Home Nations Generals Key Battles The Second Punic

Home Nations Generals Key Battles The Second Punic War: Hannibal’s Genius The Second Punic War (218 -201 BCE) was an iconic war between the Carthaginians and the Romans. The war began after Carthage began to encroach into Spain in an effort to generate enough wealth to finance war reparations, and to pay mercenary forces from the First Punic War. After the Carthaginian forces captured Saguntum, a Roman ally, Rome demanded that the Carthaginian general, Hannibal Barca, be turned over to their forces for punishment. The Carthaginians refused this request and war was declared in March of 218 Bce (Punic Wars, 2016). For fifteen years, Hannibal’s forces ran amok across the Roman countryside scoring multiple decisive victories that left an incredibly powerful Roman Republic crippled and unable to oust its invaders. Reference Fair Use of Copyright Law Disclaimer This presentation may contain material protected under copyright law. This material was obtained and used following a reasoned analysis of the Fair Use exemption for educators. This presentation may not be reproduced Hannibal Crossing the Alps, Heinrich Leutemann, 1865

Home Nations Generals Key Battles Carthage Rome Location: • Modern Day Tunisia Location: • Modern Day Italy Origins: • Phoenician Origins: • Romulus and Remus – Myth Government: • Monarchy Government: • Republic Military: • Libyan heavy infantry • Numidian Calvary (and elephants) • Common use of regional mercenaries Military: • Roman Legions (Heavy Infantry) • Hastati • Principes • Triarii • Roman Calvary (Light Calvary) Industry: Reference • Mercantile. Carthage’s merchant fleet were among the most prominent in the region during antiquity Industry: • • • Stamped coins from both empires Agrarian Military Conquest Advanced Financial Markets

Home Nations Generals Key Battles Reference Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Hannibal Barca Life: • Born 247 BCE • Death 183 BCE Life: • Born 238 BCE • Death 183 BCE Family: • Son of Hamilcar Barca, Carthage’s general in the First Punic War • Brothers served in Hannibal’s army as commanders during the Second Punic War • Mago • Hasdrubal Role in the War: • General of the Carthaginian army and Gallic allies invading the Iberian Peninsula, and eventual invasion of Rome’s mainland via crossing the Alps Family: • Wife, Aemilia Paulla, was the daughter of Lucius Paullus who fell at the Battle of Cannae • Numerous notable family members within Roman political aristocracy Bust of Hannibal Barca Role in the War: • General of the Roman Legion tasked with routing Hannibal’s forces from Rome’s mainland, and taking the fight to Carthaginian territory Bust of Scipio Africanus

Home Nations Generals Key Battles Trebia River (218 BCE) Lake Trasimene (217 BCE) Cannae (216 BCE) Hannibal’s first decisive victory over the roman legions after Hannibal’s historic crossing of the Alps. With a fresh victory came additional gallic allies Hannibal’s second major victory over a superior Roman force. Ambushed while marching, the Roman’s found themselves outsmarted again Hannibal’s third victory in a row. Badly outnumbered, Hannibal used his cunning to lead Catherinian combined forces to one of the most historic victories in the ancient world Reference Deployment of the Battle of the Trebia River Deployment of the Battle of Lake Trasimene Deployment of the Battle of Cannae

Home Nations Generals Key Battles Reference After Carthaginian forces crossed the Alps, they were in need of resupply, relaxation, and replenishment. They started their journey with roughly 40, 000 soldiers, cavalry, and elephants. They arrived in Roman lands with just 26, 000 men and were reinforced by some 12, 000 Gallic allies. Rome, knowing that Hannibal was weakened by the trip dispatched Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus to deal with the African invaders. It was the winter solstice by the time Tiberius set his camp across the shallow Trebia River. In the night before the battle, Hannibal sent 2, 000 soldiers led by his brother Mago to hide in a tall grass pitch off to the side of the projected field of battle. As dawn came, Hannibal ordered that his men oil themselves, eat a hearty meal, and keep warm, as it was very cold. At the same time, he ordered a cavalry raid across the Trebia into the Roman camp. Hannibal’s cavalry caught the Romans off-guard. Quickly, they donned armor, formed ranks, and prepared for battle. The Romans then marched all of their forces across a shallow river, towards the African invaders. This was a massive tactical blunder. In the middle of winter, you do not march an entire infantry corps across a shallow river. On the other side of the Trebia, the Romans prepared for battle, hungry and freezing. At the last minute, Hannibal formed up his men, allowing them maximum time to stay warm by campfires. The battle began in standard fashion. The armies were of comparable size and composition, but Hannibal soon achieved a small advantage. It was at the first sign of advantage that he signaled for Mago and his two thousand hidden troops to sally forth from their hiding spots to collapse upon the already fledgling Roman troops. With morale and initiative lost, the Romans broke off the engagement and fled across the river. Hannibal scored his first decisive victory on Roman soil QUIZ! The Battle of the Trebia River is one of the largest ambushes in military history. True False

