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Second Punic War: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Second Punic War
In 219 BC, a Carthaginian army under Hannibal besieged the pro-Roman city of Saguntum. After eight months, they captured and sacked it. Rome complained to the Carthaginian government, sending an embassy headed by Quintus Fabius Maximus with peremptory demands. When these were rejected, Rome declared war in the spring of 218 BC. This conflict followed the First Punic War which had ended in 241 BC after 23 years. During that earlier war, Carthage ceded its Sicilian possessions to Rome under the Treaty of Lutatius. Rome later exploited Carthage's distraction during the Truceless War to annex Sardinia and Corsica in 238 BC. Under Hamilcar Barca, Carthage defeated rebels in 237 BC and carved out a quasi-monarchical state in southern Iberia. The Ebro Treaty was agreed with Rome in 226 BC, specifying the river as the northern boundary of Carthaginian influence. At some point within the next six years, Rome made a separate agreement with Saguntum, situated well south of the Ebro. Roman expansion into Cisalpine Gaul from 232 BC led to repeated wars with local Gallic tribes. These tribes were finally defeated in 222 BC. In 218 BC, Romans pushed further north, establishing two new colonies on the Po River.
Hannibals Alpine Campaign
During 218 BC, Hannibal assembled a Carthaginian army in New Carthage and led it northwards along the Iberian coast. He entered Gaul and took an inland route to avoid Roman allies. At the battle of the Rhône Crossing, he defeated local Gauls seeking to bar his way. A Roman fleet carrying the Iberian-bound army landed at Massalia but Hannibal evaded them. The Carthaginians reached the foot of the Alps by late autumn and crossed them in 15 days. They surmounted difficulties of climate, terrain, and guerrilla warfare tactics of native Ligurians. Hannibal arrived in Cisalpine Gaul with 20,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and elephants in November. His surprise entry cancelled Rome's planned invasion of Africa. Shortly after arriving, the Carthaginians captured the chief city of the hostile Taurini and seized its food stocks. In late November 218 BC, Carthaginian cavalry routed Roman cavalry and light infantry at the battle of Ticinus. Most Gallic tribes declared for the Carthaginian cause, growing Hannibal's army to over 40,000 men. The Senate ordered the Sicilian army north to join forces facing Hannibal. The combined Roman force under Sempronius was lured into combat at the battle of Trebia. The Carthaginians encircled the Romans; only 10,000 out of 40,000 fought their way to safety.
The Second Punic War began in 218 BC when Rome declared war after Carthage besieged Saguntum. The conflict ended in spring 201 BC when Carthage accepted a peace treaty stripping it of all overseas territories.
Who was Hannibal Barca and what strategy did he use during the Second Punic War?
Hannibal Barca commanded the Carthaginian army that crossed the Alps into Cisalpine Gaul in November 218 BC with 20,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry. He employed guerrilla tactics to defeat Roman forces at battles including Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae while avoiding pitched engagements against Fabius Maximus.
What were the major battles fought between Rome and Carthage from 218 BC to 201 BC?
Major battles included Ticinus in late November 218 BC, Trebia in early 217 BC, Lake Trasimene in spring 217 BC, and Cannae in spring 216 BC where 67,500 Romans died or were captured. The decisive battle occurred on the 2nd of October 202 BC at Zama where Roman cavalry defeated Carthaginian forces.
How long did the Second Punic War last and how many years passed since the First Punic War ended?
The war lasted from 218 BC until 201 BC for a total duration of 17 years. It followed the First Punic War which had ended in 241 BC after 23 years of conflict.
Who wrote the most reliable historical accounts of the Second Punic War and when was it written?
Polybius is the most reliable source who wrote The Histories sometime after 146 BC while serving as a hostage in Rome since 167 BC. Livy also provided main sources but his work remains pro-Roman and often suspect regarding military encounters according to modern historians.
In early spring 217 BC, Carthaginians crossed the Apennines unopposed via a difficult but unguarded route. Hannibal attempted to draw Gaius Flaminius into pitched battle by devastating protected areas. He set an ambush and completely defeated the Roman army at Lake Trasimene, killing 15,000 Romans including Flaminius. A cavalry force of 4,000 from another Roman army was also annihilated at Umbrian Lake. Quintus Fabius Maximus was elected dictator and adopted the strategy of avoiding pitched battles. He relied on low-level harassment to wear the invader down until Rome rebuilt strength. Hannibal marched through Italy's richest provinces hoping devastation would draw Fabius into battle. Fabius refused, earning derision as the Delayer. In 216 BC, new consuls Gaius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus were elected. They advocated aggressive strategies against Fabius's caution. In spring 216 BC, Hannibal seized the large supply depot at Cannae on the Apulian plain. The Senate authorized double-sized armies totaling 86,000 men. At Cannae, Libyan heavy infantry swung around Roman flanks while Hasdrubal Gisco routed Roman cavalry. The Carthaginian infantry held out until Hasdrubal charged from behind. At least 67,500 Romans were killed or captured. Miles describes this as Rome's greatest military disaster. Within weeks, a Roman army of 25,000 was ambushed by Boii Gauls at Silva Litana and annihilated.
