Hannibal Barca, Military Leader
Born: 247 B.C. Died: 183 B.C. (poison)
Birthplace: Carthage: An ancient city and state of northern Africa on the Bay of Tunis northeast of
modern Tunis. It was founded by the Phoenicians in the ninth century B.C. and became the center
of Carthaginian power in the Mediterranean after the sixth century B.C. The city was destroyed by
the Romans at the end of the Third Punic War (146 B.C.) but was rebuilt by Julius Caesar and later
(A.D. 439–533) served as capital of the Vandals before its virtual annihilation by the Arabs about
698. Today a suburb of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia.
Best Known As: The "Father of Strategy" who took elephants over the Alps
Hannibal Barca is the most famous of the three Carthaginian military leaders known as Hannibal.
The Carthaginian general Hannibal (247-183 BCE) was one of the greatest military leaders in
history. His most famous campaign took place during the Second Punic War (218-202), when he
caught the Romans off guard by leading his forces -- including elephants -- across the Alps and into
Rome, where he terrorized Roman.
Youth (247-219)
When Hannibal (in his language: Hanba'al, "mercy of Baal") was born in 247 BCE, in Carthage was
losing a long and important war. It had been the Mediterranean's most prosperous seaport and
possessed wealthy provinces, but it had suffered severe losses from the Romans in the First Punic
War (264-241). After Rome's victory, it stripped Carthage of its most important province, Sicily;
and when civil war had broken out in Cartage, Rome seized Sardinia and Corsica as well.
He was the oldest son of the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, who took the ten-year old boy to
Iberia in 237. Hamilcar added new territories to this informal empire. In this way, Carthage was
compensated for its loss of overseas territories. The Romans believed that Hannibal's father forced
his son to promise eternal hatred against the Romans. The Carthaginians had good reasons to hate
their enemies.
When Hamilcar died (229), Hannibal's son-in-law Hasdrubal the Fair took over command. The new
governor secured the Carthaginian position by diplomatic means, among which was intermarriage
between Carthaginians and Iberians. Hannibal married a native princess.
In 221, Hasdrubal was murdered and Hannibal was elected commander by the Carthaginian army in
Iberia. The Carthaginian government confirmed the decision. He returned to his father's aggressive
military politics and attacked the natives: in 220 he captured Salamanca.
The next year, he besieged Saguntum, a Roman ally. Since Rome was occupied with the Second
Illyrian War and unable to support the town, Saguntum fell after a blockade of eight months.
Antiquity (the Customs, precedents, of ancient times) questioned whether the capture of Saguntum
was a violation of a treaty between Hasdrubal and the Roman Republic was discussed. The Romans
felt offended, and demanded Hannibal to be handed over by the Carthaginian government.
While these negotiations were still going on, Hannibal continued to extent Carthage's territory: he
appointed his brother Hasdrubal (not to be confused with Hannibal's brother-in-law) as commander
in Iberia, and in May 218 he crossed the river Ebro in order to complete the conquest of the Iberian
peninsula. On hearing the news, Rome declared the Second Punic War and sent reinforcements to
Sicily, where they expected a Carthaginian attack.
Hannibal interrupted his campaigns in Catalonia, and decided to win the war by a bold invasion of
Italy before the Romans were prepared. In a lightning campaign, he crossed the Pyrenees with an
army of 50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry and 37 elephants; next, he crossed the river Rhône at
Arausio, modern Orange. His elephants were ferried across the water on large rafts. Then, with a
heroic effort, made more difficult by autumn snow, they crossed the Alps, a remarkable
achievement. In October 218, 38,000 soldiers and 8,000 cavalry had reached the plains along the
river Po in the vicinity of the Italian town Turin.
The Po-plains were inhabited by Gauls. The Romans were aware of the danger that Hannibal might
entice the Gauls into rebellion, and immediately sent an army to prevent this. However, in a cavalry
engagement at the river Ticinus (east of Turin), the Carthaginians defeated their opponents. Now,
some 14,000 Gauls volunteered to serve under Hannibal. During a minor engagement, he lost an
eye.
The Roman Senate decided that time had come to solve the problem by one great, decisive battle.
The two consuls raised an army of no less than 80,000 men, whereas Hannibal's army counted some
50,000 men. The Romans pinned down the Carthaginian army in the neighborhood of Cannae on
the Italian east coast; battle was engaged on the second of August. Hannibal's convex, crescent
shaped lines slowly became concave under pressure of the Roman elite troops in the center, which,
being encircled and finally surrounded by the Carthaginian cavalry in the rear, failed to break
through the Carthaginian lines and were destroyed.
After this event, many Roman allies switched sides. Sardinia revolted; Capua became Hannibal's
capital in Italy. The successful commander was thirty years old when he entered Capua, seated on
his last surviving elephant. His brother Mago Barca was sent to Carthage to announce this victory.
He made quite an impression when he poured out hundreds of golden rings taken from the bodies of
the Romans killed in action at the entrance of the Carthaginian Senate building.
Beginning in 212 B.C. the tide gradually turned against Hannibal. In 211 the Romans retook Capua,
despite his rapid march toward Rome to entice them away. In 207 he fought his way for the last
time into a position near Rome, but the defeat and death (207) of his brother Hasdrubal on the
Metaurus (Metauro) River made his position hopeless, and he withdrew into the mountains of
Bruttium.
In 203 Hannibal was summoned back to Carthage to check the advance of Scipio Africanus Major
and his allies the Numidians in Africa. Back on home soil, Carthage faced Rome's forces on many
fronts, but at the decisive battle at Zama in 202, Hannibal's troops fled, because the army facing him
was too strong. He was decisively beaten, his defeat brought the final end of the warfare.
Peace was agreed upon in 201, according to Hannibal's own peace terms. In 196 BCE, Hannibal
became shophet, or chief magistrate, of Carthage, and he took charge over Carthage's economy in
order to make possible a struggle against Rome.
The Romans reacted to his obvious ambitions by forcing him from Carthage. Hannibal fled to Syria,
to the court of Antiochus 3. Antiochus fought together with Hannibal against Rome, but when
Antiochus was defeated in 190, Hannibal fled to Crete, and later Bithynia (now Izmit) in northern
Asia Minor. The warfare together with new allies against Rome resulted in defeat, but this time
Hannibal committed suicide by poison instead of surrendering.
Hannibal is primarily known for his efforts in the second Punic war, but was just as important in the
role he played in the conquest of southeastern Spain in the 220s BCE.