Hannibal And Rome: The Success Of The First Punic War

2434 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: First punic war

In the darkest hour of the Roman Republic, an army was led against all odds to reign supreme on the Italian peninsula. Led through sheer military genius, the Carthaginian Army laid waste to everything the might of Rome could muster. For years on end, Italy was the stage for the greatest military orchestra the world had yet seen, conducted by a master of strategy and warfare. Hannibal, son of Hamilcar Barca, laid siege to the very idea of Rome’s military prowess. Despite absolute dominance of the Italian peninsula for several years, his success can not be credited to his brilliance and mastery of strategy. Hannibal’s success can be primarily attributed to Rome’s failure to respond at key points of his advance into Italy.
But before delving into Rome’s numerous mistakes made with regard to the defense of Italy, it is necessary to determine Hannibal’s motives and clarify how he rose into a position in which he could pursue them. With the signing of the Treaty of Lutatius in (241 BC, find correct date) (cite), the First Punic War was drawn to a conclusion. Yet the renewal of war between Carthage and Rome was inevitable. (cite) Much of Carthage wanted peace on its own terms, not a peace dependent on the good-will of the Romans.(<--MAKE THIS A QUOTE, THIS IS PLAGIARISM) Such were the ambitions of Hamilcar Barca, a man distinguished by his command of Carthaginian forces in the First Punic War and the Libyan wars (cite). Under this pretense he was put in charge of Carthage’s army, which consisted of little more than Libyan-Phoenician cavalry.
(*****This bit needs to be shortened and cleaned up, up until the next star set *****)
Knowing that Carthage did not have the resources to fund him, Hamilcar knew that he would have to pay his men by...

... middle of paper ...

...al never would have been in the position to pull off such a fantastic maneuver and brilliant strategy had the Romans committed an army even half of this size to stopping Hannibal from arriving in the Italian plains.
In any event, none of Hannibal’s great successes would have even been a possibility had the Romans stopped his advance towards Italy. Their mismanagement of their army and lack of regard for the threat Hannibal posed cost them dearly. While Hannibal’s military genius allowed for incredible tactical maneuvers and incredible victories, the Romans easily could have challenged him in situations that were heavily in their favor. The mistake of not countering Hannibal, most notably his arrival on the plains of Italy, is the primary reason behind his success in the Second Punic War (fix this, but I’ll leave it for now, need to go back and make an intro ;)).

Show More
Related

  • Hannibal: Africa’s Tactical Genius

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hannibal is, perhaps, most notable for moving from Iberia over the Pyrenees, across the Alps and into northern Italy with an estimated army of 38,000 soldiers and war elephants braving the harsh climate and terrain, the guerilla tactics of the native tribes and commanding an extremely lingual-diverse army. He was a distinguished tactician, able to determine his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, and coordinate his battles accordingly. He also wasn’t above making allies when the time called for it, winning over many allies of Rome in the process during his 15-year invasion before a Roman counter-invasion of North Africa forced ...

    Read More

  • How Is Hannibal A Ethical Leader?

    1814 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hannibal, the great strategic commander, took the fight to Rome to carry out his vision of independence within the Mediterranean region. He didn’t give up the vision simply because he lacked sufficient resources. Instead, he used the resources he had. Unfortunately, for all his greatness, he had some slips in ethical judgment that will forever stain his reputation as one of the great generals of antiquity. At the beginning of this essay I told a story about the bully and how you stood up to the bully because of your vision to make the neighborhood a better place. What a shame that you ultimately lost your fight because of your inability to remain ethical during the battle.

    Read More

  • History of the Spanish Language

    2475 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Second Punic war, beginning in 218 BC, was the second major war between the Roman Empire and the Carthage. Around the same time, the Roman Empire deployed troops to the Northeastern peninsula of Spain to keep reinforcements, from the Carthaginian South, from getting to Hannibal’s armies in Italy to assist them. In A Histor...

    Read More

  • Carthage vs. Rome; the Punic Wars

    2042 Words  | 5 Pages

    Knox, E.L. "The Punic Wars." Hannibal Crosses the Alps. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 May 2014.

