Hannibal Barca (from either Punic, literally "Baal is merciful to me", 247 BC – 182 BC) was a politician, statesman and military commander of ancient Carthage, best known for his accomplishment in the Second Punic War in marching an army from Spain over the Pyrenees and the Alps into northern Italy and defeating a Romans at the Battles of the river Trebia (218 BC), Lake Trasimene (217 BC) and Cannae (216 BC). When Cannae, a Romans refused to fight him inside pitched battles, & step by step re-captured a cities that experienced never agaaround on top to Hannibal in southern Italy. An invasion of North Africa by the Romans under Scipio Africanus in 204 BC forced Hannibal to return to Carthage, in which Scipio defeated him at Zama (202 BC).

Below a prevent of a war, Hannibal led Carthage for many years, aiding its recovery from either a devastation of the war, until the Romans forced him into exile within 195 BC. He attend survive at a court of Antiochus III of the Seleucid Kingdom. Around 189 BC a Romans, having defeated Antiochus inside the war, demanded that he turn Hannibal all over to the two & the general fled once again, this period to the court of King Prusias I of Bithynia. Whilst a Romans demanded that Prusias surrender him around 182 BC, Hannibal committed suicide rather than submit.

Hannibal is always ranked when one of a greatest military commanders & tacticians inside history, alongside Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan and Napoleon, and simply two or three others.

Hannibal Barca: an imaginary portrait

Background and Early Career
Hannibal Barca ("mercy of Baal"), son of Hamilcar Barca, was born within 247 BC. Fallowing Carthage's kill in the First Punic War, Hamilcar set astir a project of improving Carthage's fortunes. To wash this, Hamilcar began a subjugation of the tribes of Spain. Carthage at the period was within such a unfortunate state that its navy was unable to ferry his army to Spain; instead, he got to march it to the Pillars of Hercules and cross there. Based on datthe from a story he late told at the court of Antiochus, Hannibal come upon his father when he was making a sacrifice to the gods before allowing for Spain. Hannibal, so quite young, begged to last by owning him. Hamilcar agreed & allegedly manufactured Hannibal swear that when hanker when he lived he would never exist as the friend of Rome. Hannibal is reported to use told his father, "I swear so soon as age will permit...I will use fire and steel to arrest the destiny of Rome."

Hannibal's father set about a conquest of Spain by using all the skills given to military men. Whilst he was flushed inside the battle, Hannibal's brother-within-law Hasdrubal succeeded to his command of the army. Hasdrubal pursued the policy of consolidation of Carthage's Spanish interests, potentially signing a pact sustaining Rome whereby Carthage would non expand preceding the Ebro River, so long when Rome did non expand south of it. Upon a dying of his brother-around-law (221 BC) Hannibal was acclaimed commander-inside-chief per army & confirmed in his appointment per Carthaginian government. Fallowing ii years spent completing a conquest of Spain south of a Ebro, he began what he felt to exist as his life project, the conquest & humiliation of Rome. Accordingly, within 219 BC he used a pretext for attacking the town of Saguntum, which stood under the favorite protection of Rome. Disregarding a protests of Roman envoys, he stormed it after an eight-year military blockade. When a Carthaginian government, around look at of Hannibal's low popularity, did non venture to repudiate this action, a war he sought was declared at a prevent of the month.

