Hannibal
Hannibal Baraca had a burning hatred for Rome. “There was no real reason for Carthage and Rome to despise of each other” (“Hannibal the Warrior”). They just had many differences. Hannibal grew up learning war tactics from his father and brother-in-law. When he was old enough he was voted army commander by popular demand. For 17 years Hannibal devoted himself to conquering Rome, who conquered Iberia, crossed the Alps, and destroyed Roman armies in Italy; yet they were defeated and lost everything (Brooks).
Hannibal Baraca was born in 247 B.C., to Hamilcar Baraca, the Carthaginian army commander from 251 B.C. to 228 B.C. As Hannibal grew older he watched his father, and his hatred for Rome, fight in the First Punic War. The First Punic War eventually came to an end after 23 years of battle. Hamilcar had to negotiate peace, and then he was only left with the choice to plan his retaliation. It is said that when Hannibal was nine years old he asked if he could join his father in the comeback against Rome. 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. Hasdrubal wanted to get revenge for Hamilcar’s murder. That is how he started his command, by having a force more than 50,000 find chief Orissus and any of his followers and kill them. Hasdrubal continued to gain power and extended Punic’s control over Iberia. Hannibal watched a...
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...treaty stating he could only keep land in North Africa, he had to surrender all fleets, and pay a large amount of silver. He could also never declare war again without Rome’s permission (History.com). Rome wanted to make Hannibal a prisoner because they feared he would attack again. In 183 B.C., Hannibal’s commanding came to an end when the Roman’s tried to arrest him he drank a poison, killing himself.
Throughout Hannibal’s life he worked to take down Rome. The 26 year old was chosen to be Carthaginian’s army commander by popular demand. Working to prove his unconditional hatred for Rome he led the Carthaginian army through The Second Punic War. Unfortunately, after investing 17 years toward the take down of Rome he was defeated. He lost the war and everything along with it. After running from the Romans Hannibal committed suicide by drinking poison in 183 B.C.
Hannibal was a Punic Carthaginian military commander, reputed to be one of the greatest in history and even a better tactician. Hannibal lived in a time of great friction in the Mediterranean where the Roman Republic dominated Macedon, Syracuse and the Seleucid Empire. He was a notable member of the Barca family, a noble family well known for being staunch antagonists of the Roman Republic. His father Hamilcar was a leading commander in the First Punic War, his brother-in-laws were Hasdrubal the Fair who preferred diplomacy to war and the Numidian king Naravas, and both his brothers, Mago (commanded Hannibal’s forces and made decisive pushes) and Hasdrubal (defended Carthaginian cities in Hispania as Hannibal left for Italy in 218 BC) assisted immensely in the campaign against the Romans . Unlike many other African warlords, not only did Hannibal and his forces protect their home territory but he was also the only African commander to invade Europe in turn. In other words, he did not only defend his town or lie in wait for further oppression but rather counter-attacked and took the fight to the oppressors.
Although a genius on the battlefield, where he used surprise and maneuver to overcome the relatively small size of his force, I do not believe that Hannibal was an ethical leader. He did not always exhibit the essential intellectual traits of critical thinking, nor did he always enforce ethical standards. To clarify, Hannibal’s vision was for independence for territories. But based on some of his actions, the concept of ‘freedom for all’ was not a part of that vision. Hannibal exhibited the trait of intellectual hypocrisy; he didn’t hold himself to the same standards that he fought for when he was faced the ethical dilemma of feeding, equipping, and paying his troops for their service; or selling Roman captives into slavery. In an effort to take care of his men, he succumbed to the latter, after the failed attempt to negotiate a ransom with Rome. And so, Roman captives were sold to a local slave trader (Commire & Klezmer, 1994). Perhaps, he fell prey to ethical relativism, using this ethical trap as a way to justify the inconsistency between his thoughts and his actions. Or maybe he didn’t care; but we’ll never know. What we do know is that this lack of intellectual integrity is opposite of the behavior that is required of an ethical leader (CF03SG, 2013, p. 7). Most assuredly, his actions confused his team of warriors, and affected their view of his professional character, especially since non-Roman captives had been released to their respective countries.