    Read More

  • Hannibal Barca Thesis

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the first instance, one of the greatest achievement of Hannibal was during the Second Punic War (218-202), by catching the Romans off guard. He crossed the Alps with fifty thousand infantry, nine thousand horsemen and thirty-seven elephants because, although they had sea power, he proved that they also had land power. During the “Battle of Zama” Hannibal and his enemy Scipio Africanus stood face by face confronting each other for the first time. At this battle Hannibal was defeated Scipio Africanus, ending the Second Punic War. However, we shouldn't forget about all of Hannibal's other smaller achievements. In fact, one other powerful example of his achievements was “The Battle of Cannae”(216 BCE). During the battle Hannibal (who was fighting for Carthage) and Lucius Aemilius of Rome fought against each other. Hannibal won this battle with Roman losses falling somewhere in the range of 55,000 to 70,000 men and soldiers. In addition, there were many other achievements of Hannibal like when he got married with a Spanish princess, Imilce, and then through his improved position, he conquered different Spanish tribes. He fought with the Olcades and captured their capital, Althea, and later quieted down the Vaccaei in the northwest. In 221 B.C, making the seaport of Kart-hadst (modern Cartagena, Spain) his base, he won a battle with the Carpetania in the region of the

    Read More

  • The First Punic War (264-241 BCE)

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the beginning of time, man has waged war on his neighbors, his friends and his enemies. In many cases these wars were caused by power-hungry nations that were in the process of expanding their empire and ended up stepping on the toes of another superpower or ally of a superpower. In the case of the first Punic War between Rome and Carthage, Carthage was extending its empire and they stepped on Rome’s toes. During the course of this war the winner was unclear but at times victory seemed eminent for both sides until Rome finally won. The Romans had control in the first part of the war but this would not last. After the Romans first win they decided that they needed a victory over the city of Carthage but this would turn the tides in favor of the Carthaginians. For some 15 years after this defeat of Rome the tides went back and forth between the two but would eventually lead to the Romans victory. After the victory, Rome made some very harsh demands and Carthage filled those demands even though some of them were very extreme.

    Read More

  • Hannibal vs. Rome

    792 Words  | 2 Pages

    even today for his campaign, the hatred Hannibal felt for Rome was clearly seen on the

    Read More

  • Why Hannibal Lost The Second Punic War

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rome had proved herself to be unconquerable, adapting to the needs of whatever situation arose, whether it had been the recovery after Pyrrhus or construction of a capable navy to challenge Carthaginian sea power. The defeats that occured towards Rome did not break her strength, let alone her spirit. “Instead, Augustan propaganda presented those defeats as tests of endurance, which made the Romans even more determined to pursue their course of action” (Livy 22.54.10)2. While Hannibal was a brilliant tactician on the battlefield, one of his biggest errors came from his belief that the Italians and Latins would welcome him as a liberator. This idea had stemmed from a belief that the Roman alliance system was similar to the Carthaginian, in that their allies were treated as enemies and supressed by violent brutality. However this was not the truth as the allies found the Roman rule extremely profitable and welcomed the military protection of Rome, which in turn dissuaded them from joining Hannibal's

    Read More

  • Strengths And Weaknesses Of The First Punic War

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the time that Carthage and Rome first battled each other in the first Punic War, they may have been seen as worthy adversaries. Each had strengths that threatened the other. Each came from a different culture while developing their empires in tandem. By the end of the first Punic War however, Rome managed to get the upper hand on the Carthaginians. In this essay I will discuss what may have led to Rome developing into the superior opponent when at the outset Carthage was the clearly the stronger naval power.

