Hannibal against Rome. Republic on the edge of the abyss

Hannibal, a commander who fought with Rome for 17 years, the last of the rulers of Carthage, is considered one of the greatest people of antiquity. This great man, who spent his childhood years in a military camp, later became an implacable enemy of Rome. Some respected him, others feared him, legends were made about him. This person will be discussed in the article. What kind of person is this, where was he born, in what city did the ancient commander Hannibal live - read about all this below.

The origin and formation of Hannibal

Hannibal, who later became the great commander and thunderstorm of Rome, was born in 247 BC. e. in Carthage, a state located in North Africa. His father, Hamilcar Barca, was a Carthaginian commander and statesman. It is known that at a time when Hannibal was not even ten years old, his father took him with him on an aggressive campaign against Spain. Having spent his childhood in field camps and campaigns, little Hannibal gradually joined the military business.

The commander Hamilcar, before taking his son with him, demanded that he take a sacred oath, according to which Hannibal pledged to be an irreconcilable enemy of Rome until the end of his days. Many years later, he kept this oath in full and became a worthy successor to his father. It was thanks to this episode that the expression "Hannibal's oath" subsequently became winged.

Taking part in his father's campaigns, he gradually gained military experience. Hannibal's military service began with the position of head of the cavalry. At this point, Hamilcar was no longer alive, and Hannibal joined the army under the leadership of his son-in-law Hasdrubal. After he died in 221 BC. e., Hannibal was elected by the Spanish army as their leader. By that time, he had already managed to earn a certain authority among the soldiers.

General characteristics of personality

The commander Hannibal, whose biography almost entirely consists of episodes of military battles, received a good education in his youth, which his far-sighted father took care of. Even as commander in chief, Hannibal sought to expand his knowledge, studied foreign languages. Hannibal was quite a remarkable personality and possessed many talents. He had good physical training, was a skillful and brave warrior, an attentive and caring comrade, tireless in campaigns and moderate in food and sleep. He set his achievements as an example to the soldiers, who, by the way, loved and respected him, and most importantly, were devoted to him.

But the list of benefits of Hannibal does not end there. He discovered the talent of a strategist at the age of 22, being the head of the cavalry. Very inventive, in order to achieve the desired results, he resorted to all sorts of tricks and tricks, analyzed the nature of his opponents and skillfully used this knowledge Hannibal. The commander, whose spy network extended even to Rome, thanks to this he was always one step ahead. He was not only a genius of war, but also possessed political talents, which he fully showed in peacetime, engaged in the reform of the Carthaginian state institutions. Thanks to these talents, he became a very influential person.

In addition to all of the above, Hannibal had a unique gift to rule over people. This was revealed in his ability to keep in obedience a multilingual and multi-tribal army. Warriors never dared to disobey him and unquestioningly obeyed him even in the most difficult times.

Start of the Second Punic War

Before Hannibal became the commander-in-chief of the Spanish army, his father Hamilcar created a new province in Spain that brought income. In turn, the successor of Hamilcar, Hasdrubal, concluded an agreement with Rome, according to which the Carthaginians did not have the right to cross the Iber River, that is, move deep into the European continent. Also, some coastal lands remained inaccessible to Carthage. At the same time, in Spain itself, Carthage had the right to act at its discretion. Hannibal, the commander of Carthage, had all the necessary resources to wage war, but the government to which he was forced to obey chose to keep the peace.

Thus, the Carthaginian commander decided to act by cunning. He tried to provoke Saguntum, a Spanish colony under the patronage of Rome, and force her to break the peace. However, the Saguntans did not succumb to the provocations and complained to Rome, which soon sent commissars to Spain in order to resolve the situation. Hannibal continued to escalate the situation, hoping to provoke the ambassadors, but they immediately understood the essence of what was happening and warned Rome about the impending threat.

After a while, Hannibal made his move. The commander reported to Carthage that the Saguntans had allegedly crossed the line of what was permitted, then, without waiting for an answer, he began open hostilities. This turn of events shocked the Carthaginian government, which, however, did not take any serious steps. After several months of siege, Hannibal managed to capture Saguntum.

It was 218 BC. e .. Rome demanded the extradition of Hannibal from Carthage, but, without waiting for an answer, declared war. Thus began the Second Punic War, also called the "Hannibal War" by some ancient sources.

Hiking in Italy

The Romans expected to conduct a military operation, according to the plan provided for such cases. They intended to divide the army and fleet between two consuls, one of whom was to begin military operations in Africa, in the immediate vicinity of Carthage. The second part of the army was to confront Hannibal. Nevertheless, Hannibal managed to turn the situation in his favor and destroy the plans of Rome. He provided cover for Africa and Spain, and he himself, at the head of an army consisting of 92 thousand people and 37 war elephants, went on foot to Italy.

In the battles between the Iber River and the Pyrenees, Hannibal had a chance to lose 20 thousand people, he had to leave another 11 thousand in Spain to hold the conquered territories. Then he followed along the southern coast of Gaul towards the Alps. In the Rhone Valley, one of the Roman consuls tried to block his path, but the battle never happened. It was the same Publius Cornelius Scipio, the Roman general who defeated Hannibal at the end of the war. It became obvious to the Romans that Hannibal intended to invade Italy from the north.

While the Carthaginian commander was approaching Italy, both Roman armies were already heading north to meet him. However, on the way, Hannibal had another obstacle - the Alps, the passage through which lasted 33 days. All this long journey from Spain to Italy thoroughly exhausted the army of the Carthaginian commander, which during this time was reduced to about 26 thousand people. In Italy, Hannibal managed to win a number of victories, even though the enemy hastily transferred significant reinforcements here. Only in Cisalpine Gaul did Hannibal's army receive rest and replenishment at the expense of the detachments of the local tribes that supported him. Here he decided to spend the winter.

Confrontation in Italy. First big win

In the spring, Hannibal was ready to continue the attack on Rome, but this time two enemy armies stood in his way. He, like a skilled strategist, decided not to engage in battle with any of them, but tried to bypass the enemy. To do this, the army had to be led through the swamps for four days, which entailed many losses. On the way, the army lost all the remaining elephants, a significant part of the horses, and Hannibal himself lost one eye as a result of the inflammatory process.

Having overcome the swamps, the Carthaginian commander made several raids, thereby demonstrating his intention to go to Rome. Flaminius, one of the consuls, left his position and, forgetting all precautions, went to where Hannibal had been seen. The Carthaginian commander was just waiting for this; taking the opportunity, he ambushed Flaminius. When he with his army entered the valley of Lake Trasimene, Hannibal, who sat down with an army on the nearby hills, attacked the Roman consul. As a result of this maneuver, the army of Flaminius was destroyed.

