Hannibal Research Paper

1

Running Head: HANNIBAL

Hannibal: The Father of Strategy

William Crook

Lincoln Charter School

January 13, 2015

Mr. Thomas

Honors World History

Hannibal 2 Hannibal was a Punic military leader that is considered to be one of the greatest to walk the Earth. Hannibal was widely known for his sneaky military tactics and brave decisions. The leader of the Ancient Carthaginians was the mastermind that led them through the Punic Wars.

He was the son of a Carthaginian named Hamilcar Barca, the general of the vast army in the first Punic War, and told his son to forever hate the Romans, leading him into his first battles as a leader. Although Hannibal was closer to his dad, his brother Hasdrubal was the first commander after his

In the spring of the next year, Hannibal was joined by the Gauls. The gauls were part of North Italy and they were a nation that fought Rome. Now Hannibal had a little more advantage. Hannibal now had more people and calvary, and he thought it would be enough to cripple the megacity of Rome. Any smaller Roman armies in Hannibals way were crushed, none of them could even come close to defeating him. The one key part of the puzzle for the Carthaginians was their siege weapons. Well, actually the army could not fit the giant wooden weapons on their boats, so instead of trying to attack the actual cities themselves, they would just kill their main threats and continue on to Rome. On many accounts, the Roman soldiers would flee into their cities to avoid death, saving their

Instead of going to the treat, the Roman armies went to the city of Carthage in Africa. Carthage ordered Hannibal to Africa to come back to the city of

Carthage to protect them. The army of Hannibal met Scipio near Carthage and fought. They met at a city named Zama. This battle between the two leaders would be the last of the Second Punic War, and the great Hannibal would lose.

Like a coward, the “brave” leader ditched his army and ran like a girl. After the war, Carthage had to pay Rome tons of money and agree that they could only wage war in Africa, but only with Rome's permission. Hannibal returned to Carthage and became one of the two chief judges in 196. Hannibal then challenged the rulers of being dishonest. The rulers told Rome that Hannibal was planning another attack on Rome with Antiochus III of Syria. Rome, currently mad at the ruler, exiled Hannibal out of