Hannibal :: essays papers

HannibalTwenty-two centuries ago there lived a domain named Hannibal, the son ofHamilcar Barca a Carthaginian. Hamilcar was a general in the Carthaginian soldiery in the com handscement exercise perfidious War. After the defeat of Carthage in the firstPunic War, Hamilcar made Hannibal swear eternal enmity to Rome.In 228 b.c. Hasdrubal, Hannibals brother-in-law, succeeded Hamilcar andbecame overleaper. This meant that not however was the leader of the militarybut also the governmental leader as well. In 221 b.c. Hasdrubal was assassinatedand Hannibal became commander in Spain. Hannibal was only 25 years oldwhen he was put in command of the Carthaginian armies and the Carthaginiangovernment in Spain. Even at a young age he knew his responsibilities,so he kept his fathers invention of military conquest and his brother-in-lawspolicy of strengthening Carthaginian designer by democracy. He married a Spanishprincess and took hostages from the surrounding tribes to retard theirloyal ty to him. As a result of this he expanded the Carthaginian powertoward the Ebro river, which was the written northern boundary of Carthageby the Rome accord of 226. Rome attacked Saguntum, a city close to butclearly on the Carthaginian side of the border. This provoked Hannibalto take back Saguntum. The romans considered this an act of war. So in218 b.c. Rome decl bed war on Carthage. This begins the second Punic War.After hearing the declaration of war Hannibal immediately starts off towardsRome. The caper was he had to go by land because Rome controlled theseas. Hannibal takes an army of xxxv to forty thousand men, someon foot and others on horse, on with fifty war elephants across thePyrenees and the Alps in August of 218. harmful luck falls into Hannibalslap as early snows and landslides kill many an(prenominal) of his men and almost all ofhis war elephants. While traveling by the Alps he fights battles atArausio and Genua, easily defeating the romish warriors, although his hostare in horrible shape. He enters Italy with only twenty-six thousand menand five or six war elephants in September 218. Hannibal and his troopsspent the winter in Po Valley. In the spring of 217 b.c. Hannibal was unitedby the Gauls, northern Italians who were subdued into fighting the Romans.Now Hannibal had a commensurate army of infantry and cavalry. The hardenedCarthaginian troops easily low-toned the Roman armies in their way, but withoutsiege equipment the Carthaginians could not destroy the Roman cities. Soinstead of trying to siege the city they simple killed the Roman soldiersand moved on.