Hannibal is opposed by the dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus. Hannibal's Predicament and New Victory

On an emergency basis, the Roman government decided to give dictatorial powers to Quintus Fabius Maximus. He chose a special tactic of warfare, which consisted in the fact that the Romans had to avoid decisive battles. Fabius simply intended to wear down the enemy. It is worth noting that such tactics of the dictator had its advantages, but in Rome Fabius was considered too cautious and indecisive, therefore, in the next year, 216 BC. e., he was removed from the post of dictator.

As already mentioned, the tactics of Fabius gave some result. Hannibal was in a difficult position: his army was exhausted, and Carthage provided almost no support. However, the balance of power changed dramatically after Gaius Terentius Varro, one of the consuls of Rome, made an unforgivable mistake. He had an army at his disposal, largely exceeding the size of the army commanded by Hannibal. The commander of Carthage, however, had a significant advantage in the form of 14 thousand horsemen against 6 thousand at the disposal of Rome.

The legendary battle took place near Cannes, where Hannibal was stationed. His position was obviously advantageous, but the consul Varro did not take this into account and threw his troops into the attack, as a result of which he was utterly defeated. He himself managed to escape, but another Roman consul, Paul Aemilius, was killed.

As a result of such a crushing victory, Hannibal acquired many new allies, including Capua, Syracuse, Macedonia and other regions.

The impossibility of the siege of Rome. Start of a losing streak

Despite the achievements that Hannibal achieved, the Carthaginian commander could hardly count on a successful siege of Rome. Simply put, he did not have the resources that were so necessary for this. Hannibal enlisted the support of the former allies of Rome, and he also got the opportunity to rest his exhausted troops. But he did not wait for significant support from Carthage itself, whose rulers, apparently, did not have foresight.

As time went on, Rome gradually regained strength. The city of Nola became the place where Hannibal was first defeated. The Roman commander Consul Marcellus managed to defend the city, and from that moment, perhaps, the luck of the Carthaginians ended. For several years, neither side was able to achieve a significant advantage, but later the Romans managed to take Capua, thereby forcing Hannibal to go on the defensive.

By that time, it became quite obvious that one should not count on the help of Carthage, because its ruling elite, which was most interested in profit from trade, took some obscure passive position in this war. Therefore, in 207 BC. e. Hannibal summons his brother Hasdrubal from Spain. The Romans made every effort to prevent the troops of the brothers from uniting, as a result of which Hasdrubal was twice defeated and subsequently completely killed. Having not received reinforcements, Hannibal withdraws his army to Bruttium, to the very south of Italy, where he continues the war with the hated Rome for the next three years.

Return to Carthage

In 204 BC. e. The Roman commander, the winner of Hannibal Scipio, lands in Africa and starts a war against Carthage there. In this regard, the Carthaginian government called Hannibal to protect the city. He tried to enter into negotiations with Rome, but this did not lead to anything. In 202 B.C. e. a decisive battle took place, which put an end to the Second Punic War. In this battle, Hannibal's army suffered a crushing defeat. The winner of Hannibal is the ancient Roman commander Publius Cornelius Scipio.

A year later, a peace agreement was signed between Carthage and Rome, the terms of which turned out to be very humiliating for the losing side. Hannibal himself, who in fact was the instigator of the Second Punic War, was rehabilitated and even received the right to take a high position in the Carthaginian government. In the field of state activity, he also proved himself as a talented and far-sighted person.

Flight and death

It is likely that Hannibal never parted with the idea of ​​the possibility of resuming the war with Rome. Some sources claim that the former commander, hatching plans for revenge, entered into an agreement with Antiochus III, the Syrian king, who was in tense relations with Rome. The rulers of Rome became aware of this, and they demanded the extradition of the rebellious Carthaginian. In this regard, Hannibal, the great commander of Carthage, in 195 BC. e. was forced to seek refuge in the Syrian kingdom.

Later, Hannibal took part in the confrontation between Antiochus and Rome, which resulted in the defeat of the Syrian king. The conditions that Rome put forward included also the extradition of Hannibal. Upon learning of this, in 189 BC. e. he was on the run again. Sources that have survived to this day provide different information regarding the city in which the commander Hannibal lived after he had to leave the Syrian kingdom. It is known that he visited Armenia, then Crete, and also Bithynia.

Ultimately, Prusius, the king of Bithynia, betrayed Hannibal, agreeing with Rome on the extradition of the fugitive. The great Carthaginian commander, who at that time was already 65 years old, preferred to take poison and die, rather than surrender to his eternal enemy.

Sources

A brief history of the life of Hannibal was compiled by the ancient Roman historian Cornelius Nepos, who lived in the 1st century BC. e. Roman historians such as Titus Livy, Polybius, and Appian, who described the course of events in the Second Punic War, to some extent admired the Carthaginian general as one of Rome's greatest enemies. These historians described Hannibal as a hardened and strong-willed man, a brave warrior and a faithful comrade. According to them, he never disdained to be among ordinary soldiers, was always ready to share with them all the hardships of military life, entered the battle first and left it last. Cornelius Nepos says that Hannibal is a famous commander who spoke Greek and Latin first-class and even wrote several books in Greek.

The only depiction of Hannibal made during his lifetime is his profile on a Carthaginian coin minted in 221 BC. e., just at the time when he was elected commander in chief.

Hannibal is also credited with the following words: "Not Rome, but the Carthaginian Senate defeated me." And indeed, if the ruling elite of Carthage had more support for their commander fighting against Rome, who knows what the outcome of the Second Punic War would have been in this case. Even Scipio, the Roman general who defeated Hannibal, may have been victorious only through a combination of circumstances, taking advantage of the situation in his favor.

This is the life path Hannibal went through - the legendary commander, who never managed to change the course of history. Why everything was the way it was, and not otherwise - we do not undertake to judge this, however, it is difficult to disagree with the fact that Hannibal is indeed one of the most striking characters in the history of mankind.

Hannibal Barca - Carthaginian general, one of the great military commanders and statesmen of antiquity. Commanded the Carthaginian forces against Rome in the Second Punic War from 218–201. BC e. and opposed the empire until his death. The years of life of the commander Hannibal Barca - 247 BC. e. - 183–181 BC e.

Personality

The personality of Hannibal Barca (you will learn about him briefly in the process of reading the article) is rather controversial. Roman biographers do not treat him impartially and accuse him of cruelty. But, despite this, there is evidence that he entered into agreements for the return of prisoners and treated the bodies of fallen enemy generals with respect. The bravery of the military leader Hannibal Barca is well known. Many stories and anecdotes about his wit and subtlety of speech have come down to our time. He was fluent in Greek and Latin.

Appearance

It is difficult to judge the appearance and height of Hannibal Barca, since his only surviving portrait is silver coins from Carthage, which depict him as a young man with a beardless face.

Childhood and youth

The biography of the commander is not rich in accurate data. Many seemingly facts are just speculation. A brief biography of Hannibal Barca begins with information that he was the son of the great Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca. His mother's name is unknown. Hannibal was brought to Spain by his father, lived and was brought up among warriors. At an early age he was instilled with eternal hostility to Rome, and his whole life was devoted to this struggle.

