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'''Hannibal''' was a Carthaginian commander and military genius. He was born in 247 B.C. of the "royal" family of Barca. His father, [[Hamilcar Barca]] was one of the greatest Carthaginian generals during the [[First Punic War]]. The name of "Hannibal" literally means the "mercy of [[Baal]]".

'''Hannibal''' was a Carthaginian commander and military genius. He was born in 247 B.C. of the "royal" family of Barca. His father, [[Hamilcar Barca]] was one of the greatest Carthaginian generals during the [[First Punic War]]. The name of "Hannibal" literally means the "mercy of [[Baal]]".

==Early Life==

==Early life==

In 241 B.C. when Hannibal was only 6 years old, in the [[Battle of the Aegates Islands]] the First Punic War came to a close. After 23 years of fighting, the war ended in a [[peace]] treaty that both sides knew was more or less "made to be broken." [[Rome]] now stood squarely facing Carthage, neither city could place any real trust in the other. [[Carthage]] spent the next decade recuperating from the First Punic War. Hamilcar was dispatched to [[Spain]], taking with him his nine year old son. The Carthaginian government was seeking compensation for the loss of Sicily in the last war, and Hamilcar personally saw Spain as a potential base to wage a war of vengeance against the Romans. Hannibal was brought up to succeed his father's position as general of the Carthaginian forces in Spain, and like his father, was filled with a deep hatred of Rome. At the age of 19, Hannibal lost his father in a battle against one of the Hispanic tribes in an attempted, but unsuccessful, revolt in Spain. Young, but already a somewhat seasoned soldier from traveling with his father on his campaigns as a boy, Hannibal rose to command all of the forces in Spain. He was a favorite of the soldiers; very charismatic and determined. Over the next ten years, 228-219 B.C. Hannibal prepared for a second war on Rome.

In 241 B.C. when Hannibal was only 6 years old, in the [[Battle of the Aegates Islands]] the First Punic War came to a close. After 23 years of fighting, the war ended in a [[peace]] treaty that both sides knew was more or less "made to be broken." [[Rome]] now stood squarely facing Carthage, neither city could place any real trust in the other. [[Carthage]] spent the next decade recuperating from the First Punic War. Hamilcar was dispatched to [[Spain]], taking with him his nine year old son. The Carthaginian government was seeking compensation for the loss of Sicily in the last war, and Hamilcar personally saw Spain as a potential base to wage a war of vengeance against the Romans. Hannibal was brought up to succeed his father's position as general of the Carthaginian forces in Spain, and like his father, was filled with a deep hatred of Rome. At the age of 19, Hannibal lost his father in a battle against one of the Hispanic tribes in an attempted, but unsuccessful, revolt in Spain. Young, but already a somewhat seasoned soldier from traveling with his father on his campaigns as a boy, Hannibal rose to command all of the forces in Spain. He was a favorite of the soldiers; very charismatic and determined. Over the next ten years, 228-219 B.C. Hannibal prepared for a second war on Rome.

==Military Career==

==Military career==

While Hannibal had gone on to subdue all of Spain and some of the surrounding small provinces, overwhelming them with numbers and near perfect strategy, Rome had suffered from internal problems. They had spent several years cleaning up numerous Gallic revolts which almost had come to the doorstep of the Capitoline Hill. But true to Roman form, excellent generalship and indomitable courage had quieted these northern [[neighbor]]s, and Rome had been able to "rest" for about a year. It was at this critical moment in history that Hannibal came to show his real "battlefield genius". The Carthaginian commander prepared to launch his epic attack on the Romans in the spring of 228 B.C. Hannibal's plan was one of relative simplicity. It consisted of making a march over the almost impassable [[Alps]], and striking right at the heart of the Italian peninsula: Rome. Hannibal was one of those people who love a challenge. He assembled his army along with 37 war elephants, as [[Polybius]] tells us, and prepared to make a march that would go down in history as second only to [[Alexander the Great|Alexander]]'s march through [[Persi]]a, in 330 B.C.  

While Hannibal had gone on to subdue all of Spain and some of the surrounding small provinces, overwhelming them with numbers and near perfect strategy, Rome had suffered from internal problems. They had spent several years cleaning up numerous Gallic revolts which almost had come to the doorstep of the Capitoline Hill. But true to Roman form, excellent generalship and indomitable courage had quieted these northern [[neighbor]]s, and Rome had been able to "rest" for about a year. It was at this critical moment in history that Hannibal came to show his real "battlefield genius". The Carthaginian commander prepared to launch his epic attack on the Romans in the spring of 228 B.C. Hannibal's plan was one of relative simplicity. It consisted of making a march over the almost impassable [[Alps]], and striking right at the heart of the Italian peninsula: Rome. Hannibal was one of those people who love a challenge. He assembled his army along with 37 war elephants, as [[Polybius]] tells us, and prepared to make a march that would go down in history as second only to [[Alexander the Great|Alexander]]'s march through [[Persi]]a, in 330 B.C.  

Hannibal to this day is one the greatest military minds the world has ever produced. With the exception of the disastrous battle at Zama, Hannibal, like [[Alexander the Great]] was never defeated. He inspired his troops to follow him wherever he would lead.                                      During the [[Second Punic War]] against Rome, he crossed the [[Alps]] with 38 [[War Elephants]] in a mere 15 days to surprise the Roman armies. Feared and successful even in peace, the Romans eventually forced him to commit suicide in 183 BC.  

Hannibal to this day is one the greatest military minds the world has ever produced. With the exception of the disastrous battle at Zama, Hannibal, like [[Alexander the Great]] was never defeated. He inspired his troops to follow him wherever he would lead.                                      During the [[Second Punic War]] against Rome, he crossed the [[Alps]] with 38 [[War Elephants]] in a mere 15 days to surprise the Roman armies. Feared and successful even in peace, the Romans eventually forced him to commit suicide in 183 BC.  

   

   

==See Also==

==See also==

* [[List of military strategies and concepts]]

* [[List of military strategies and concepts]]