The Second Punic war, beginning in 218 BC, was the second major war between the Roman Empire and the Carthage. Around the same time, the Roman Empire deployed troops to the Northeastern peninsula of Spain to keep reinforcements, from the Carthaginian South, from getting to Hannibal’s armies in Italy to assist them. In A Histor...
In this case, the rise of Caesar’s power was considered by some as disregard and disrespect of authority, tradition, and Roman rules. Caesar on many occasions challenged Roman commander Pompey and his main opponent, thus leading to many civil wars. Additionally, his decision to cross Rubicon was contrary to the Roman law that restricted him to enter Rome because he was a governor of Gaul at the time. Additionally, following Pompey’s death, Caesar conferred more powers to himself by diluting the Senate’s reaches and powers (Alvin 82). One major flaw that Caesar possessed was his strong ambition. This made him overconfident and thought he had become invincible both in Rome and battle. Because his soldiers respected and loved him, Caesar thought that he would pursue whatever he desired. This is what led to his
Julius Caesar elected himself as the dictator of Rome. He became a favorite to many of the people of the lower classes. Unlike many leaders, Caesar valued the poor. Most people agreed with his decisions, but some of the higher classes’ did not. On March 15 44 BCE, now called the Ides of March, a few of Caesars’ closest peers decided to murder Caesar. Marcus Brutus killed Julius Caesar, on March 15.
Brutus joins a group of conspirators to help kill one of his very close friends because he thinks it will benefit Rome. Although Caesar was one of Brutus’s closest friends, he was part of the conspiracy in his demise. He didn’t do it out of selfish reason or envy like the rest of the conspirators; he did it because he truly believed that it would be the best thing for his country. “Not that I loved Caesar / Less, but that I loved Rome more” (III. ii. 21-22). Brutus said that during his speech at Caesar’s funeral. It basically says his reasoning for the all too great and powerful dictator to he killed. In...
His overwhelming sense of entitlement and hypocrisy, is proven when he refers to himself as ‘royalty.’ Hannibal’s occasional nice gestures are undermined when he is consumed with his cannibalistic urges. Some may say, he is only psychotic because of his early exposure to PTSD, but this theory is proven wrong. He showed severe symptoms earlier in his life, and the trauma only exaggerated the effects. His cunning and manipulative ways are far from unintentional; he manipulates people’s truth to discover their behavior and actions, so when he kills them it is more pleasurable. Hannibal’s unquestionable parasitic lifestyle is verified when he discusses the ‘finer things in life’. He discusses his interest in - dinner parties, fine arts, and fine dining. Authenticating his strange sense of
Julius Caesar emerged. He was able commander who led many conquests for Rome. In 59 B.C. Caesar set out for a new conquest. After nine years of constant fighting, he finally conquered Gaul. Pompey grew jealous of his achievement and had the senate order him to disband his forces and return to Rome. Caesar secretly crossed the Rubicon and killed Pompey then entered Rome. After crushing many rebellions, Caesar forced the senate to make him a dictator. Caesar launched many reforms such as public work programs and giving land to the poor. According to legend those in the senate murdered Caesar on March 15. Caesar's Grandnephew, Octavian, and Marc Anthony joined forces to capture his killers. However bitter feuds grew it soon became a battle for power.