First appointment

The first command of Hannibal Barca (photo, or rather the portrait of the commander you have the opportunity to see in the article) was in the Carthaginian province of Spain. He became a successful officer because, after the assassination of Hasdrubal in 221, the army proclaimed him commander-in-chief at 26, and the Carthaginian government quickly ratified his appointment to the field.

Hannibal immediately joined in the consolidation of the Punic seizure of Spain. He married the Spanish princess Imilca and then conquered various Spanish tribes. He fought against the Olcad tribe and captured their capital, Altalia, subjugated the Vaccaei in the northwest. In 221, having made the seaport of Kart-adasht (modern Carthage, Spain) a base, he won a resounding victory over the Carpetans in the region of the Tagus River.

In 219 Hannibal attacked Saguntum, an independent Iberian city south of the Iber River. In the treaty between Rome and Carthage after the First Punic War (264–241), Iber was established as the northern limit of Carthaginian influence in the Iberian Peninsula. Saguntum was south of the Ibras, but the Romans had a "friendship" (though perhaps not an actual treaty) with the city and viewed the Carthaginian attack on it as an act of war.

The siege of Saguntum lasted eight months, in which Hannibal was wounded. The Romans, who sent envoys to Carthage in protest (although they did not send an army to help Saguntum), demanded the surrender of Hannibal after his fall. Thus began the Second Punic War, declared by Rome. On the Carthaginian side, Hannibal led the troops.

Hike to Gaul

Hannibal Barca (unfortunately, we cannot see the photo of the commander) spent the winter of 219-218 in Carthage in active preparations for transferring the war to Italy. Leaving his brother Hasdrubal in command of a sizable army to defend Spain and North Africa, he crossed the Iber in April or May 218 and then proceeded to the Pyrenees.

Hannibal left Carthage with an army of 90,000, including 12,000 cavalry, but he left at least 20,000 in Spain to protect supply lines. In the Pyrenees, his army, which included 37 elephants, met stiff resistance from the Pyrenean tribes. This opposition and the retreat of the Spanish troops reduced the size of his army. When Hannibal reached the Rhone, he met little resistance from the tribes of southern Gaul.

Meanwhile, the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio moved his army, which had been held up by a mutiny in Italy, by sea to the area of ​​Massilia (Marseille), a city that was connected to Rome. Thus, Hannibal's access to the coastal route to Italy was blocked not only by the olives, but by at least one army and another that was assembling in Italy. As Scipio moved north along the right bank of the Rhone, he learned that Hannibal had already crossed the river and was heading north along the left bank. Realizing that Hannibal was planning to cross the Alps, Scipio returned to northern Italy to wait for him there.

Conflicting accounts surround Hannibal's actions after crossing the Rhone. Polybius claims that he crossed the river four days from the sea. Researchers consider such historical places as modern Beaucaire and Avignon. Hannibal used captured fishing boats, he built floating platforms and earth-covered rafts for elephants. Horses were transported in large boats. During the operation, hostile Gauls appeared on the east coast, and Hannibal sent forces under the command of Hanno to defend. He crossed the river further upstream and attacked from behind. As the Gauls tried to block Hannibal, Hanno's force struck, scattering the Gauls and allowing the bulk of the Carthaginian army to pass through the Rhone.

Hannibal soon received the support of the Gallic tribes, who were led by the Celtic tribe of the Boii. Their lands were invaded by Roman settlements and they had good information about the Alpine crossings. Polybius makes it clear that Hannibal's army did not "blindly" cross the Alps, they had knowledge of the best routes. After crossing the Rhone, Hannibal's army traveled north for 80 miles (130 km) and crossed into an area called the "island", the location of which is the key to Hannibal's subsequent land movements.

According to Polybius, it was a fertile, densely populated triangle, surrounded by hills, the Rhone, and a river called Izr. The confluence of two rivers marked the border of the lands of the Alobrog tribe. On the "island" there was a civil war between two brothers-commanders. Brancus, the elder brother, in exchange for Hannibal's help, provided supplies for the Carthaginian army, which, after marching some 750 miles (1,210 km) four months later from Carthage, was in dire need of them.

Crossing the Alps

Few details of Hannibal's crossing of the Alps have been preserved, chiefly by Polybius, who is said to have traveled the route himself. A group of tribes, outraged by the betrayal of Brancus, ambushed and attacked from the rear Hannibal's columns on their way along the Isre River at the "gates to the Alps" (modern Grenoble). It was a narrow river surrounded by massive mountain ranges. Hannibal took countermeasures, but they entailed heavy losses among the soldiers. On the third day, he captured the Gallic city and provided the army with food for two or three days.

After about four days of marching along the river valleys (the Izr and Ark rivers), Hannibal was ambushed by hostile Gauls in a "white stone" place, not far from the top of the mountain. The Gauls attacked by throwing heavy stones from a height, causing both people and animals to panic and lose their positions on the steep paths. Haunted by such daytime attacks and distrustful of the loyalty of his Gallic guides, Hannibal decided to march at night and hide the animals in the gorge below. Before dawn, he led the rest of his forces through the narrow entrance to the gorge, killing several Gauls who guarded it and hoped that Hannibal would be trapped.

Gathering his forces at the top of the Alps, Hannibal remained there for several days before his descent into Italy. Polybius makes it clear that the summit itself must be high enough to keep the snow drifts from last winter (at least 8,000 feet, or 2,400 meters). The problem of determining the exact location of the camp is exacerbated by the fact that the name of the pass was either not known to Polybius or was considered insufficiently important. Livy, writing 150 years later, sheds no further light on the matter, and modern historians have offered many theories about Hannibal's exact course through the Alps.

At the final stage of the route, snow fell on the pass, making the descent even more insidious. The army was held up for most of the day. Finally, after a five-month journey from Carthage, with 25,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry and 30 elephants, Hannibal descended into Italy. He overcame the difficulties of the climate, the terrain, and the guerrilla tactics of the local tribes.

War in Italy

Hannibal's forces were small compared to the army of Scipio, who crossed the Po River to defend the newly established Roman colonies of Placentia (modern Piacenza) and Cremona. The first significant battle between the two armies took place on the Po Plains, west of the Ticino River, and Hannibal's army was victorious. Scipio was badly wounded, and the Romans withdrew to Placentia. After the maneuvers failed to lead to a second battle, Hannibal successfully sent the army of Sempronius Longus to battle on the left bank of the Trebbia south of Placentia (December 218).

The Roman forces were defeated. This victory brought both Gauls and Ligurians to Hannibal's side, and his army was greatly enlarged by Celtic recruits. After a harsh winter, Hannibal was able to advance in the spring of 217 to the marshes of Arno, where he lost an eye from an infection. Although two Roman armies opposed him, he was able to overcome the path to Arretia (modern Arezzo) and reached Curtuna (modern Cortona). By design, this move forced Flaminius's army into open combat, and in the ensuing Battle of Lake Trasimene, Hannibal's forces annihilated the Roman army, resulting in the deaths of 15,000 soldiers. Another 15,000 Romans and allied troops were captured.

