Difference between revisions of "Hannibal"
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'''Hannibal''' was a Carthaginian commander and military genius. He was born in the year of 247 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". In 241 B.C. when Hannibal was only 6 years old, the War against Rome 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 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. 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. | '''Hannibal''' was a Carthaginian commander and military genius. He was born in the year of 247 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". In 241 B.C. when Hannibal was only 6 years old, the War against Rome 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 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. 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. | ||
| − | While Hannibal and his father 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 neighbors, 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". | + | While Hannibal and his father 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 neighbors, 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. But Hannibal was one of those people who just love a challenge. He assembled his army along with a collection of war elephants, and prepared to make a march that would go down in history as second only to Alexander's march through Persia, the greatest kingdom up until the Roman Empire. |
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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. Winning battle after battle, including killing 60,000 Romans in a single day at the [[Battle of Cannae]], he still lost the war when the Romans could replenish their losses with deep manpower reserves that [[Carthage]] didn't have. Feared and successful even in peace, the Romans eventually forced him to commit suicide in 183 BC. | 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. Winning battle after battle, including killing 60,000 Romans in a single day at the [[Battle of Cannae]], he still lost the war when the Romans could replenish their losses with deep manpower reserves that [[Carthage]] didn't have. Feared and successful even in peace, the Romans eventually forced him to commit suicide in 183 BC. | ||
Revision as of 20:36, February 28, 2008
Hannibal was a Carthaginian commander and military genius. He was born in the year of 247 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". In 241 B.C. when Hannibal was only 6 years old, the War against Rome 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 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. 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.
While Hannibal and his father 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 neighbors, 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. But Hannibal was one of those people who just love a challenge. He assembled his army along with a collection of war elephants, and prepared to make a march that would go down in history as second only to Alexander's march through Persia, the greatest kingdom up until the Roman Empire.
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. Winning battle after battle, including killing 60,000 Romans in a single day at the Battle of Cannae, he still lost the war when the Romans could replenish their losses with deep manpower reserves that Carthage didn't have. Feared and successful even in peace, the Romans eventually forced him to commit suicide in 183 BC.
He decided to attempt to take over the Iberian Peninsula (where Spain is today) by crossing it with 50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 37 elephants. [1]
