Hannibal

Hannibal (247-183 BC), general of Carthage, North Africa.

In Hannibal's time, the cities of Carthage, in North Africa, and Rome, in Italy, were great rivals.

Hannibal's father, Hamilcar Barca, was a soldier in charge of the armies of Carthage. When Hannibal was eight, his father made him swear always to hate Rome.

From boyhood he was trained as a soldier and at the age of twenty-five, he was in charge of the armies of Carthage in Spain. Hamilcar had fought and defeated the Romans in Spain.

Hannibal made up his mind to invade Italy. With 20,000 foot soldiers, 6,000 horsemen and thirty-seven elephants, he marched across the south of France and then crossed the Alps. This is one of the most famous marches ever made by any army.

Hannibal's army remained in Italy for fifteen years. He defeated the Romans in many battles. In one battle at Cannae, in 216 BC, Hannibal's army killed over 50,000 Romans.

But the Romans did not use all their soldiers to drive Hannibal out of Italy. Others took the fight to Spain and in 203 attacked Carthage itself. Hannibal was called home. In 202 he faced Publius Cornelius Scipio in a battle at Zama on the edge of the desert in North Africa and he was defeated.

Later Hannibal fought for the Syrians against the Romans. Again he was defeated and fled to the island of Crete. The Romans pursued him there and he killed himself by taking poison.

See John Prevas Hannibal Crosses the Alps