Reinforcements (about 4000 cavalry) under the command of Gaius Centenius were intercepted and destroyed. Either the Carthaginian troops were too exhausted to consolidate their victories and march on Rome, or Hannibal thought the city was too well fortified. In addition, he harbored the vain hope that Rome's Italian allies would suffer damage and civil war would occur.

The commander Hannibal Barca, whose biography is presented to your attention in the article, spent the summer of 217 resting in Pikenum, but later he ruined Apulia and Campania. Suddenly, in the early summer of 216, Hannibal moved south and captured a large army depot at Cannae on the Aufidus River. There, in early August, the battle of Hannibal Barca took place at Cannes (modern Monte di Cannes). Hannibal acted wisely in forcing the outnumbered Romans to descend into a narrow plain surrounded by a river and a hill.

As the battle began, the Gauls and the Iberian infantry of Hannibal's center line gave way to the movement of the outnumbered Roman infantry. The Romans continued their advance, defeating both flanks of the Spanish and Libyan infantry. Surrounded on three sides, the retreat route was closed to the Romans. So they were defeated by the army of Hannibal. Polybius speaks of 70,000 dead, and Livy reports 55,000; in any case, it was a disaster for Rome. Almost one in five Roman men of military age was killed. Rome was now justifiably afraid of Hannibal.

The great victory had the desired effect: many regions began to retreat from the Italian confederation. Hannibal, however, did not march on Rome, but spent the winter of 216–215 in Capua, which declared its allegiance to Hannibal, perhaps hoping that he would become Rome's equal. Gradually, the Carthaginian fighting force weakened. The strategy proposed by Fabius after the Battle of Trasimene was again put into action:

• defend cities loyal to Rome;
• try to recover in those cities that fell to Hannibal;
• never engage in battle when the enemy is imposing it.

Thus, Hannibal, unable to spread his forces due to the small size of the army, moved from the offensive to a cautious and not always successful defense in Italy. In addition, many of his Gallic supporters were tired of the war, and they returned north to their homeland.

Since there were few reinforcements from Carthage, Hannibal, with the exception of the capture of Tarantum (modern Taranto), won only minor victories. In 213 Casilin and Arpi (captured by Hannibal in the winter of 216–215) were restored by the Romans, and in 211 Hannibal was forced to retire to lift the Roman siege of Capua. He tried to defeat the Roman armies, but this step was not successful, and Capua fell. In the same year, Syracuse fell in Sicily, and by 209 Tarentum in southern Italy was also recaptured by the Romans.

Exile

The treaty between Rome and Carthage, which was concluded a year after the Battle of Zama, frustrated all hopes of Hannibal to oppose Rome again. He was able to overthrow the power of the oligarchic ruling faction in Carthage and bring about certain administrative and constitutional changes.

Although Scipio Africanus, who defeated him at Zama, supported his leadership in Carthage, he became unpopular with the Carthaginian nobility. According to Livy, this led Hannibal to flee first to Tire and then to the court of Antiochus at Ephesus (195). At first he was accepted, since Antiochus was preparing a war with Rome. Soon, however, Hannibal's presence and the advice he gave regarding the conduct of the war became irrelevant, and he was sent to command Antiochus' fleet in the Phoenician cities. Inexperienced in naval matters, he was defeated by the Roman fleet off Saida in Pamphylia. Antiochus was defeated at Magnesia in 190, and one of the demands of the Romans was that Hannibal should surrender.

Hannibal's further actions are not exactly known. Either he fled across Crete to the king of Bithynia, or he joined the rebel forces in Armenia. After all, it is known that he took refuge in Bithynia, which at that time was at war with Rome. The great commander participated in this war and defeated the Eumenes at sea.

Death of a commander

Under what circumstances did the commander die? The influence of the Romans in the east expanded to such an extent that they were able to demand the surrender of Hannibal. In the last hours of his life, expecting betrayal from Bithynia, he sent his last faithful servant to check all the secret exits from the fortress in Libis (near modern Gebze, Turkey). The servant reported that there were unknown enemy guards at every exit. Knowing that he was betrayed and could not escape, Hannibal poisoned himself in a final act of defiance against the Romans (probably 183 BC).

History has preserved the greatest achievements of Hannibal in the Second Punic War. He was an outstanding general with an invincible military strategy. Hannibal Barca's daring attempt to fight Rome made him the best commander in ancient history.

As you can see, the personality of Hannibal Barca is quite interesting, albeit controversial. Historians have collected some interesting information about this glorious commander.

1. Hannibal Barca's surname means "thunderbolt".
2. The father, watching Hannibal as a child, exclaimed: "Here is the lion that I am raising to destroy Rome."
3. Elephants in Hannibal's army were real armored vehicles. They had arrows on their backs, and they broke through any system, trampling people.
4. The Romans used trumpets to scare the elephants of the Carthaginian army at the Battle of Zama. The frightened elephants fled, killing many of the Carthaginian troops.
5. To convince people to join his army, the great commander Hannibal Barca chose their best warrior and fought with him.
6. In one of the battles at sea, Hannibal's men threw pots with snakes at the enemy. It was one of the first examples of biological warfare.
7. The phrase "Hannibal's oath" has become winged and means a firm determination to bring the matter to the end.

Hannibal, a commander who fought with Rome for 17 years, the last of the rulers of Carthage, is considered one of the greatest people of antiquity. This great man, who spent his childhood years in a military camp, later became an implacable enemy of Rome. Some respected him, others feared him, legends were made about him. This person will be discussed in the article. What kind of person is this, where was he born, in what city did the ancient commander Hannibal live - read about all this below.

The origin and formation of Hannibal

Hannibal, who later became the great commander and thunderstorm of Rome, was born in 247 BC. e. in Carthage, a state located in North Africa. His father, Hamilcar Barca, was a Carthaginian commander and statesman. It is known that at a time when Hannibal was not even ten years old, his father took him with him on an aggressive campaign against Spain. Having spent his childhood in field camps and campaigns, little Hannibal gradually joined the military business.

The commander Hamilcar, before taking his son with him, demanded that he take a sacred oath, according to which Hannibal pledged to be an irreconcilable enemy of Rome until the end of his days. Many years later, he kept this oath in full and became a worthy successor to his father. It was thanks to this episode that the expression "Hannibal's oath" subsequently became winged.

Taking part in his father's campaigns, he gradually gained military experience. Hannibal's military service began with the position of head of the cavalry. At this point, Hamilcar was no longer alive, and Hannibal joined the army under the leadership of his son-in-law Hasdrubal. After he died in 221 BC. e., Hannibal was elected by the Spanish army as their leader. By that time, he had already managed to earn a certain authority among the soldiers.

