, either: the battle of Tribola was actually the first, only and last time they faced off, as it was at that very battle where Viriathus became famous and Vetilius died. The statement made in ''Barbarians Rising'' that Vetilius was fixated on Viriathus and carried a manhunt for him during many months is just plain wrong.

* Boudicca did not get killed by a Roman soldier in battle as the Show suggests, according to Tacitus she took poison shortly after the battle.

* Nothing in history indicates Marcus Crassus paid the Sicilian pirates off. They apparently betrayed Spartacus on their own.

* The show makes it look like the Scipio who intercepted Hannibal in Hispania and the one who fought him in Zama are one and the same. In reality, they were respectively father and son.

* First and foremost, the show's usage of the term "Barbarian" is exaggerated and sometimes wrong. While its meaning as "non-Roman/Greek" is TruthInTelevision, Romans would have never referred to Carthaginian citizens as barbarians, among other things because they were a prosperous commercial empire with a very high culture and Greek influences just like Rome itself (the term was still theoretically correct, and Romans could have used it as an insult or to make a point, but definitely not as a casual tag). Spartacus was certainly a barbarian, as he was born in Thrace, but it is unlikely Romans would have emphasized his barbarism as a sort of definitory trait, given that he had been a Roman soldier and gladiator for many years before his rebellion.

* Magalus claims there are few Boii Gauls left, and only a few of them join Hannibal and Cumelios, implying the Romans killed the rest. In reality, Gauls (both Alpine and Cisalpine) composed the biggest reserves in Hannibal's army, as many of them hated Rome and joined him through his travel to Italy. Gaul was still mostly unconquered by Rome at the time and would remain so until Julius Caesar's time.

* The character of Cumelios seems to be based on Hannibal's Lusitanian commander according to Silius Italicus's chronicle of the war, as he even dies in Cannae the same way Silius tells about the historical guy. However, the latter is described as young instead of elderly and named Viriathus instead of Cumelios. (The name change can be justified, though, because viewers might get confused at having two important characters with the same name.)

* The series shows a woman officiating a sacrifice in Carthage and being credited as a priestess. In real life, contrary to a popular belief coming from romantic works like ''Literature/{{Salammbo}}'', apparently only men could be priests in Carthage.

* Contrary to what the series shows, Lusitanians weren't a huge part of Hannibal's army, but only a small part of a very diverse Hispanic contingent. It also included Iberians (from the southern Iberian peninsula), Celtiberians (from the peninsula's core) and Balearics (from the Balearic Islands), as well as possibly other, minor tribes. In fact, according to a source, the Lusitanians were so few that they were bunched together with a Gallaeci contingent.

* Alaric, born in the 4th century, wears a very faithful reproduction of 1st century lorica hamata, which by his time had long since been replaced by more regularly constructed mail hauberks.

* Hannibal and the Carthaginian elite were Phoenicians, which would probably make them vaguely olive-skinned. Meanwhile, the show portrays them with ''black'' actors, and some of the guests imply rather unsubtletly that the Punic Wars were somehow important for black people's history. Actually, there were few to no black people in the Carthaginian army at the time, as most of it was composed by Phoenicians, Berbers and Caucasian mercenaries like Hispanics and Gauls.

* In the series, it is revealed that Hannibal had previously arranged his encounter with Magalus and the Boii Gauls. In real life, the Boii appeared upon Hannibal unexpectedly, so much that he had been thinking on changing his plans and only continued towards Italy because Magalus convinced him to do so.

* First and foremost, the show's usage of the term "Barbarian" is exaggerated and sometimes wrong. While its meaning as "non-Roman/Greek" is TruthInTelevision, Romans would have never referred to Carthaginian citizens as barbarians, among other things because they were a prosperous commercial empire with a very high culture and Greek influences just like Rome itself (the term was still theoretically correct, and Romans could have used it as an insult or to make a point, but definitely not as a casual tag). Spartacus was certainly a barbarian, as he was born in Thracia, but it is unlikely Romans would have emphasized his barbarism as a sort of definitory trait, given that he had been a Roman soldier and gladiator for many years before his rebellion.

* The series shows a woman officiating a sacrifice in Carthage and being credited as a priestess. In real life, contrary to a popular belief coming from romantic works like ''Literature/{{Salammbo}}'', only men could be priests in Carthage. They might have had a kind of sacred prostitutes who sometimes did non-sexual religious service too, but not literal female priestesses.

* Cumelios brands Hannibal in the arm with the burning tip of his falcata to prove his bravery and mark their pact or some other cultural mumbo-jumbo. This ritual seems to have been made up for the series, as it is not recorded in any source.
* All the Boii Gauls from the series are portrayed all with full, short beard and hair. Historical Gauls are described to usually shave their chins and sport just moustaches, as well as long and sometimes dyed manes of hair.