    Read More

  • Why Did The Roman Empire Grow Throughout The Mediterranean

    769 Words  | 2 Pages

    Carthage was the top trading and naval power in the Mediterranean (Hamric). The first war began as a result of trade disputes. Fought mostly at sea, the first war was dominated by Carthage in the early stages. However, the persistence of Rome helped them recover. After Rome built its navy, it was able to defeat Carthage in the first war, gaining control over all of Carthage’s “...Sicilian lands…” (Book, 114). The Second Punic War lasted from 218 to 202 B.C., beginning after Carthage attempted to expand into Spain. Rome received this as a threat and declared war. Carthaginian commander Hannibal raised an army in Spain and marched into Italy. The struggle between Rome and Hannibal ended when a Roman general, Publius Cornelius Scipio, met and defeated Hannibal near Carthage in Africa (Book, 114). In the aftermath of the second war, Carthage abandoned all but the city and was forced to pay steep reparations. When Rome demanded that the Carthaginians leave the city and settle near the sea, Carthage refused, beginning the third and final Punic War. The Romans quickly took the city of Carthage, killing or enslaving all the inhabitants (Book, 114). After the Punic Wars, “…Carthage ceases to exist…” (Hamric). Roman also gained many new provinces which did not have independence, such as its allies, and improved the Roman economy. The victories in the Punic Wars assisted Rome in its domination of the Mediterranean world and would serve as “…a warning to Rome’s other potential enemies.” (Book,

    Read More

  • Hannibal Barca

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even before the war started, Hannibal knew what he was going to do. Since Carthage had no navy, there was no hope of going directly from Carthage to Italy over the Mediterranean Sea. Hannibal thought up a dangerous but ingenious plan. In order to get to Italy over land, Hannibal and his army would have to travel from Carthage-controlled Spain across the Alps and into the heart of the enemy. Hannibal left in the cold winter of 218 B.C. with 50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 37 war elephants. While crossing the Alps, “Hannibal’s force suffered greatly from the elements and the hostility of the local tribesmen” (Beshara, 3). By the time they reached Italy, after only fourteen days, over 9,000 men had perished along with most of the elephants, but this number was soon replenished after 14,000 northern Gaul rebels joined Hannibal’s army. This group of 60,000 men proved superior to the Roman forces, and after at least three recorded major victories, the Roman senate was exasperated. An army of 80,000 Roman soldiers was sent to stop Hannibal’s army of now 50,000 once and for all. In July of 216 B.C., the Romans engaged the Carthaginians in “the neighborhood of Cannae on the Italian east coast” (Lendering, 2). Greatly outnumbered, Hannibal realized that he would have to win by strategy, and that is exactly what he did. As the two lines met, Hannibal’s cavalry gained the flanks and, moving up the sides, attacked the rear of the Roman line.

    Read More

  • Caesars Conquest Of Gaul

    2383 Words  | 5 Pages

    In previous years, Caesar had relied upon the wealth and prestige of others in order to further his own political and military ambitions. Before his governorship of Cisalpine Gaul, he relied heavily upon the financial support of Crassus (whom was his main creditor) to gain favour with the Roman public. However, with his appointment as proconsul of Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum in 58 B.C.E, Caesar saw an opportunity to increase his own wealth and prestige without relying upon the support of others. To his command of Cisalpine Gaul, he was also later given the command of Transalpine Gaul. His command of the Gallic region had several advantages. Firstly, the Po Valley was an excellent recruiting ground for troops. Secondly through Gaul, Caesar had an opportunity to acquire great wealth, which would be needed to fur...

    Read More

  • The Expansion of the Roman Empire

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    Another sizeable contributing factor to the expansion of the Roman Empire was the sacking of Rome by the Gauls in 390 B.C.. “The Romans were completely dumbfounded by the wild and undisciplined charge of the howling Gauls. The Roman’s tightly packed phalanx, a military formation they had adopted from the Greeks of southern Italy, collapsed, and the Romans fled” (Kidner, 129). The sacking left the Romans determined to prevent and avoid any similar outcomes in the future.

    Read More

  • Biography On Julius Caesar

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    Julius Caesar was a strong leader of the Romans who changed the course of the history for the Roman world decisively and irreversibly. With his courage and strength, he created a strong empire and guided the empire for almost 20 years. His life was short, but had many adventures. I will tell of some of this man’s remarkable life. He did many things, therefore, I will only discuss a few. His name, part of his reign, one of his greatest battles, and his death will be told.

    Read More

  • Hannibal

    1041 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hannibal, a Carthaginian general and one of the greatest generals that ever lived was renown for his strategies and courageousness, such as crossing the Alps and using the &quot;bottleneck strategy&quot; at Lake Trasemene. He used strategies that a lot of generals at this time, especially Roman generals, would never think of and in doing this he almost destroyed the Roman republic.

    Read More

More about Hannibal And Rome: The Success Of The First Punic War

Open Document