General characteristics of personality

The commander Hannibal, whose biography almost entirely consists of episodes of military battles, received a good education in his youth, which his far-sighted father took care of. Even as commander in chief, Hannibal sought to expand his knowledge, studied foreign languages. Hannibal was quite a remarkable personality and possessed many talents. He had good physical training, was a skillful and brave warrior, an attentive and caring comrade, tireless in campaigns and moderate in food and sleep. He set his achievements as an example to the soldiers, who, by the way, loved and respected him, and most importantly, were devoted to him.

But the list of benefits of Hannibal does not end there. He discovered the talent of a strategist at the age of 22, being the head of the cavalry. Very inventive, in order to achieve the desired results, he resorted to all sorts of tricks and tricks, analyzed the nature of his opponents and skillfully used this knowledge Hannibal. The commander, whose spy network extended even to Rome, thanks to this he was always one step ahead. He was not only a genius of war, but also possessed political talents, which he fully showed in peacetime, engaged in the reform of the Carthaginian state institutions. Thanks to these talents, he became a very influential person.

In addition to all of the above, Hannibal had a unique gift to rule over people. This was revealed in his ability to keep in obedience a multilingual and multi-tribal army. Warriors never dared to disobey him and unquestioningly obeyed him even in the most difficult times.

Start of the Second Punic War

Before Hannibal became the commander-in-chief of the Spanish army, his father Hamilcar created a new province in Spain that brought income. In turn, the successor of Hamilcar, Hasdrubal, concluded an agreement with Rome, according to which the Carthaginians did not have the right to cross the Iber River, that is, move deep into the European continent. Also, some coastal lands remained inaccessible to Carthage. At the same time, in Spain itself, Carthage had the right to act at its discretion. Hannibal, the commander of Carthage, had all the necessary resources to wage war, but the government to which he was forced to obey chose to keep the peace.

Thus, the Carthaginian commander decided to act by cunning. He tried to provoke Saguntum, a Spanish colony under the patronage of Rome, and force her to break the peace. However, the Saguntans did not succumb to the provocations and complained to Rome, which soon sent commissars to Spain in order to resolve the situation. Hannibal continued to escalate the situation, hoping to provoke the ambassadors, but they immediately understood the essence of what was happening and warned Rome about the impending threat.

After a while, Hannibal made his move. The commander reported to Carthage that the Saguntans had allegedly crossed the line of what was permitted, then, without waiting for an answer, he began open hostilities. This turn of events shocked the Carthaginian government, which, however, did not take any serious steps. After several months of siege, Hannibal managed to capture Saguntum.

It was 218 BC. e .. Rome demanded the extradition of Hannibal from Carthage, but, without waiting for an answer, declared war. Thus began the Second Punic War, also called the "Hannibal War" by some ancient sources.

Hiking in Italy

The Romans expected to conduct a military operation, according to the plan provided for such cases. They intended to divide the army and fleet between two consuls, one of whom was to begin military operations in Africa, in the immediate vicinity of Carthage. The second part of the army was to confront Hannibal. Nevertheless, Hannibal managed to turn the situation in his favor and destroy the plans of Rome. He provided cover for Africa and Spain, and he himself, at the head of an army consisting of 92 thousand people and 37 war elephants, went on foot to Italy.

In the battles between the Iber River and the Pyrenees, Hannibal had a chance to lose 20 thousand people, he had to leave another 11 thousand in Spain to hold the conquered territories. Then he followed along the southern coast of Gaul towards the Alps. In the Rhone Valley, one of the Roman consuls tried to block his path, but the battle never happened. It was the same Publius Cornelius Scipio, the Roman general who defeated Hannibal at the end of the war. It became obvious to the Romans that Hannibal intended to invade Italy from the north.

While the Carthaginian commander was approaching Italy, both Roman armies were already heading north to meet him. However, on the way, Hannibal had another obstacle - the Alps, the passage through which lasted 33 days. All this long journey from Spain to Italy thoroughly exhausted the army of the Carthaginian commander, which during this time was reduced to about 26 thousand people. In Italy, Hannibal managed to win a number of victories, even though the enemy hastily transferred significant reinforcements here. Only in Cisalpine Gaul did Hannibal's army receive rest and replenishment at the expense of the detachments of the local tribes that supported him. Here he decided to spend the winter.

Confrontation in Italy. First big win

In the spring, Hannibal was ready to continue the attack on Rome, but this time two enemy armies stood in his way. He, like a skilled strategist, decided not to engage in battle with any of them, but tried to bypass the enemy. To do this, the army had to be led through the swamps for four days, which entailed many losses. On the way, the army lost all the remaining elephants, a significant part of the horses, and Hannibal himself lost one eye as a result of the inflammatory process.

Having overcome the swamps, the Carthaginian commander made several raids, thereby demonstrating his intention to go to Rome. Flaminius, one of the consuls, left his position and, forgetting all precautions, went to where Hannibal had been seen. The Carthaginian commander was just waiting for this; taking the opportunity, he ambushed Flaminius. When he with his army entered the valley of Lake Trasimene, Hannibal, who sat down with an army on the nearby hills, attacked the Roman consul. As a result of this maneuver, the army of Flaminius was destroyed.

Hannibal is opposed by the dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus. Hannibal's Predicament and New Victory

On an emergency basis, the Roman government decided to give dictatorial powers to Quintus Fabius Maximus. He chose a special tactic of warfare, which consisted in the fact that the Romans had to avoid decisive battles. Fabius simply intended to wear down the enemy. It is worth noting that such tactics of the dictator had its advantages, but in Rome Fabius was considered too cautious and indecisive, therefore, in the next year, 216 BC. e., he was removed from the post of dictator.

As already mentioned, the tactics of Fabius gave some result. Hannibal was in a difficult position: his army was exhausted, and Carthage provided almost no support. However, the balance of power changed dramatically after Gaius Terentius Varro, one of the consuls of Rome, made an unforgivable mistake. He had an army at his disposal, largely exceeding the size of the army commanded by Hannibal. The commander of Carthage, however, had a significant advantage in the form of 14 thousand horsemen against 6 thousand at the disposal of Rome.

The legendary battle took place near Cannes, where Hannibal was stationed. His position was obviously advantageous, but the consul Varro did not take this into account and threw his troops into the attack, as a result of which he was utterly defeated. He himself managed to escape, but another Roman consul, Paul Aemilius, was killed.

As a result of such a crushing victory, Hannibal acquired many new allies, including Capua, Syracuse, Macedonia and other regions.

The impossibility of the siege of Rome. Start of a losing streak

Despite the achievements that Hannibal achieved, the Carthaginian commander could hardly count on a successful siege of Rome. Simply put, he did not have the resources that were so necessary for this. Hannibal enlisted the support of the former allies of Rome, and he also got the opportunity to rest his exhausted troops. But he did not wait for significant support from Carthage itself, whose rulers, apparently, did not have foresight.