Second Punic War and Invasion of Italy
Of the big army of Libyan and Spanish mercenaries that he had at his disposal, Hannibal selected a virtually all trusty & devoted contingents & determined to carry a war into a heart of Italy by a rapid march across Spain & southern Gaul. Starting in the spring of 218 BC, he easily fought his way through the northern tribes to the Pyrenees and, by conciliating a Gaulish chiefs in his passage, contrived to email the Rhone before the Romans can choose any measures to bar his advance. Fallowing outmaneuvering a indigen, world health organization endeavored to check his crossing, Hannibal evaded a Roman inflict sent to work against him within Gaul; he proceeded higher a vale of one of the confluent of the flow of any stream Rhone (Isere or, more probably, Durance) and by fall arrived at a foot of the Alps. His passage across a chain of mountains was one of a virtually all memorable accomplishment of any military group of ancient days. He got arrived, still, using exclusively half a forces by owning which he got purportedly placed retired. Adrian Goldsworthy (The Fall of Carthage) is skeptical of the explanation that Hannibal experienced left forces inside Gaul to maintain his line of communication using Spain. Hannibal from either either a 1st, seems to use at times estimated that he would keep close at hand to work forswearing help from Spain. Then again, a numbers for the total of troops he got whilst he left Spain come less dependable. However, Goldsworthy thinks that due to a opposition of a indigene & the difficulties of ground & climate the costs of Hannibal's march were considerable.

Hannibal's parlous march brought him directly into Roman territory & totally frustrated a tries of a enemy to fight retired the independent issue in foreign ground. His sudden appearance among a Gauls, what is more, enabled him to detach virtually all of a tribes from either their freshly allegiance to the Romans prior to the latter may choose steps to prevent rebellion. When leaving his soldiers a brief rest to recuperate from either their effort, Hannibal number one secured his tail by subduing the hostile tribe of the Taurini (modern Turin), and moving down the Po valley forced the Romans by virtue of his superior cavalry to evacuate the plain of Lombardy. Inside December of a equivalent month he got an chance to show his superior military skill whilst the Roman commander attacked him on the flow of any stream Trebia near Placentia; after wearing down the fantabulous Roman infantry he cut it to pieces by a coup de main from either an lying in wait in the flank.

by having secured his position around northern Italy by this triumph, Hannibal quartered his troops for a wintertime with the Gauls, whose zeal around his induced therewith began to abate. Accordingly, within spring 217 BC Hannibal decided to find the extra trusty base of operations farther south. He crossed a Apennines without opposition, but in the miry lowlands of the Arno he lost the big section of his inflict across disease & himself became unsighted within of these eye. Advancing through the highland of Etruria he provoked the independent Roman army to the hasty pursuit, & getting it around the gorge on the shore of Lake Trasimenus destroyed it in the waters or on the adjacent slopes (watch Battle of Lake Trasimene). He experienced at present discarded of the exclusively field click which can prevent his advance upon Rome, however, realizing that forswearing siege engines he could not hope to choose a capital, he favorite to exploit his triumph by passing into central & southern Italy & exciting a general insurrection against the sovereign power. It was inside Apulia that a newly Roman army began to puppy his steps. Hannibal required to exist as take a breath to kill this as well however a commander Quintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator, stuck firmly to defensive positions in the hills. With ravaged Apulia while forgoing provoking Fabius to battle, Hannibal decided to march across Samnium to Campania. Campania was a rich front yard that involved the key Roman ally of Capua, but though his ravaging of a countryside showed the weakness of Rome it however did non provoke Fabius to battle. When a seasin bore on Hannibal decided that it would become unwise to winter in the already devastated lowlands of Campania however Fabius got ensured that all the lives away from Campania were blocked. Hannibal escaped by sending a herd of kine by owning brands attached to their horns,so drawing off a Roman click guarding the pass, letting Hannibal to pass across the pass unopposed. Fabius was in striking few feet away however in that instance his caution worked against him. Smell the stratagem (rightly) he stick around. For a wintertime, Hannibal observed comfortable quarters in the Apulian plain, into which the Romans dared does'nt descend.

In the campaign of 217 BC Hannibal experienced failed to obtainside a ensuing among the Italians; in the ensuing season he had an chance to turn the tables in his favor. The big Roman army advanced into Apulia in order to crush him and accepted battle at Cannae. Thanks primarily to brilliant cavalry tactics, Hannibal, with very much inferior statistics, managed to surround & kill nigh the smallish division of this inflict. These are guessed that upwards of 40,000 Romans fell at Cannae, which is recognised when a virtually all ruinous kill in the entire history of that city.