Home Nations Generals Key Battles Reference The Battle of Lake Trasimene was fought in June of 217 BCE. Unlike the previous Battle of the Trebia River, this was not a set battle and was an ambush on the Roman forces by Hannibal and his combined forces. After Tiberius Sempronius Longus’s loss at the Trebia River, he returned to Rome and was replaced by new consuls. Gaius Flaminius ordered his legions into the field. He began to chase Hannibal’s forces and found himself in a difficult position. Hannibal had managed to maneuver his forces between Flaminius’s legions, and Rome herself. Due to the awkward positioning, and the potential for disaster, Flaminius gave chase to Hannibal’s army and quickened his march. As Hannibal pressed his forces onward, he arrived on the shores of lake Trasimene. He examined the area and realized that this site would serve well for an ambush. Knowing that his pursuers were near, he placed the bulk of his forces in a long line up a hill that ran parallel to the lake’s shore. Additionally, he placed a strong corps of infantry ahead of his line to block the pass that was created by the hill and the lake’s shore. On the morning of the battle, a thick fog rolled into the region and gave Hannibal yet another small advantage. Flaminius’s army marched forward, unsuspecting, and ran into the infantry that blocked the pass. A skirmish broke out at the head of the column, and Hannibal ordered his army to sweep down upon the unsuspecting Romans. Once again, Hannibal smashed the Roman forces. After this loss, the Roman’s would change tactics for a season and refuse to fight Hannibal, who appeared to be unstoppable. QUIZ! The Battle of Lake Trasimene resulted in a surprising Carthaginian victory. True False

Home Nations Generals Key Battles Reference After the incredible defeats at Trebia and Trasimine, the Roman forces avoided direct contact with the Carthaginian forces for six months. Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus was a dictator at the time. He ordered Roman forces to avoid direct contact in favor of shadowing the movements of Hannibal. Today, this tactic is still known to military commanders as the Fabian strategy. Eventually, Romans grew tired of this strategy, and they decided that they would take another fight with Hannibal and his Gallic allies. The Battle of Cannae’s formations did not, on the surface, appear to be atypical. Roman’s forces were aligned as they often are in a triple set with an incredibly strong frontal assault by reinforced heavy infantry. Opposite that frontal assault, Hannibal laid his trap. He deliberately weakened his center by placing them in a convex formation of light gallic infantry. Hannibal reinforced his flanks with African heavy infantry and cavalry. As the Roman army marched into his center, the convex formation of his gallic light infantry began to lose ground. By all traditional Roman military knowledge up until this moment, they appeared to be winning. With an enemy slowly collapsing inward, victory seemed certain. Hannibal signaled, and the left and right flanks pivoted and rushed the sides of the Roman infantry. In a fast maneuver, suddenly the Romans found themselves completely penned in by an inferior force. Without the ability to defend themselves or move, the Roman soldiers had nothing to do but die. The slaughter lasted the entire day. Some speculate that being a Roman soldier at Cannae is the single worst time and place to be in all of human history. QUIZ! The Battle of Cannae is still studied to this buy by military leaders True False

Home Nations Generals Key Battles Reference Carthage A North African Mediterranean mercantile Phoenician Colony was just a three day sail from the harbor of Rome. Like all foreign powers close to Rome, it was only a matter of time before Carthage and Rome clashed as they both vied for regional power and influence. After the defeat in the First Punic War, Carthage was deeply in debt to mercenary forces which it hired to fight the Romans. Additionally, Rome imposed strict war reparations that all but crippled Carthage’s post-war economy. This reparation was supposed to come in the form of “ 80 tons of silver in 10 annual installments. ” With unpaid mercenaries revolting on Carthaginian soil, and Roman war reparation payments coming due, Hannibal, son of Hamilcar, was tasked with heading to the Iberian Peninsula to explore new avenues of income. (Hoyos, 2011) Though their task was to create new income to pay the Romans, they ended up provoking the Romans into war by attacking their long-time allies, Saguntum. This decision ultimately lead to their civilizations complete destruction in the years to come

Home Nations Generals Key Battles Reference Rome The Roman Republic was the regional power of its day. Though there were other nations, like Carthage, that could stand up to her on the field of battle, Rome could replenish soldiers and losses quickly due to its large population and territories that were required to send troops when called upon. This allowed Rome to suffer blow after blow without collapse, which is uncommon in the ancient world. Before the Second Punic War, Roman combat tactics were static, preferring frontal attacks in a vast open field. Given that their heavy infantry was the strongest in the world at the time, their preference for frontal assaults makes perfect sense. These tactics were called into question and rebuked in the wake of Hannibal’s savagery upon her homeland. Eventually, after losing enough battles, the Romans adopted tactics that they previously deemed too sneaky to implement. Until this time, their word for the ambush was the same word for cowardice. Depiction of Roman infantry tactics