As time went on, Rome gradually regained strength. The city of Nola became the place where Hannibal was first defeated. The Roman commander Consul Marcellus managed to defend the city, and from that moment, perhaps, the luck of the Carthaginians ended. For several years, neither side was able to achieve a significant advantage, but later the Romans managed to take Capua, thereby forcing Hannibal to go on the defensive.

By that time, it became quite obvious that one should not count on the help of Carthage, because its ruling elite, which was most interested in profit from trade, took some obscure passive position in this war. Therefore, in 207 BC. e. Hannibal summons his brother Hasdrubal from Spain. The Romans made every effort to prevent the troops of the brothers from uniting, as a result of which Hasdrubal was twice defeated and subsequently completely killed. Having not received reinforcements, Hannibal withdraws his army to Bruttium, to the very south of Italy, where he continues the war with the hated Rome for the next three years.

Return to Carthage

In 204 BC. e. The Roman commander, the winner of Hannibal Scipio, lands in Africa and starts a war against Carthage there. In this regard, the Carthaginian government called Hannibal to protect the city. He tried to enter into negotiations with Rome, but this did not lead to anything. In 202 B.C. e. a decisive battle took place, which put an end to the Second Punic War. In this battle, Hannibal's army suffered a crushing defeat. The winner of Hannibal is the ancient Roman commander Publius Cornelius Scipio.

A year later, a peace agreement was signed between Carthage and Rome, the terms of which turned out to be very humiliating for the losing side. Hannibal himself, who in fact was the instigator of the Second Punic War, was rehabilitated and even received the right to take a high position in the Carthaginian government. In the field of state activity, he also proved himself as a talented and far-sighted person.

Flight and death

It is likely that Hannibal never parted with the idea of ​​the possibility of resuming the war with Rome. Some sources claim that the former commander, hatching plans for revenge, entered into an agreement with Antiochus III, the Syrian king, who was in tense relations with Rome. The rulers of Rome became aware of this, and they demanded the extradition of the rebellious Carthaginian. In this regard, Hannibal, the great commander of Carthage, in 195 BC. e. was forced to seek refuge in the Syrian kingdom.

Later, Hannibal took part in the confrontation between Antiochus and Rome, which resulted in the defeat of the Syrian king. The conditions that Rome put forward included also the extradition of Hannibal. Upon learning of this, in 189 BC. e. he was on the run again. Sources that have survived to this day provide different information regarding the city in which the commander Hannibal lived after he had to leave the Syrian kingdom. It is known that he visited Armenia, then Crete, and also Bithynia.

Ultimately, Prusius, the king of Bithynia, betrayed Hannibal, agreeing with Rome on the extradition of the fugitive. The great Carthaginian commander, who at that time was already 65 years old, preferred to take poison and die, rather than surrender to his eternal enemy.

Sources

A brief history of the life of Hannibal was compiled by the ancient Roman historian Cornelius Nepos, who lived in the 1st century BC. e. Roman historians such as Titus Livy, Polybius, and Appian, who described the course of events in the Second Punic War, to some extent admired the Carthaginian general as one of Rome's greatest enemies. These historians described Hannibal as a hardened and strong-willed man, a brave warrior and a faithful comrade. According to them, he never disdained to be among ordinary soldiers, was always ready to share with them all the hardships of military life, entered the battle first and left it last. Cornelius Nepos says that Hannibal is a famous commander who spoke Greek and Latin first-class and even wrote several books in Greek.

The only depiction of Hannibal made during his lifetime is his profile on a Carthaginian coin minted in 221 BC. e., just at the time when he was elected commander in chief.

Hannibal is also credited with the following words: "Not Rome, but the Carthaginian Senate defeated me." And indeed, if the ruling elite of Carthage had more support for their commander fighting against Rome, who knows what the outcome of the Second Punic War would have been in this case. Even Scipio, the Roman general who defeated Hannibal, may have been victorious only through a combination of circumstances, taking advantage of the situation in his favor.

This is the life path Hannibal went through - the legendary commander, who never managed to change the course of history. Why everything was the way it was, and not otherwise - we do not undertake to judge this, however, it is difficult to disagree with the fact that Hannibal is indeed one of the most striking characters in the history of mankind.

Hannibal Barca- the son of Hamilcar Barca, one of the greatest commanders and statesmen of antiquity, the sworn enemy of Rome and the last hope. His military talent is still legendary, and many famous commanders of the world (including Alexander Suvorov) considered him their role model.

Hannibal was born in 247 BC, and already at the age of 9 he went on his first military expedition - to Spain, where his father took him with him.

According to Polybius and other historians, Hannibal himself said that before setting off on a campaign, his father made him swear before the altar that he would be an implacable enemy of Rome all his life, and Hannibal kept this oath completely (the so-called " Hannibal's Oath"). His outstanding abilities, the extraordinary conditions of his upbringing, prepared in him a worthy successor to his father, a worthy heir to his ideas, genius and hatred.

Growing up in a military camp, Hannibal nevertheless received a thorough education and always took care of its replenishment. So, already being commander in chief, Hannibal learned from the Spartan Zozila Greek language and mastered it to such an extent that he compiled state papers in it.

Flexible and strong in physique, Hannibal excelled in running, was a skilled fighter and a brave rider. With his moderation in food and sleep, indefatigability in campaigns, boundless courage and selfless courage, Hannibal always set an example for his soldiers, and with his selfless concern for them, he gained their ardent love and boundless devotion.

The only lifetime image of Hannibal Bark is this coin

Character Hannibal Barca

Hannibal's military talent manifested itself in Spain, where, being the head of the cavalry for his son-in-law Hasdrubal, he won a series of brilliant victories over the Iberian Celts. Hardly anyone else could to such a degree combine deliberation with ardor, foresight with energy and perseverance in pursuing the intended goal.

Hannibal was distinguished not only by his courage, but also by his sophisticated cunning on the battlefield. To achieve his goals, he resorted to original and unexpected means, to various traps and tricks, and always carefully studied the nature of his opponents. Carthage contained an extensive network of spies, so the commander always learned about the plans of the enemy in a timely manner. Despite the fact that even in Carthage itself, those in power did not like the too successful commander, reproaching him for deceit, treachery and deceit, the soldiers truly loved him, and even enemies recognized the ability to wage war and achieve great victories with small forces.

When Hannibal's father died at the hands of an assassin in 221, the Carthaginian army in Spain immediately chose him as their leader, believing that if someone succeeded in carrying out Hamilcar's plan, then only his son. At that time, Hannibal was 26 years old.

Conflict between Carthage and Rome

Hamilcar left Hannibal a good legacy - a full treasury and a strong army accustomed to victories, for which the camp served as a fatherland, and patriotism was replaced by the honor of the banner and selfless devotion to their leader. All this should have been taken advantage of!

