@occult.sage on Instagram: "Carthage had the most powerful military in the ancient world — And almost none of it was Carthaginian. They hired mercenaries from every corner of the Mediterranean. Gauls, Iberians, Numidians, Greeks. Men with no shared language, culture, or loyalty. So how did they control them? They used a payment structure called "graduated compensation." Soldiers were paid well — but never fully. They received 70% of their wages during service. The remaining 30% held until the en