* Contrary to what the series shows, Lusitanians weren't an instrumental part of Hannibal's army, but only a small part of a very diverse Hispanic contingent. Most of the latter were Iberians (from the southern Iberian peninsula), Celtiberians (from the peninsula's core) and Balearics (from Balearic Islands), with Lusitanians being part of a minority of other tribes. In fact, according to a source, they were so few that they were bunched together with a Gallaeci contingent.

* Ditalcus wasn't a Lusitanian, but a Turdetanian deserter who joined Viriathus's party after it took off. His tragic background (namely, that his entire tribe was butchered in a punitive action triggered by Viriathus) could have not happened in real life, as at the time of the rebellion's rise, Turdetania was entirely disconnected from Viriathus and actually formed part of a rich Roman province.

* In the series, it is revealed that Hannibal had previously arranged his encounter with Magalus and the Boii Gauls. In real life, the Boii appeared upon Hannibal unexpectedly, so much that he had been thinking on returning to Hispania and only continued towards Italy because Magalus convinced him to do so.

* First and foremost, the show's usage of the term "Barbarian" is exaggerated and sometimes wrong. While its meaning as "non-Roman/Greek" is TruthInTelevision, Romans would have never referred to Carthaginians as barbarians, among other things because they were a prosperous commercial empire with a very high culture and Greek influences just like Rome itself (they might have used the term as an insult or to make a point, but not as a casual tag). Spartacus would not have been considered a barbarian either, as he was a Thracian (a Hellenic country) and had been a Roman citizen for many years during his career as a gladiator.

* The series shows a woman officiating a sacrifice in Carthage and being credited as a priestess. In real life, only men could be priests in Carthage. They might have had a kind of sacred prostitutes who sometimes did non-sexual religious service too, but not literal female priestesses.

* The Boii Gauls from the series are portrayed all with full, short beards. Historical Gauls are described to shave their chins and sport just moustaches.
* Viriathus's pendant is a silver Celtic cross/knot symbol. Aside from the fact that this was an artwork used only in Britannia, there is also the issue that Lusitanians weren't exactly Celts (modern historians and archaeologists have true fistfights about it, but the official thesis is that Lusitanians were pre-Celtic Indo-European people who became slightly Celtized after the latter people came to the Iberian peninsula).

** At one point Hannibal also wields what appears to be a replica of a Model 1816 French artillery short sword, ironically a weapon that was inspired by the Roman gladius.

* The barbarians were not freedom fighters against the evil, pro-slavery empire of Rome, as slavery was common virtually everywhere at the time. All barbarian tribes presented in this show practiced it, some of them even indulging in human sacrifices and other horrifying things even Romans were scandalized at (some of them rightfully, others not so much, but still).

* Viriathus's pendant is a silver Celtic cross/knot symbol. Aside from the fact that this was an artwork used only in Britannia, there is also the issue that Lusitanians weren't pure Celts (modern historians and archaeologists have true fistfights about the amount, procedence and timeline of their Celticity).

* The Roman army was not composed by professional soldiers until 107 BC, despite what guests of the show claims in the earlier episodes.

* The Lusitanians didn't ally with Hannibal in an EnemyMine scenario against Rome. In real life, the Spaniards that joined Hannibal did it because they were either already Barcid vassals or mercenaries seeking to make a buck, not because any of them gave a crap about the threat of Rome. In fact, several Spanish mercenary parties also fought ''for'' Rome during the war and afterwards.
* In the series, it is revealed that Hannibal had previously arranged his encounter with Magalus and the Boii Gauls. In real life, the Boii appeared upon Hannibal unexpectedly, so much that he had been thinking on returning to Hispania and only continued to Italy because Magalus convinced him to do so.

* Nothing in history indicates Marcus Crassus paid the Sicilian pirates off. They apparently betrayed Spartacus on their own.

!!Costumes
* Fairly universal throughout the series are cheap floppy leather breastplates and helmets on both Roman and non-Roman extras.
* Alaric, born in the 4th century, wears a very faithful reproduction of 1st century lorica hamata, which by his time had long since been replaced by more regularly constructed mail hauberks.
* Hannibal wears a bizarre fusion of an Attic type helmet and a Late Roman ridge helmet. Putting aside the fact that it's clearly made of modern plastic, it also has a Chi-Rho emblazoned on the front, a Christian symbol that wouldn't come into use until centuries after Hannibal's death.
* Boudicca wears a leather dress which has been cut into scale shapes to resemble lorica squamata. One of her lieutenants wears a late medieval gambeson. In general the Iceni are shown to paint their faces, which there is no historical evidence of them doing.
* Members of Attila's entourage wear modern hoodies.