But the government of Carthage was more concerned about trade than war, and besides, as already mentioned, the authorities were not going to give Hannibal too much freedom. Hannibal did not dare to oppose the authorities, and began to act by cunning, provoking the Romans to declare war - the reason was the appeal of the inhabitants of the Spanish city of Sagunta to the Romans, with a request to protect their city from the increasing pressure of the Carthaginians.

However, the Romans did not fall for the challenges and were in no hurry to declare war, but they began to actively arm themselves and train their own armies. And Hannibal went for broke. Having sent a message to Carthage that the inhabitants of Sagunt were oppressing the Carthaginians, he attacked the city and took it after an 8-month siege. The Romans demanded the extradition of the rebellious commander, but the authorities of Carthage did not make concessions (perhaps fearing their army led by Hannibal even more than the war with Rome) and did not give the Romans any answer at all.

Rome declared war on Carthage, which was later named (Poons - Carthaginians), or "Hannibal War".

The Roman plan of warfare provided for the usual division of the forces of the army and navy between two consuls in such cases. One of them was to concentrate his troops in Sicily and, having crossed from there to Africa, began military operations on enemy territory, in the immediate vicinity of Carthage itself. Another consul was to cross with his army to Spain and tie up the forces of Hannibal there.

However, Hannibal's vigorous retaliatory actions violated these calculations and delayed the implementation of the Roman strategic plan for several years. The genius of Hannibal told him that Rome could only be fought in Italy. Having secured Africa and leaving his brother Hasdrubal with an army in Spain, he set out from New Carthage in 218 with 80,000 infantry, 12,000 horsemen and 37 war elephants. In the battles between the Ebro and the Pyrenees, Hannibal lost 20,000 men, and in order to hold this newly conquered country, he left Hanno in it with 10,000 infantry and 1,000 horsemen.

The route of the campaign ran along the southern coast of Spain and Gaul. From there, Hannibal descended into southern Gaul and here skillfully avoided meeting with the consul Publius Cornelius Scipio, who thought to block his path to the Rhone Valley. It became clear to the Romans that Hannibal intended to invade Italy from the north.

This caused the Romans to abandon their original campaign plan. Both consular armies were sent north towards Hannibal.

Hannibal in Italy

At the end of October 218, Hannibal's army, after five and a half months of a difficult campaign, spent in continuous battles with the Alpine mountaineers, descended into the Po valley. But the losses suffered by her during this time were enormous, so that upon arrival in Italy, Hannibal had only 20,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry at hand. Almost all war elephants died. In Cisalpine Gaul, which had been conquered by the Romans shortly before, the Carthaginian commander managed to rest his exhausted army and significantly replenish it with detachments of local tribes.

Having occupied and destroyed Turin, Hannibal defeated the Romans near the Ticino (Ticine) River, and then completely defeated them, despite the fact that the enemy was reinforced by significant reinforcements hastily called in from Sicily and Massilia.

After delivering the first blows to the enemies, Hannibal settled down in winter quarters in Cisalpine Gaul and took care of strengthening his army with allied troops from the Gallic and other tribes. At the opening of the campaign of 217, two enemy armies - Flaminius and Servilia - were placed on the paths of Hannibal's advance towards Rome.

For strategic reasons, the Carthaginian decided not to attack either one or the other, but, bypassing the army of Flaminius from the left wing, to threaten its communications with Rome. To do this, Hannibal chose an extremely difficult, but on the other hand, the shortest path - to Parma and through the Clusium marshes, flooded at that time by the flood of the Arno River. For four days the army of the commander walked in the water, lost all the elephants, most of the horses and pack animals, and Hannibal himself lost one eye from inflammation. When, at the exit from the swamps, the Carthaginian made a demonstration of moving towards Rome, Flaminius, leaving his position, followed the army of Hannibal, but at the same time he did not observe any military precautions. Taking advantage of the oversight of his opponent, Hannibal set up an unprecedented ambush with an entire army.

At this time, Hannibal was in a very difficult situation: the troops were exhausted by continuous transitions, they suffered from a lack of everything, and no reinforcements were sent from Carthage, due to the intrigues of the party hostile to the commander. From these difficulties, the Carthaginian was rescued by the recklessness of Terentius Varro, who attacked the conquerors (in Apulia) in an area convenient for the action of Hannibal's excellent Numidian cavalry.

Hannibal's victory at Cannes had a wide resonance. On the side of the Carthaginian commander, one after another, the communities of southern Italy began to pass. Most of Samnium, Bruttia, a significant part of Lucania fell away from the Romans.

Hannibal's successes were also appreciated outside of Italy. The Macedonian king Philip V offered him an alliance and military assistance. In Sicily, Syracuse sided with Hannibal. The Romans risked losing the entire island.

Despite the victory, Hannibal could not now, as before, encroach on the mastery of Rome itself, since he did not have any means for a proper siege. He had to content himself with the fact that, after the battle of Cannae, most of the Roman allies in Italy took his side, and that Capua, the second city of the republic, opened its gates to him. In this city, the commander gave a temporary rest to his exhausted troops, but Hannibal's position did not improve much, since the rulers of Carthage, occupied exclusively with their own mercenary trading interests, missed the opportunity to finally crush their primordial rivals - the Romans and did not provide their brilliant commander with almost no support.

The fatal role for Hannibal was played by the short-sighted policy of the Carthaginian government, because of which the Carthaginian army, which was in enemy territory, did not have regular contacts with its mother country, was deprived of sources of replenishment of material and human reserves. For all the time, Hannibal was sent to reinforce only 12 thousand infantry and 1500 cavalry. Meanwhile, Rome recovered, gathered new troops, and the consul Marcellus won the first victory over the Carthaginians at Nola. After a series of hostilities, which went on with varying success, Capua was taken by the Romans, and Hannibal had to assume a purely defensive position.

Not receiving help from the fatherland, the commander called his brother Hasdrubal from Spain, who (207) as a result of this moved with his troops to Italy, but could not connect with Hannibal, since the Romans took timely measures to prevent this. The consul Claudius Nero defeated Hannibal at Grumentum, and then, joining with another consul, Livius Sampator, defeated Hasdrubal. Upon learning of the fate that befell his brother (whose severed head was thrown into the Carthaginian camp), Hannibal retreated to Brucium, where for another 3 years he endured an unequal struggle with his sworn enemies.

Return of Hannibal to Carthage.

It all ended naturally - the consul Publius Cornelius Scipio landed in Africa with an army, and Hannibal was forced to return in 203 to protect Carthage. He landed at Leptis and deployed his troops at Adrumet. An attempt to enter into negotiations with the Romans was not successful. Finally, at a distance of five marches from Carthage, a decisive battle followed (202).

