Hannibal and the Carhaginians in the Second Punic War

The men that he had with him at the time were renowned for their loyalty to Hannibal and unconventional fighting tactics. Their "Gorilla" type war fair or wars of "delaying" almost saw t... ... middle of paper ... ... death and destruction for the Romans that Adolf Hitler would to our Civilization. Hannibal’s name became synonymous with the stereotype that Rome had of the Carthaginian perfidy. And it was this that Rome never wanted to see again; so to be a good Roman, one had to be taught what it was to be a "Hannibal" and how not to be a "Hannibal." In the end Rome was taught many valuable lessons and to the victor go the spoils; so it is a measure of the fear Hannibal’s name instilled, that long after he was dead and gone, parents would scold naughty children with the warning that if they weren't good, Hannibal would come to get them in the night. Italy itself suffered cruelly in the war.

So, in 264 B.C. the assembly voted to send a force to expel the Carthage (or Punic) garrison. Thus began the First Punic War. For twenty four years the two powers fought a bloody war for ... ... middle of paper ... ...n it was attacked by a Roman force, but this time he was defeated and forced into exile. Rome pursued him, and eventually caught up to him in modern day Turkey.

When Hannibal was nine he went with his father on the to conquer Spain. Before starting, the kid swore to hate Rome. In two years he conquered all Spain between the Tagus and Iberus rivers. The Romans branded this attack a violation of the existing treaty between Rome and Carthage and demanded that Carthage surrender Hannibal to them. On the refusal of the Carthaginians to do so, the Romans declared war on Carthage, so because of that they precipitated in the Second Punic War.

Hannibal said, “I swear to always be an enemy of Rome” (Brooks, 21). It is also said he swore this oath by placing his hand in a bowl of blood while stating to always be an enemy of Rome. Hamilcar died in 228 B.C., when Hannibal was 19 years old. In one story it was stated he died trying to protect his sons from an unexpected attack from the chief Orissus (Brooks, 26). After Hamilcar died Hasdrubal the Fair, Hannibal’s brother-in-law, came into power.

Hannibal was born 247 BC, the son of Hamilcar Barca, the current General of the Carthaginian Army. Hannibal's training as a military leader began at the age of nine when he went to Spain to be with his father. At Hamilcar's request Hannibal pledged an oath of hate towards the Roman Empire because of Carthages lost to the Romans in the First Punic War (261-241 BC). After Hamilcar's death in 228 BC, Hannibal's brother in law, Hasdrubal, assumed command of the Carthaginian Army. Seven years, in 221BC, Hasdrubal was assassinated.

When Hannibal realized that he could not efficiently surround Rome with Italian states, he spread the conflict hoping to spread Rome’s resources thin. Hannibal brought different countries into the war against Rome. The real blow to Hannibal came in 209 when the Romans took Carthage and forced Hasdrubal out of Spain. This cut his main supply route off. Hannibal learned of the defeat when Hasdrubal's head was thrown into his camp.

Including winning a brutal civil war between him and his once ally, Pompey. As a result, he was thrust into the position of king in Rome in all but title as Rome was still a Republic and only had temporary dictators in time of crisis (Ushistory.org). The senators and other politicians feared for their political careers and the livelihood of the Republic because Caesar was adored by the Roman public so much that they would have made him king. Additionally, the Senators had allied themselves with Pompey to ward off Julius in the civil war. However, they didn’t surrender to

During his tenure, his advancement in, and leadership of the Roman military forced the Carthaginian military, as well as Hannibal, to surrender (Render). Ongoing battles created a hatred between the Romans and Carthaginians, with fathers teaching their sons nothing but hatred for the opposition, leaving an undying need to kill one another. Hamilcar made his son (Hannibal) swear that he would always be an enemy to Rome, and one report states that Hannibal said “I swear so soon as age will permit I will use fire and steel to arrest the destiny of Rome” (Mills). The Carthaginian army led by Hannibal, usually attacked their enemies in an infantry phalanx that was supported by chariots as the primary combat squad, armed with d... ... middle of paper ... ...away the rights of the Carthaginians and bankrupted Carthage (Gabriel). Although the Carthaginians ultimately had succumb to the Romans, their general, Hannibal Barca was one of the fiercest and intelligent leaders the world has ever seen.

he went to Hispania (modern-day Spain) to fight alongside Caesar. He was shipwrecked along the way, and had to cross enemy territory to reach his great-uncle; an act that impressed Caesar enough to name Octavius his heir and successor in his will.”(Augustus). By the time of Caesar's assassination, Octavian defeated the conspirators who murdered Caesar in a series of battles and divided Rome's lands among them. This lead to the establishment of The Second Triumvirate, in which they shared the power among the divided territories with Mark Antony in charge of Egypt and East, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus with Africa and Octavian the West. Over time, the alliance that formed fell apart.

Overall in the second Punic war Hannibal strategic mind made him really good. I think that if he only had more soldiers he would have defeated the Rome when he cross over the mountain. Hannibal was special because he was brave enough to cross the Alps and attack the cities with the little soldiers he had with him. He will always be known and as a great general.