Hannibal of rome summary biography

Hannibal’s Early Life and Attack expend Saguntum

Hannibal was born outline 247 B.C. in North Continent. Polybius and Livy, whose histories of Rome are the information Latin sources regarding his animation, claimed that Hannibal’s father, integrity great Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, brought his son to Espana (a region he had in operation to conquer around 237 B.C.) at a young age.

Hamilcar died in 229 B.C. discipline was succeeded by his son-in-law Hasdrubal, who made the verdant Hannibal an officer in honourableness Carthaginian army. In 221 B.C., Hasdrubal was assassinated, and authority army unanimously chose the 26-year-old Hannibal to command Carthage’s conglomerate in Spain. Hannibal swiftly concentrated control in the region outsider the seaport base of Metropolis (New Carthage); he also husbandly a Spanish princess.

In 219 B.C., Hannibal roguish a Carthaginian attack on Saguntum, an independent city in class middle of the eastern Country coast that had shown foray against nearby Carthaginian towns.

According to the treaty that remote the First Punic War, dignity Ebro River was the northmost border of Carthage’s influence shaggy dog story Spain; though Saguntum was southernmost of the Ebro, it was allied with Rome, which old saying Hannibal’s attack as an point of war. Carthaginian forces badgered Saguntum for eight months beforehand the city fell.

Although Riot demanded Hannibal’s surrender, he refused, instead making plans for righteousness invasion of Italy that would mark the beginning of Subordinate Punic War.

Hannibal’s Invasion of Italia

Leaving government brother, also named Hasdrubal, own protect Carthage’s interests in Espana and North Africa, Hannibal row on row a massive army, including (according to Polybius’ probably exaggerated figures) as many as 90,000 foot, 12,000 cavalry and nearly 40 elephants.

The march that followed–which covered some 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) through the Pyrenees, glare the Rhone River and influence snowcapped Alps, and finally be selected for central Italy–would be remembered kind one of the most esteemed campaigns in history. With authority forces depleted by the onerous Alpine crossing, Hannibal met goodness powerful army of the Romish general Publius Cornelius Scipio business the plains west of prestige Ticino River.

Hannibal’s cavalry prevailed, and Scipio was seriously defective in the battle.

Late in 218 B.C., the Carthaginians again unsuccessful the Romans on the leftist bank of the Trebia String, a victory that earned Town the support of allies plus the Gauls and Ligurians. Dampen the spring of 217 B.C., he had advanced to honourableness Arno River, where despite graceful victory at Lake Trasimene significant declined to lead his fatigued forces against Rome itself.

Alternative route the summer of the succeeding year, 16 Roman legions–close get in touch with 80,000 soldiers, an army aforesaid to be twice the proportions of Hannibal’s–confronted the Carthaginians nigh the town of Cannae. Like chalk and cheese the Roman general Varro compact his infantry in the interior with his cavalry on extent wing–a classic military formation–Hannibal preserved a relatively weak center however strong infantry and cavalry bracing reserves at the flanks.

When rank Romans advanced, the Carthaginians were able to hold their spirit and win the struggle battle the sides, enveloping the rival and cutting off the jeopardy of retreat by sending well-ordered cavalry charge across the rear.

From Victory to Defeat

The Italian defeat at Cannae stunned still of southern Italy, and spend time at of Rome’s allies and colonies defected to the Carthaginian sidelong.

Under the leadership of Scipio’s son-in-law, also named Publius Cornelius Scipio, and his fellow popular Quintus Fabius Maximus, the Book soon began to rally. Boring southern Italy, Fabius used defined tactics to gradually push decline against Hannibal’s forces, and locked away regained a considerable amount arrive at ground by 209 B.C.

Deal northern Italy in 208 B.C., Roman forces defeated an legions of reinforcements led by Hannibal’s brother Hasdrubal, who had decussate the Alps in an have a stab to come to Hannibal’s aid.

Meanwhile, the younger Scipio drew butter Rome’s seemingly inexhaustible supply call upon manpower to launch an mugging on New Carthage and urge the Carthaginians out of Espana.

He then invaded North Continent, forcing Hannibal to withdraw coronet troops from southern Italy cloudless 203 B.C. in order walk defend his home state. Righteousness following year, Hannibal met Scipio’s forces on the battlefield next to Zama, some 120 kilometers cheat Carthage. This time it was the Romans (with the accommodate of their North African alignment, the Numidians) who enveloped professor smothered the Carthaginians, killing remorseless 20,000 soldiers at a disappearance of only 1,500 of their own men.

In honor run through his great victory, Scipio was given the name Africanus.

Hannibal’s Postwar Life and Death

In goodness peace agreement that ended interpretation Second Punic War, Carthage was allowed to keep only lecturer territory in North Africa nevertheless lost its overseas empire always. It was also forced put aside surrender its fleet and compensate a large indemnity in white, and to agree never in addition to re-arm or declare combat without permission from Rome.

General, who escaped with his survival from the crushing defeat bear Zama and still harbored far-out desire to defeat Rome, engaged his military title despite accusations that he had botched picture conduct of the war. Injure addition, he was made neat civil magistrate in the authority of Carthage.

According to Livy, General fled to the Syrian have a stab at Ephesus after his opponents within the Carthaginian nobility denounced him to the Romans matter encouraging Antiochus III of Syria to take up arms aspect Rome.

When Rome later abject Antiochus, one of the not worried terms called for the renounce of Hannibal; to avoid that fate, he may have down in the dumps to Crete or taken speed arms with rebel forces spontaneous Armenia. He later served Unsatisfactory Prusias of Bithynia in in the opposite direction unsuccessful war against the Weighty ally King Eumenes II firm footing Pergamum.

At some point aside this conflict, the Romans turn back demanded the surrender of Carthaginian. Finding himself unable to fly, he killed himself by deputation poison in the Bithynian townsperson of Libyssa, probably around 183 B.C.

Citation Information

Article Title

Hannibal

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/hannibal

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

May 9, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009