Hannibal: Beyond Elephants and the Alps

In the modern world, we remember Hannibal as the man who took elephants over the Alps. But in reality, the movement over the Alps was far more than a zoo trip. This essay will contrive to explain Hannibal’s life and war with Rome. It will also attempt to clear away the elephant misconception and display the reality of Hannibal’s actions.

Hannibal was born in the city he would later spend most of his life fighting for, Carthage. However, he would only live his very early years there. At the age of nine, he asked to go on a trip to Spain with his father, Hamilcar Barca, the general who had fought in the First Punic War for Carthage. Before he could go on the trip, his father took him to an altar and had swear that, for the rest of his life,

Hannibal set up his camp on the other side of the river, and instructed his men, to eat as much food as they needed, get warmed up, and stretch and get ready for battle. He sent his cavalry across the river that night, where they attacked the Roman camp and fell back, luring the Roman forces across the river where, soaking, freezing, and exhausted, they met Hannibal’s well rested, well fed, and prepared men. The Carthaginian cavalry turned and attacked their Roman counterparts, defeating them with aid from the slingers. The war elephants terrified the Gallic auxiliaries aiding Rome into retreat. With defeat imminent, the Romans were forced to do their best to

They had barely any soldiers left in the Italian area, and no commanders to lead them. Hannibal had a clear shot at the city of Rome itself. Retired veterans and young men alike were volunteering to defend the city. But Hannibal did not attack Rome. He lacked the siege equipment and elephants to take the city, and had not enough men and supplies for a prolonged siege. The only way he could take a fortified settlement was if they joined him or surrendered. So instead he marched around Italy for 15 years, trying to win over cities to his cause. However, when the cities saw that Hannibal could not in his current state take Rome, the flow of defections trickled to a halt. Meanwhile, Carthage’s war on the homefront was going badly, as the Roman commander Scipio Africanus had conquered their spanish territories and was ready to march into Africa and besiege Carthage itself. The Carthaginian senate pulled Hannibal and his best men back to Carthage by sea to defend the