Home Nations Generals Key Battles Reference Hannibal Barca Famously, Hamilcar, Hannibal’s father, after his defeat in the First Punic War, took Hannibal’s hand upon an altar in Carthage and “bade him swear never be the friend of the Romans. ” Hannibal was nine years old at the time of the oath, and it would survive his entire life. The hated of the Romans by the Barca family became legendary across Rome, and to many Romans, they considered their hatred alone to be the real reason behind the Second Punic War. (Hoyos, 2011) Once the Second Punic War began, Hannibal marched his forces, including elephants across the Alps. This iconic and risky maneuver heralded fifteen years of Hannibal’s forces ravaging the Roman country side. Hannibal repeatedly outsmarted and outmaneuvered his Roman Adversaries on Roman soil resulting in victories that are studied in the modern area for their tactical mastery (Hoyos, 2011) Unable to oust Hannibal from Rome, Scipio Africanus invaded Carthage forcing Hannibal to recall his forces to defend Carthage. In October of 202 BC, Scipio defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama with similar tactics employed by Hannibal in previous battles. Seven years after the Battle of Zama, Rome demanded that Carthage surrender Hannibal for punishment. Hannibal went into exile and eventually died in 183 BCE after committing suicide to avoid falling into Roman hands. (Hoyos, 2011) “If we cannot find a way, We will make one. ” Hannibal

Home Nations Generals Key Battles Reference Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus How does one win a war that has already been lost? This was the great task of Scipio Africanus. By all accounts, Hannibal was victorious at every turn and set back the Romans each time they tried to rid themselves of the foreign invader. Scipio raised forces and took the fight to Carthage on her mainland. This was the first major change of pace in Roman strategy for fifteen years. Without a substantial garrison, Hannibal and his forces were forced to recall to Carthage. On this alone, Scipio had already accomplished a massive victory for Rome. For now, the decade-old invasion had subsided. Scipio's invasion was not a ploy; he meant to fight Hannibal. He had learned from Hannibal and respected Hannibal, and on a field outside of Zama, he defeated Hannibal in battle after a clever maneuver which negated the strength of Hannibal's elephants. Scipio Africanus is in the history books as a brilliant general that finally defeated possibly the best military general to every live. “Prepare for war, since you have been unable to endure peace. ” Scipio

Home References Images Anonymous, ancient Carthaginian. (2007). Ancient coin of Hannibal, possibly depicting Hannibal as Hercules. [Photograph]. Retrieved from www. englishare. com Nations Citations Hoyos, B. D. (2011). A companion to the Punic Wars. Malden, MA : Wiley-Blackwell Punic Wars. (2016). Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Video [Historia Civilis] (2015). The Battle of Cannae (216 B. C. E. ) [Video File] Retrieved from https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Mro. GPOb. EZzk [Historia Civilis] (2015). The Battle of Lake Trasimene (217 B. C. E. ) [Video File] Retrieved from https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=nfd. M 76 p 7 Dpk Reference Department of History, United States Military Academy. (2012). Map of the Battle of Lake Trasimene. [Illustration]. Retrieved from https: //www. ancient. eu/image/166/ Department of History, United States Military Academy. (N. D. ). Map of the Battle of the Trebia River. [Illustration]. Retrieved from https: //weaponsandwarfare. com/2015/11/14/battle-of-the-trebia-river/ Generals Key Battles CNG Coins. (2008). Roman consul accompanied by two lictors [Photograph]. Retrieved from https: //www. cngcoins. com/ Great. Military. Battles. (N. D. ). Map of the Pre-Battle Deployment at Cannae. [Illustration]. Retrieved from http: //www. greatmilitarybattles. com/html/the_battle_of_cannae. html Heinrich Leutemann. (1865). Hannibal Crossing the Alps [Painting]. Retrieved from https: //www. britannica. com/event/Punic-Wars? oasm. Id=224683 [Historia Civilis] (2015). The Battle of the Trebia River (218 B. C. E. ) [Video File] Retrieved from https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=O-b. Xtg 14 T 90 Jason Jula. (N. D. ) Roman Battle Formation [Illustration] Retrieved from https: //i. pinimg. com/736 x/5 c/db/f 5/5 cdbf 58 c 59 e 6 fa 8726506 fcb 7 cc 845 ea- roman-legion-roman-history. jpg [Historia Civilis] (2016). The Battle of Zama (202 B. C. E. ) [Video File] Retrieved from https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Sjx. YJBWc. S 08 Phaidon Verlag. (1932). Bust of Hannibal Barca. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https: //commons. wikimedia. org/wiki/File: Mommsen_p 265. jpg William Shepher. (2012). Map showing Rome and Carthage at the start of the Second Punic War and theatre of the Punic Wars. [Illustration]. Retrieved from https: //commons. wikimedia. org/wiki/File: Map_of_Rome_and_Carthage_at_th e_start_of_the_Second_Punic_War. svg William Shepherd. (1923). Rome and Carthage at the Beginning of the Second Punic War, 218 B. C. [Illustration] retrieved from http: //www. emersonkent. com/map_archive/second_punic_war_218_bc. htm