The Challenges Of Hannibal Barca

Hannibal Barca, was a Carthaginian general, that was well known for his strategic thinking, and intrepid ways during battle. Although a clear majority of people will agree that Hannibal is a man whose name is synonymous with greatness, competence, and to an extent genius many do not know why, or simply, what made him great. To figure out why Hannibal was such a polarizing figure four questions must me asked, and answered. What was Hannibal’s childhood like, which battles made him such a distinguished and feared adversary, and what did he do in these battles to put himself and his troops in a position to win battles against other great generals of the time, and the most important question, why the elephants?

Hannibal Barca was born in 247 B.C.

Being the great general he was, was entirely his own doing. Hannibal’s excellent skills as a general “Hannibal’s skills as a leader were shown as he had both the support of his troops and of the government above him. This was quite an achievement considering that the military he commanded was not made of one race or speech.” (Cottrell 83). Unlike the Roman soldiers, the state did not bind Hannibal’s troops. And still they all showed an uncanny loyalty to him. Hannibal’s leadership skills were one of the attributes that made him an exquisite general. There is another attribute although that many agree is his best. “Hannibal was both a forward thinker and a brilliant tactician.” (Cottrell 93) Hannibal knew that because Rome had invaded Sardinia and Sicily he could not possibly attack by sea. That is why, even though his journey across the north of Spain, across the Alps, and down into Italy, were considered by the Romans almost impossible, it was still “a model of daring and strategic skill” (Hoyos 171). In 218 B.C. Hannibal did the impossible, he marched his army of eighty thousand plus men, twelve thousand horses, and most importantly 37 elephants towards the North of Italy. The elephants exemplified perfectly why he was such a great general. It was an excellent strategy to bring the elephants because, they could bear excess weight, and the Romans had never seen elephants, so seeing such big creatures would induce fear into the Roman armies giving Hannibal’s army an upper hand. Getting to Rome via the Mountains was easier said than done, but Hannibal always found a way and stayed the course. To keep his troops alive, he would find farmlands and use them to grow food and feed them. When he encountered new foes, he would pay attention very carefully, so he can gain knowledge on how they fought, and use those tactics in the next battle. In August 219 B.C Hannibal’s army