The decisive role in the victory over Hannibal was played by the Numidian cavalry, led by King Masinissa, who went over to the side of the Romans. The Carthaginians were utterly defeated, and this ended the 2nd Punic War. In 201 BC. a peace treaty was signed. His terms were harsh and humiliating for the Carthaginians. They lost all their overseas possessions, including Spain. They were forbidden to wage war even with neighboring tribes without the permission of the Roman Senate. Carthage paid a huge indemnity of 10,000 talents and gave the Romans their entire navy and war elephants.

In the subsequent period of peace, the commander Hannibal also showed himself to be a statesman. Holding the positions of praetor, or head of the republic, Hannibal put the finances in order, ensured the urgent payment of the heavy indemnity imposed by the victors, and in general, in peacetime, as in wartime, he was at the height of his position.

The idea of ​​resuming the struggle with Rome, however, did not leave him, and in order to secure a greater chance of success, he entered into secret relations with King Antiochus III. Hannibal's enemies reported this to Rome, and the Romans demanded his extradition. Then the commander fled to Antiochus (195) and managed to persuade him to take up arms against Rome, hoping to persuade his compatriots to do the same. But the Carthaginian Senate resolutely refused to wage war. The Syrian and Phoenician fleets were defeated by the Romans, and at the same time Cornelius Scipio defeated Antiochus at Magnesia. Antiochus III, having been defeated, was forced to seek peace, one of the conditions of which was the extradition of Hannibal.

The new demand of the Romans for the extradition of Hannibal forced him to flee (189). According to some sources, Hannibal at one time lived at the court of the Armenian king Artaxias, having founded for him the city of Artashat on the river. Araks, then on about. Crete, from where he went to the Bithynian king Prusius. Here he became at the head of an alliance between Prusius and neighboring rulers against the Roman ally, the Pergamon king Eumenes.

In one of the naval battles, Hannibal managed to put the ships of Pergamon to flight by throwing vessels with snakes on their decks. Hannibal's actions against the enemy were still victorious, but Prusius betrayed him and entered into relations with the Roman Senate regarding the extradition of his guest. Upon learning of this, the 65-year-old Hannibal, in order to get rid of the shameful captivity after such a glorious life, took poison, which he constantly wore in a ring.

So this man died, equally brilliant as a warrior and ruler, who, however, failed to stop the course of world history, perhaps because the ancient prowess of Rome found in Carthage a selfish rival, unable to rise above the interests of the moment and seek solid foundations of state life in the depths people, and not in the mercantile calculations of the oligarchy.

In Hannibal's own words: "Not Rome, but the Carthaginian Senate defeated Hannibal." He was buried in Libiss on the European coast of the Bosporus, far from Carthage, which was destined to outlive its great commander.

Hannibal Barca - in his youth he swore to fight the Romans while he had strength

Personality of Hannibal Bark.

There is the only lifetime image of Hannibal, his profile on a coin of Carthage, minted in 221 at the time of his election as a military leader.

A brief biography of Hannibal was compiled by the Roman historian Cornelius Nepos (I century BC). In the writings of Polybius, Titus Livius, Appian, who described the events of the 2nd Punic War, Roman patriotism was combined with admiration for the greatest enemy of Rome, who "Sixteen years of fighting in Italy against Rome, never once took the troops away from the battlefield"(Polybius, book 19).

Titus Livius (book XXI; 4, 3 ff.) said that Hannibal “He endured heat and cold with equal patience; he determined the measure of food and drink by natural need, and not by pleasure; chose the time for wakefulness and sleep, not distinguishing day from night; many often saw how he, wrapped in a military cloak, slept on the ground among the soldiers standing on posts and on guard. He was far ahead of the horsemen and foot soldiers, he was the first to enter the battle, the last to leave the battle..

According to Cornelius Nepos, Hannibal was fluent in Greek and Latin and wrote several books in Greek.

In the writings of historians, a semi-legendary story has been preserved about the meeting between Hannibal and Scipio, who arrived in Ephesus in 193 as part of the Roman embassy to Antiochus III. Once, during a conversation, Scipio asked Hannibal who he considered the greatest commander. The great commander named Alexander the Great, Pyrrhus the king of Epirus and himself in third place after them, adding then that if he managed to defeat the Romans, he would consider himself superior to both Alexander and Pyrrhus and all other generals.

, Battle of Trasimene, Battle of Cannae, Battle of Zama

Connections

Hannibal(translated from the Phoenician "gift of Baal") Barge, better known as simply Hannibal(-183 BC) - Carthaginian commander. Considered one of the greatest commanders and statesmen of antiquity. Was the number one enemy of the Roman Republic and the last true leader of Carthage before its fall in the series of Punic Wars.

Childhood and youth of Hannibal

At the end of October 218, Hannibal's army, after 5.5 months of a difficult campaign, spent in continuous battles with the highlanders, descended into the valley of the Po River. But due to high losses, upon arrival in Italy, the army of Carthage reached 20 thousand infantry and 6 thousand cavalry.

Hannibal's actions against the enemy were successful, but Prusius entered into relations with the Roman Senate. Upon learning of this, the 65-year-old Hannibal, in order to get rid of the shameful captivity, took poison from the ring.

Hannibal in cinema

Year	Movie	Notes
2011	Hannibal the Conqueror	American feature film, as Hannibal Vin Diesel
2006	Hannibal - Rome's Worst Nightmare	Television film produced by the BBC with Alexander Siddig
2005	Hannibal vs Rome	American documentary produced by National Geographic Channel
2005	The True Story of Hannibal	American documentary
2001	Hannibal - the man who hated Rome	British documentary
1997	Great Battles of Hannibal	English documentary
1996	Gulliver's Travels	Hannibal appears to Gulliver in a magic mirror.
1960	Hannibal (Annibale)	Italian feature film with Victor Mature
1955	Lover of Jupiter	American feature film with Howard Keel
1939	Scipio Africanus - the defeat of Hannibal (Scipione l'africano)	Italian feature film
1914	Cabiria	Italian silent feature film

Notes

Links

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional) - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
• Composition of the Carthaginian army in the Second Punic War

Categories:

• Personalities in alphabetical order
• Born in 247 B.C. e.
• Died in 183 B.C. e.
• Battles of the Second Punic War
• Persons:Carthage
• Enemies of Ancient Rome
• Suicide Warlords
• Suicides who took poison
• Members of the Punic Wars
• Personalities on banknotes

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See what "Hannibal Barca" is in other dictionaries:

Hannibal, Annibal Barca (247 or 246 BC, Carthage, 183 BC, Bithynia), Carthaginian commander and statesman. Descended from the aristocratic family of the Barkids. Son of Hamilcar Barca. Participated in military... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Hannibal, Barka- (lat. Hannibal Barca) (247 183 BC) Carthage. commander and state activist, son of Hamilcar Barca; received an excellent education, spoke several languages, incl. Greek and Latin. G. underwent military training under the guidance of his ... ... Antique world. Dictionary reference.