* Alaric, born in the 5th century, wears a very faithful reproduction of 1st century lorica hamata, which by his time had long since been replaced by more regularly constructed mail hauberks.

* Boudicca wears a leather dress which has been cut into scale shapes to resemble lorica hamata. One of her lieutenants wears a late medieval gambeson. In general the Iceni are shown to paint their faces, which there is no historical evidence of them doing.

* Nothing in history indicates Marcus Crassus paid the Sicilian pirates off. They apparently betrayed Spartacus on their own.

* First and foremost, the usage of the term "Barbarian" in the show is exaggerated and sometimes wrong. While its meaning as "non-Roman/Greek" has some TruthInTelevision on it, Romans would have never referred to Carthaginians as barbarians, among other things because they were a prosperous commercial empire with a very high culture and Greek influences just like Rome itself (they might have used the term as an insult or to make a point, but not as a casual tag). Spartacus would not be considered a barbarian either, as although he was a Thracian, he had been a Roman citizen for many years during his career as a gladiator.
* The barbarians were not freedom against the evil, pro-slavery empire of Rome, as slavery was common virtually everywhere at the time. All barbarian tribes presented in this show practiced it, some of them even indulging in human sacrifices and other horrifying things Romans were scandalized at (some of them rightfully, others not so much, but still).

* The series shows a woman officiating a sacrifice in Carthage and officially credited as a priestess. In real life, only men could be priests in Carthage. They might have had a kind of sacred prostitutes who sometimes did non-sexual religious service too, but not literal female priestesses.
* Lusitanians didn't wear Gallic trousers as portrayed in the series, but short tunics down to their thighs. This is strange, as otherwise the show got their armor and shields shockingly right (though, sadly, not their weapons).
* The Boii Gauls from the series are portrayed all with full, short beards. Historical Gauls are described to shave their chins and sport long moustaches.
* Viriathus's pendant is a silver Celtic cross/knot symbol. Aside from the fact that this is an artwork used only in Britannia, there is also the issue that Lusitanians weren't pure Celts: modern historians and archaeologists have true fistfights about the amount, procedence and timeline of their Celticity.

* The Roman army was not composed by professionals until 107 BC, despite what guests of the show claims in the earlier episodes.
* Contrary to what the series shows, Lusitanians weren't an instrumental part of Hannibal's army, but only a small part of a very diverse Hispanic contingent. Most of the latter were Iberians (from the southern Iberian peninsula), Celtiberians (from the peninsula's core) and Balearics (from Balearic Islands), with Lusitanians being part of a minory of other tribes.

* Hannibal and the Carthaginian elite were Phoenicians, which would make them olive-skinned men. There were few to no black people in the Carthaginian army at the time, as most of it was composed by Berbers and white mercenaries. Instead, the show portrays them with black actors, and some of the guests imply rather unsubtletly that the Punic Wars were somehow important for black people's history.

* The show makes it look like the Scipio who intercepted Hannibal in Hispania and the one who fought him in Zama are one and the same. In actuality, they were respectively father and son.

* In real life, Viriathus took several years to kickstart his rebellion after the Massacre of the Lusitanians, not a single night. By the time it exploded, Galba had been replaced by Vetilius a long time ago, so he never witnessed firsthand its effects. Moreover, Viriathus's encounter with Vetilius at Tribola was actually the first, only and last time they were enemies, as that very battle was where the former rose to stardom and the latter died (even more of an unceremonious death than in the series, in fact). The statement made in ''Barbarians Rising'' that Vetilius was fixated on Viriathus and carried a manhunt for him during many months is just plain wrong.

* Hannibal and the Carthaginian elite were Phoenicians, which would make them olive-skinned men, not black. There were few to no black people in the Carthaginian army at the time, as most of it was composed by Berbers and white mercenaries. Instead, the show portrays them with African American actors, and some of the guests imply rather unsubtletly that the Punic Wars were somehow important for black people's history.
* The character of Cumelios seems to be based on Hannibal's Lusitanian commander according to Silius Italicus's chronicle of the war, as he even dies in Cannae the same way Silius tells about the historical guy. However, the latter is described as young instead of elderly, and named Viriathus instead of Cumelios. (The name change can be justified, though, because viewers might get confused at having two important characters with the same name.)

* First and foremost, the usage of the term "Barbarian" in the show is exaggerated and sometimes wrong. While its meaning as "non-Roman/Greek" has some TruthInTelevision on it, Romans would have never referred to Carthaginians as barbarians, among other things because they were a prosperous commercial empire with a very high culture and Greek influences just like Rome itself. Spartacus would not be considered a barbarian either, as although he was a Thracian, he had been a Roman citizen for many years during his career as a gladiator.