A moral consequence of this triumph was such that all the south of Italy joined his stimulator. Got Hannibal nowadays received proper lesson reinforcements from either his countrymen at Carthage he may develop processed a straight attack upon Rome; for a present he experienced to content himself by having subduing the fort which however held retired against him, & the lone more leading light event of 216 BC was the defection of Capua, the 2nd big city of Italy, which Hannibal processed his newly base. What is more, by owning a click of exclusively 26-30,000 men, he lacked a nature and severity to require the city.

For a next couple of years Hannibal was reduced to minor operations which centred principally around the cities of Campania. He failed to draw his opponents into the pitched battle, & inside a few cold-shoulder engagements suffered reverses. When a forces detached under his lieutenants were usually unable to hang on to their have, & neither his personal government nor his newly ally Philip V of Macedon helped to make effective his losses, his position within southern Italy became progressively hard & his risk of at long last conquering Rome grew ever further remote. Around 212 BC the Romans had therefore alienated Tarentum that conspirators admitted Hannibal to the city. A plotter so blew a alarm in a select few Roman cornet allowing for Hannibal's troops to pick off a Romans when it stumbled retired into a streets. Hannibal was respire to keep control of his troops to the extent that there was there are no general robbery. Instead Hannibal with committed himself to respect Tarentine freedom told a Tarentines to mark each home in which Tarentines lived. Lone people houses non & then marked and so belonging to Romans were looted. A bastion, but, held out therefore denying Hannibal a utilize of harbor. Farther, in a equivalent season, he misplaced his hang on to upon Campania, in which he failed to halt the concentration of trinity Roman armies circular Capua. Hannibal attacked a military blockade armies by owning his to the full click around 211 BC and attempted to entice them away by the sudden march across Samnium that brought him within Triplet kilometer of Rome however stimulated supplementary alarm than really danger to the city.

However a military blockade continued, & a town fell in the equivalent month. Within 210 BC Hannibal agaaround proved his superiority in tactics by the severe kill inflicted at Herdoniac (modern Ordona) in Apulithe upon a proconsular army, and around 208 BC destroyed a Roman inflict engaged in the siege of Locri Epizephyrii. However by using a loss of Tarentum within 209 BC & the gradual reconquest per Romans of Samnium and Lucania his hold in to the south Italy was just about misplaced. Around 207 BC he succeeded in making his way once again into Apulithe, in which he waited to concert measures for a united march upon Rome by owning his brother Hasdrubal. In hearing, nonetheless, of his brother's kill & demise at a Metaurus he retired into the mountain fastnesses of Bruttium, where he maintained himself for the following years. Using a failure of his brother Mago in Liguria (205 BC-203 BC) and of his have negotiations using Philip of Macedon, a endure hope of recovering his ascendency within Italy was wasted.

Return to Africa
Inside 203 BC, when Scipio was carrying all prior to him around Africa & a Carthaginian peace person were arranging an armistice, Hannibal was recalled from Italy per war person at Carthage. When allowing the record of his expedition etched within Punic and Greek upon brazen tablets in the temple of Juno at Crotona, he sailed back to Africa. His arrival immediately restored the predominance of the war person, world health organization laid him inside command of a concerted click of African levies and his mercenaries from either Italy. Within 202 BC Hannibal, after meeting Scipio inside the bootless peace conference, engaged him around the decisive battle at Zama. Scipio come higher using an ingenious method of neutralizing Hannibal's elephants. Hannibal wasted 100% of his original elephant troops (world health organization crossed a Alps by owning him) per battle of Cannae, however it were replenished inside Africa. First off, Scipio knew that elephants, existence beast, were stupefied. This intended it can be ordered to charge send on, however it may exclusively prove my point their charge inside the straight line. It too intended that it did non care all about sidesplitting Romans. He realized that designedly opening gaps inside his troops intended that the elephants would prove my point between the children, forgoing harming a soul. He did this, & when a elephants passed across his troops harmlessly, it were picked off on the other side, & his troops fell back into formation & continued marching. Unable to cope against the easily-trained & caring Roman soldiers using his have indifferent troops fallowing losing his infamous benefit, he had a devastating kill that put an prevent to everthing trend lines on the a portion of Carthage.

