For reward he promised some of the New Carthaginians complete rights of citizenship.
His first care was to reform the Legion.

These handsome young fellows, who regarded themselves as the military majesty of the Republic, governed themselves.

He reduced their officers to the ranks; he treated them harshly, made them run, leap, ascend the declivity of Byrsa at a single burst, hurl javelins, wrestle together, and sleep in the squares at night.

Their families used to come to see them and pity them.
He ordered shorter swords and stronger buskins.

He fixed the number of serving-men, and reduced the amount of baggage; and as there were three hundred Roman pila kept in the temple of Moloch, he took them in spite of the pontiff's protests.
He organised a phalanx of seventy-two elephants with those which had returned from Utica, and others which were private property, and rendered them formidable.