* The series shows a woman officiating a sacrifice in Carthage. In real life, only men could be Punic priests. They might have had a kind of sacred prostitutes who sometimes did non-sexual religious service too, but not literal priestesses like the woman is credited as in the episode.
* Lusitanians didn't wear Gallic trousers as portrayed in the series. This is strange, as otherwise the show got their armor and shields shockingly right (though not their weapons).

* Contrary to what the series shows, Lusitanians weren't an instrumental part of Hannibal's army, but only a small part of a very diverse Hispanic contingent. Most of Hannibal's Spaniards were Iberians (from the southern Iberian peninsula), Celtiberians (from the peninsula's core) and Balearics (from Balearic Islands), with Lusitanians being part.

* ''Barbarians Rising'' follows the popular belief that the falcata was a Lusitanian weapon, despite it was actually an Iberian one and such limited to the Mediterranean coast. Lusitanians favored straight gladii, like those used by Celtiberians and later adopted by the Roman themselves. The series might have justified it by leaving to interpretation that their falcatas were looted or bought from other regions of Hispania, which were both probable scenarios in real life, but instead it shows the Lusitanians explicitly calling them "their fathers's swords".

* That the Lusitanians allied with Carthage in an EnemyMine scenario against Rome is an invention. In real life, the Spaniards that joined Hannibal did it because they were either already Barcid vassals or mercenaries seeking to make a buck, not because any of them gave a crap about the threat of Rome. In fact, several of those mercenary parties also fought ''for'' Rome during the war.
* In real life, Viriathus took several years to kickstart his rebellion after the Massacre of the Lusitanians, not a single night. By the time it exploded, Galba had been replaced by Vetilius a long time ago, so he never witnessed firsthand its effects. Moreover, Viriathus's encounter with Vetilius at Tribola was actually the first, only and last time they were enemies, as that very battle was where the former rose to stardom and the latter died (even more of an unceremonious death than in the series, in fact). The statement made in ''Barbarians Rising'' that Vetilius was fixated on Viriathus and carried a manhunt for him during many months is just plain wrong.

* Carthage was not a force of freedom against the evil, pro-slavery empire of Rome, among other things because slavery was legal and common in Carthage too. In fact, most if not all barbarian tribes presented in this show practiced slavery, some of them even indulging in human sacrifices and other horrifying things Rome was mostly devoid of.
* Hannibal was not a freedom fighter as stated in the show, but just a military man motivated by a patriotic feud against another nation. The war between Rome and Carthage can be best described as TheEmpire vs. a MegaCorp, with both of them being pretty morally questionable by modern standards. Strangely, the show itself doesn't shy away from showing that Hannibal's oath against Rome was directly based on revenge, which turns it into a sort of contradiction.
* The series shows a woman officiating a sacrifice in Carthage. In real life, only men could be Punic priests. They might have had a kind of sacred prostitutes, who sometimes did some non-sexual religious service too, but not literal priestesses as the woman is credited in the episode.

* Contrary to what the series shows, Lusitanians weren't an instrumental part of Hannibal's army, but only a small part of an already smallish Spaniard contingent formed mostly by Iberians (from the southern Iberian peninsula), Celtiberians (from the peninsula's core) and Balearics (from Balearic Islands). That they allied with Carthage in an EnemyMine scenario against Rome is another deep deviation: in real life, the Spaniards that joined Hannibal did it because they were either already Barcid vassals or mercenaries seeking to escape poverty, not because any of them gave a crap about the threat of Rome (in fact, several of those mercenary parties also fought ''for'' Rome during the war).

* The character of Cumelios seems to be based on Hannibal's Lusitanian commander in Silius Italicus's chronicle of the war, as he even dies in Cannae the same way Silius tells about the historical guy. However, the latter is described as young instead of elderly, and named Viriathus instead of Cumelios. (The name change can be justified, though, because viewers might get confused at having two important characters with the same name.)
* Neither Romans nor Lusitanians used bows and arrows at the time of the series. Also, ''Barbarians Rising'' follows the popular belief that Lusitanians produced falcatas, a sword that is limited to the Mediterranean coast (they rather favored straight gladii, like those used by Celtiberians and later adopted by the Roman themselves).

* In real life, Viriathus took several years to kickstart his rebellion after the Massacre of the Lusitanians, not a single night. By the time it exploded, Galba had been replaced by Vetilius a long time ago, so he never witnessed its effects. Moreover, Viriathus's encounter with Vetilius at Tribola was actually the first, only and last time they were enemies, as that very battle was where the former rose to stardom and the latter died (even more of an unceremonious death than in the series, in fact). The statement made in ''Barbarians Rising'' that Vetilius was fixated on Viriathus and carried a manhunt for him during many months is just plain wrong.