The war started because of conflicting interests between the two, especially the expanding Roman Republic. At the end of the war, thousands of lives were lost, Rome ascended into power, conquering Carthage and becoming the most powerful state in the Mediterranean. During one point of the Second War, or the Hannibalic War, Carthage nearly brought Rome to her knees. With reinforcement from their Gallic allies, Carthage defeated the Roman army in the Battles of Trebia, Trasimene, and Cannae. Had Rome not defeated Carthage, the history Western civilization would be drastically altered, shaping a very different world than the one we live in today. It is said “All roads lead to Rome”. There is a lot of truth to this quote because Rome, with all its power and glory, paved the road for our modern society; it allowed Christianity to spread and flourish, the basis for democracy, and served as melting pot of cultures and customs.Rome can be considered one of the greatest influences on Western civilization, leaving us with priceless gifts that we will always
Caesar had fled Sulla’s demand, which started his military career. In the military, he first served in a province in Asia followed by one in Cilicia. During these times, Sulla had already experienced what death felt like which allowed Caesar to return to his hometown in Rome. Beginning a career in politics, he traveled to Rhodes where he was abducted by pirates. Just as he outsmarted the pirates, he was able to construct his own naval force in which he used to capture the pirates and kill them. In 74 BC, Caesar put together his own private army and successfully battled with an enemy of Rome who had declared war on them. Mithradat...
... Besides that, he conquered Gaul (modern France) and defeated his rival Pompey in the civil war of 49-45 BC. By doing so, he managed to bring peace to Rome and also expanded Rome's provinces. Caesar proved himself as a potential leader, whom the Romans agreed after the conspirators killed him. In conclusion, it is clear that the conspirators made a wrong decision to assassinate Caesar because of the following reasons: Caesar recreated Rome, conspirators had personal motives in his assassination, he did not force the Romans to give him honours, the conspirators' failure in gaining freedom for the Romans, Caesar's position as the Chief Priest, monarchy was the best government available, the conspirators' wrong judgement in killing Caesar, and Caesar was a consummate statesman.
However, though his life came to a close, Hannibal continued to live on in legend. His
Hannibal Barca was born in 247 B.C. in the city of Carthage, which was located in modern Tunis, or the northern tip of Africa. His father, Hamilcar Barca, was a great Carthaginian general of the army who fought in the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage, which the latter lost. At a very young age, Hamilcar made Hannibal promise “eternal hatred towards Rome” (Lendering, 1). At around age nine, Hannibal accompanied his father on an expedition to gain a hold in Spain. During this time was when Hannibal probably gained most of his military knowledge that helped him greatly later in life. When Hannibal’s father and older brother died in 229 and 226, Hannibal was elected commander-in-chief of the Carthaginian army. About ten years later, Hannibal, acting on his promise to his father, attacked the city of Sagantum in Spain, which was controlled by the Romans. This attack led to the start of the Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome.
...ad done nothing at all and Brutus killed him because he believed that the general would change into a tyrannical ruler. Caesar's ambition could have destroyed Rome if it wasn't for the noble actions of Brutus.
The kings who ruled before him had lost sight of Roman law, in Caesars opinion. Subsequently, before he rose to power, he was sickened at the decisive way the Senate and the kings punished the people. Miriam Greenblatt points out in Julius Caesar and the Roman Republic, that when the senators of Rome and the king collectively decide to execute those they felt conspired against Rome, Caesar opposed them arguing that Roman law declares that its citizens deserve a trial (Greenblatt 16). Due to this, it is noted that “people admired his political courage and moderation,” (Greenblatt 16). Furthermore, During his war with Pompey, he instructed his soldiers not to kill their fellow citizens. Philip Matyszak asserts in The Sons of Caesar Imperial Rome’s First Dynasty, “he urged his soldiers to remember that their opponents were Romans, and to spare whomsoever they could” (Matyszak 66). Caesar also prided himself on equality for all his Roman citizens. Due to this, “established colonies for unemployed Romans throughout Italy and the provinces” (Greenblatt 37). Amazingly, Caesar was also able to” institute more severe penalties for murder and other violent crimes. He guaranteed freedom of worship to Rome’s Jews. He reformed a new calendar. (Greenblatt 37-38) Caesar also eliminated tariffs for his soldiers. He allowed them to receive more money by not charging them for rations, like other military generals had done to their troops.