Hannibal

Hannibal of the most celebrated military leaders in history, Hannibal was the Carthaginian general who led an entire army, complete with elephants, across the Alps in order to attack the Roman Republic

60k troops Second Punic War

Carthagians were Phoenicians settling from Lebanon. At the height of their power their empire stretched from Tyre and Sidon in the East, the Strait of Gibralter, Sicily, Sandinia, Corsica and Libya.

The First Punic War lasted 23 years mostly in Sicily and had be driven out. Consequently they could not pay mercenaries, who revolted and in the confusion Rome took Sardinia

Hannibal's father was a general in the First Punic War who was incensed that he was not allowed to continue to fight. Not much is known about his early life. We know he was an aristocrat who took control of an army as a general at the age of about thirty.

The first were hear of Hannibal of nine and pleads with his father to take him to Spain. He uses his time observing how his prosecuted war. By 224BC his brother-in-law makes (Hastribal) him chief of the calvary.

After the First Punic War the aim is to rebuild Carthage's wealth. This was done by exploiting Spain's silver mines. After Hastribal is assassinated (224BC), Hannibal takes control of the army at the age of 25.

In 218BC the Second Punic War starts. The outbreak of hostilities starts around the Roman protectorate of Seguntun. Hannibal lays seige of the town and reduces the town to ruins.

Hannibal then starts his long march to Rome. He starts with around 80,000 troops and probably thirty elephants. He attempts to cross the Alps in the Autumn, probably at the worst time of year.