Theaters Of Conflict
During 215 BC, Macedonian king Philip V pledged support to Hannibal, initiating the First Macedonian War. Romans reinforced their navy in the area and dispatched a legion to stand guard. The threat petered out by 205 BC when peace ended the war. A rebellion supporting Carthage broke out on Sardinia in 213 BC but was quickly put down. Prior to 215 BC, Sicily remained firmly in Roman hands. Hiero II, tyrant of Syracuse for forty-five years, died in 215 BC. His successor Hieronymus negotiated a treaty making Syracuse a Carthaginian ally. The Syracusan army proved no match for Claudius Marcellus' Roman forces. By spring 213 BC, Syracuse was besieged. Polybius and Livy focus on Archimedes' invention of war machines countering siege warfare. A large Carthaginian army led by Himilco relieved the city in 213 BC. Several Sicilian cities deserted Rome. In spring 212 BC, Romans stormed Syracuse in a surprise night assault. The Carthaginian army was crippled by plague. After failing to resupply the city, the rest fell in autumn 212 BC; Archimedes was killed by a Roman soldier. Carthage sent more reinforcements to Sicily in 211 BC. Hannibal sent Numidian cavalry led by Mottones who inflicted heavy losses through hit-and-run attacks. A fresh Roman army attacked Agrigentum in 210 BC and captured it.
Scipios African Invasion
In 218 BC, the Roman fleet landed an army in north-east Iberia where it won local support. Their lodgement between the Ebro and Pyrenees blocked routes from Iberia to Italy. A Carthaginian attack in late 218 BC was repelled at Cissa. In 217 BC, 40 Carthaginian and Iberian warships were beaten by 35 Roman vessels at the battle of Ebro River. Hasdrubal received orders to move into Italy but argued authority over tribes was too fragile. He eventually acted in 215 BC besieging Dertosa but suffered severe losses. In 211 BC, two battles known as Upper Baetis ended in complete defeat for Romans due to bribed mercenaries. Claudius Nero brought reinforcements in 210 BC to stabilize the situation. Publius Cornelius Scipio arrived in 210 BC with further Roman forces. In 209 BC he captured New Carthage, seizing vast gold, silver, and siege artillery. He released captives and liberated hostages to ensure tribal loyalty. In spring 208 BC, Hasdrubal engaged Scipio at Baecula but withdrew most troops. Scipio could not prevent Hasdrubal from leading his army into Gaul. In 206 BC, Scipio defeated a Carthaginian army of 54,500 men and 32 elephants at Ilipa. This sealed the fate of Carthaginians in Iberia. The last city, Gades, defected to Rome later that year.
Battle Of Zama And Peace
In 205 BC, Publius Scipio received command of legions in Sicily to plan an invasion of Africa. After landing in 204 BC, he joined Masinissa and Numidian cavalry. Scipio destroyed two large Carthaginian armies. At Cirta, Masinissa pursued Syphax and took him prisoner. Rome and Carthage entered peace negotiations. Hannibal was placed in command of another army formed from veterans and new African troops. The decisive battle of Zama followed in October 202 BC. Unlike most battles, Romans had cavalry superiority while Carthaginians held infantry advantage. Hannibal attempted to use 80 elephants to break Roman formations. Romans countered effectively; elephants routed back through Carthaginian ranks. Roman and Numidian cavalry drove Carthaginian cavalry from the field. Infantry fought inconclusively until Roman cavalry attacked the rear. The formation collapsed; Hannibal escaped. The treaty stripped Carthage of all overseas territories and some African ones. An indemnity of 10,000 silver talents was paid over 50 years. Carthage was forbidden from possessing war elephants or maintaining a fleet beyond ten ships. It could wage war only with Rome's permission. Many senior Carthaginians wanted to reject the treaty but Hannibal spoke strongly in its favor. It was accepted in spring 201 BC.
Historiography And Sources
The most reliable source for the Second Punic War is Polybius, a Greek sent to Rome in 167 BC as a hostage. He wrote The Histories sometime after 146 BC. His work is considered broadly objective and largely neutral between Carthaginian and Roman points of view. Polybius interviewed participants from both sides wherever possible. Modern historians accept his account largely at face value despite treating Scipio Aemilianus unduly favorably. Andrew Curry sees Polybius as fairly reliable while Craige Champion calls him remarkably well-informed. Much of Polybius's account is missing after 216 BC or exists only in fragmentary form. The main source for much of the war is Livy, who relied heavily on Polybius. Livy wrote in a more structured way with details about Roman politics but was openly pro-Roman. Classicist Adrian Goldsworthy says Livy's reliability is often suspect regarding military encounters. Phillip Sabin refers to Livy's military ignorance. Other ancient histories exist in fragmentary or summary form including writings by Diodorus Siculus and Cassius Dio. John Lazenby describes them as clearly inferior to Livy. Plutarch wrote biographies of Roman commanders in Parallel Lives. Coins, inscriptions, archaeological evidence, and empirical reconstructions provide additional data.