The 2nd Punic War Rome vs. Carthage

What was Carthage? Powerful city located near present day Tunisia, along the Mediterranean coast of Africa Punic is Latin for Phoenician Carthage had a large commercial empire Great harbor at Carthage Controlled trade in the western Mediterranean Army Mercenaries (hired soldiers, multicultural, best Calvary (Numidians) Government Oligarchy (dictatorship by the wealthy elites, those made rich through trade)

In the 3rd Century BCE, Rome and Carthage were major rivals for control of the Mediterranean. Carthage, led by Hamilcar Barca, lost the first Punic War, and control of the Mediterranean to Rome after 23 years of fighting.

Hannibal Barca Legend and history tells us that Hamilcar told his son to put his hand in the blood of a sacrificial animal offered on the altar to the god Baal, and made him swear that he would “never be a friend and forever be an enemy of Rome”, and to avenge Carthage’s losses against Rome. Video to 11:42

Hannibal would make it over the Alps, but lose half his soldiers and most of his war elephants. His men were tired, hungry and exhausted, but still defeated a Roman legion at the Battle of Ticinus, killing 2,300 Romans and almost killing the commander, Publius Scipio. Local tribes joined Hannibal against Rome. Hannibal defeated the Romans again at the Battle of Trebbia, killing 25,000 and again at the battle of Lake Trasimene, killing or drowning 15,000 Roman troops. Video to 50:00 12 minutes

After the unpopular methods of Fabius Maximus to not engage Hannibal, a Roman army of 85,000 led by Gaius Terentius Varro marched against Hannibal at the city of Cannae. Video 50:30 to 101:30 11 minutes

The people of Rome were frightened that Hannibal would take the city. The cry, “Hannibal ad portus” –Hannibal is at the gates, was heard in the city. After refusing to move on the city of Rome, Fabius once again began the non-engagement strategy. Hannibal would ask Carthage for more troops, but his enemies at home would not send help. Eventually, Scipio would propose to fight Hannibal by invading Spain and copying Hannibal’s tactics and learning from Hannibal’s mistakes. Video to 1:10:40 3.5 minutes

Hannibal would call to his brother, Hasdrubal, in Spain for help, but his brother would be ambushed after crossing the Alps and his head tossed into Hannibal’s camp by the Romans. Scipio would invade Carthage, taking the war to Africa. Hannibal was called to return home and defend Carthage from Scipio. Video to 1:16:35 3 minutes

Hannibal and Scipio would meet at the battle of Zama in 202 BCE, where Hannibal would suffer his first and last defeat. Scipio would be given the title Africanus by the Senate. Hannibal would live as a fugitive in Turkey for 20 years, until he was hunted down by Rome and took poison. Rome would go on to dominate the Mediterranean and lay the foundations for modern democracy, law, the arts of the Renaissance, technology, and western civilization. Carthage would be destroyed by Rome in the 3rd Punic War and its soil symbolically salted to end any future rise. Video