 Meanwhile, Carthaginian leaders expected that their overwhelming maritime superiority would allow the war to be kept at a distance, and even for them to continue to prosper.This would allow them to recruit and pay an army that would operate in the open against the Romans, while their strongly fortified cities could be supplied by sea and provide a defensive base from which to operate.Adult male Roman citizens were eligible for military service, most would serve as infantry with the wealthier minority providing a cavalry component.