hannibal :: essays research papers

When Hannibal was nine he went with his father on the to conquer Spain. Before starting, the kid swore to hate Rome. In two years he conquered all Spain between the Tagus and Iberus rivers. The Romans branded this attack a violation of the existing treaty between Rome and Carthage and demanded that Carthage surrender Hannibal to them. On the refusal of the Carthaginians to do so, the Romans declared war on Carthage, so because of that they precipitated in the Second Punic War. The march on Rome began Hannibal left Spain with an army of about 40,000, including cavalry and a lot of elephants carrying baggage and later used in battle. He traversed the Alps in 15 days, beset by snowstorms, landslides, and the attacks of hostile mountain tribes. After recruiting additional men and invaded the Roman provinces. Then Rome sent to oppose Hannibal. Avoiding any decisive encounter with the Carthaginian troops, they nevertheless succeeded in keeping Hannibal at bay, and giving the Romans the op portunity to recover from their military reverses. Hannibal wintered at Gerontium, and then he took up a position at Cannae on the Aufidus River. There he almost completely annihilated a Roman army of more than 50,000 men. Carthaginian losses were about 6700 men. After the Battle of Cannae, the character of the war underwent a change. Hannibal needed reinforcements, which the Carthaginian government refused to give, and he also lacked weapons. He marched on Naples, but failed to take the city. The gates of Capua, one of the Italian cities that had fallen to Hannibal in consequence of his victory at Cannae, were opened to him. then Hannibal attempted to take Rome, but the Romans successfully maintained their fixed positions. The Romans then retook Capua. After four years of inconclusive fighting, Hannibal turned for aid to his brother Hasdrubal, who forthwith marched from Spain. Hasdrubal, however, was surprised, defeated, and slain by the Roman consul Gaius Claudius Nero in the Batt le of the Metauro River. After 15 years, and with Hannibal’s army getting smaller and smaller he was recalled to Africa to direct the defense of his country against a Roman invasion When he got there his raw troops fled, many deserting to the Romans, and his veterans were cut down.