Hannibal and the Second Punic War

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Hannibal, son of Hamilcar, was a Carthaginian military commander and tactician who is popularly credited as one of the most talented military commander in history. In his early life he was made to swear oath of hatred against Rome, which lead him into starting the Second Punic war. During this time he transformed Carthage from being a lowly place into a military superpower. Although he lost the war, his tactics were far beyond any other person at the time, which had won him many battles even when the odds were stacked against him.
Hannibal was born in 247 BCE in Carthage, located in North Africa. When he was born, Carthage was about to lose The first Punic War. “His father Hamilcar Barca was the leading Carthaginian commander during the First Punic War”(ancient.eu.com 1). Before the first Punic War, the city had been a growing seaport and had possessed many wealthy provinces. After the war, Rome’s victory took Sicily from Carthage, which was one of its most important provinces Carthage had. During the Carthage civil war, Rome took Sardinia and Corsica as well. These events all left a great impression on Hannibal as a child.
Hannibal was the eldest son of Hamilcar Barca, Who commanded the Carthaginian military at the time. Because of this, Hamilcar made Hannibal swear a blood oath of hatred towards Rome. When Hannibal’s father died in 229 BCE, Hamilcar’s son in law, Hasdrubal, took command of the military of Carthage. During the time he was commander, he made Hannibal an officer in the Carthaginian army. In 221 BCE, Hasdrubal was killed and the Carthaginian soldiers unanimously chose Hannibal as their next commander, a decision that was later approved by their government. “At age 26, Hannibal was given command of an army and imm...

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...hern Europe and the Alps Mountains against Rome in the Second Punic War”(biography.com 5). With such a momentous accomplishment under his belt, he is held among the greatest generals to have lived, along with Alexander the great, Pyrrhus of Epirus, Scipio, and Julius Caesar.
With his fathers influenced hatred of Rome, Hannibal started the second Punic War, wanting to make a world better for Carthage. He has become one the most well known and greatest military leaders to live. “Surely no man ever undertook a great work to his own sorrow, from more purely patriotic instincts, than this same Carthaginian” (Dodge 170). Hannibal was truly doing what he thought was best for his country of Carthage, and even though he lost the war, Hannibal has gone down in history and will always be remembered as one of the greatest strategist and tactician this world has ever known.

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