Peacetime Carthage
Hannibal was however single around his forty-sixth month. He before long showed that he can be the solon too as a soldier. Ensuing the guide of the peace that left Carthage stripped of its at one instance right empire he for a time prepared to take a back seat. Yet, a blatant corruption of the oligarchy gave Hannibal the risk of a are back & he wwhen elected as suffet, or primary magistrate. A professional got get like unimportant, however Hannibal restored its power & authority. A oligarchy, universally jealous of him, experienced potentially charged him by owning getting betrayed a interests of his united states patch within Italy, for neglecting to require Rome while he will stand done soh. Then profits did Hannibal reform abuses that a heavily tribute imposed by Rome can be paid by installments while forgoing extra & extraordinary taxation. He besides reformed a Council of One Hundred, stipulating that its membership be chosen by directly election like than co-guide.

Exile and Death
Seven years when a triumph of Zama, a Romans, alarmed at Carthage's renewed prosperity, demanded Hannibal's surrender. Hannibal with that went into voluntary exile. Foremost he journeyed to Tyre, the mother-city of Carthage, & thence to Ephesus, where he was honorably received by Antiochus III of Syria, who was preparing for war sustaining Rome. Hannibal shortly saw that a king's army was there are no match for the Romans. He advised him to equip the fleet & land the body of troops to the south of Italy, offering to choose command himself. However he may non produce tremendously impressiin on Antiochus, world health organization listened further volitionally to courtiers & adulator & would not entrust Hannibal using any significant charge. Around 190 BC he was placed within command of the Phoenician fleet but was defeated inside a battle off the flow of any stream Eurymedon.

From either a court of Antiochus, world health organization seemed prepared to surrender him to the Romans, Hannibal fled to Crete, but he shortly went back to Asia Minor and sought refuge with Prusias I of Bithynia. Once again a Romans were determined to hunt him down, & it sent Flaminius to insist on his surrender. Prusias agreed to give him higher, however Hannibal determined does'nt to fall into his enemies' paws. At Libyssa, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Marmora, he took poison, which, it was said, he had yearn carried astir using him within the ring. A exact month of his dying occurs as matter of contestation. In case, when Livy seems to imply, it was 183 BC, he died in the same season when Scipio Africanus.

Sources
Virtually all of a sources i have just about Hannibal come Romans, world health organization considered him the greatest enemy it experienced ever faced. Livy gives us a idea that he was highly cruel. Possibly Cicero, when he talked of Rome & her deuce smashing enemies, spoke of the "honorable" Pyrrhus and the "cruel" Hannibal. Eventually the different picture for instance shows through the bias. After Hannibal's successes got caused a demise of deuce Roman consuls, he searched vainly for 1 on the shores of Flow of any stream Trasimene, & he sent Marcellus' ashes back to his family within Rome. By counterpoint, whilst Nero had accomplished his wonderful march back & forth to & from either a Metaurus he flung a head of Hannibal's brother into Hannibal's camp. A bias of Polybius is less obvious because he was clearly sympathetic to Hannibal. Polybius, even so, spent an extended time as a surety within Italy & relied heavy in Roman sources then a possibility is universally there that Polybius is reproducing Roman propaganda even when he gives it the pro-Hannibal spin.

Place in History

Hannibal's title is platitude within popular culture, an objective measure of his influence in American European history. Andy skinner of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article praises Hannibal in these words:

Hannibal in film
Hannibal (2006) — starring Vin Diesel. True Story of Hannibal (2005) — English documentary. Hannibal: A Human That Despised Rome (2001) — English documentary. A Neat Battles of Hannibal (1997) — English animation. Annibale'' (1960) — starring Victor Mature. Italian.