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Hannibal

Hannibal was given birth to in 247 Before Christ (B.C) in Carthage. The city was located in the modern Tunis. Hannibal’s father was called Hamilcar Barca who was a senior general of the Carthaginian army. Hamilcar Barca fought in the initial Punic warfare which was between Carthage and Rome where the Carthaginian army lost. Hannibal was made to pledge eternal detestation towards Rome at a very tender age by his father. When Hannibal was only nine years of age, he went with his father on a mission to gain a capture of Spain.

During this voyage, Hannibal managed to acquire great military knowledge which helped him greatly in life. After the death of Hannibal’s father in 229 and his brother in 226, He was elected the commander of chief the Carthaginian army (Garland & Robert, 180). Ten years later, Hannibal attacked Sagantum which was in Spain; the Sagantum was controlled by the Romans. Hannibal attacked the city because he was acting on the promise he had made to his father. The attack led to the beginning of the warfare involving Rome and Carthage (Harris & Thomas, 220).

Before the war begun, Hannibal already had knowledge of what was he was going to do. Carthage had no navy therefore it was not easy for the military to go to Italy through the Mediterranean Sea, Hannibal therefore came up with a plan which was very dangerous but very ingenious (Mills & Cliff, 167). The plan was on how to help the military reach Italy over land. The plan was for the Carthaginian military to travel from their country, through Spain crossing Alps and then they would definitely reach the heart of their enemy which was Rome (Green & Robert, 190).

On his journey, Hannibal left to Rome in a cold winter of the 218 B.C with 9,000 cavalry, 37 war elephants and 50,000 infantry. While crossing the Alps, the Carthaginian military suffered hostility from local tribesmen and also from some few elements (Lancel & Serge,167). By the time the army reached Italy, that was after fourteen days, 9,000 of them had perished and several elephants perished too. The number of the perished men was later replaced when the Carthaginian army was joined by 14,000 rebels from the northern Gaul (Abbott & Jacob, 190).

The army was therefore composed of 60,000 men who proved very superior to the Roman armed forces. The Roman was exasperated after three major victories (Leckie & Ross, 213). During this warring time, Hannibal lost his right eye. After the war Hannibal went back to Cartage to have a peaceful talk with Scipio (Harris & Thomas, 179). The peace talks did not work out, they fell out because of the Panic’s faith. After this peace talk, Hannibal was again sent to Zama to fight with the Romans again but this time the Carthage army was defeated by the Romans.

The Romans realized that the Carthage army wanted to fight them again. Instead with fighting with them, the Romans demanded that Hannibal surrender, Hannibal did so and later on went on exile to Libyssa where he poisoned himself and died (Bradford & Ernle, 207). Hannibal was remembered by the Carthaginians as their valiant leader who lead them to the second Punic war while the Romans remembered him as who had terrorized them (Baker & George, 146).

The Romans scared disobedient children by telling those stories about Hannibal. The styles that Hannibal used at the war are still be used even today. Many people were inspired by the tactics Hannibal used during the war and he is considered as one of the greatest militants in history.

Works Cited

Abbott, Jacob. Hannibal. Akron, Ohio: Werner, 2009. Print

Baker, George P. Hannibal. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2009. Print.

Bradford, Ernle D. S. Hannibal. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. Print.

Garland, Robert. Hannibal. London: Bristol Classical Press, 2010. Print.

Green, Robert. Hannibal. New York: Franklin Watts, 2006. Print.

Harris, Thomas. Hannibal. New York, N.Y: Delacorte Press, 2008. Print.

Harris, Thomas. Hannibal Rising: A Novel. New York: Delacorte Press, 2006. Print.

Lancel, Serge. Hannibal. Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 2008. Print.

Leckie, Ross. Hannibal. Washington, D.C: Regnery Pub, 2007. Print.

Mills, Cliff. Hannibal. New York: Chelsea House, 2008. Print.