The Invasion of Hannibal

The war lasted for 20 years since neither of the two powers could prevail, although in 241 B.C. our brave army obtained an important victory.

Furious at their defeat, the Carthaginians swore to crush Rome once and for all. Moving their forces to the west along the coast of North Africa and into Spain, they established a base called New Carthage.

The Spanish troops, lusting for the booty that comes with the spoils of war, attached themselves readily to the Carthaginian cause. The young Hannibal, their extraordinary general, rapidly formed an army of over 40,000 men and added to that a very leathal weapon: 40 African war elephants trained to attack and trample the enemy.

Passage through the Mountains

Hannibal was ready to invade our country. His army moved north. On the way he enlisted more soldiers and gathered more supplies. Soon he reached the frozen Alp mountains. Fortunately for Rome, the mountains proved treacherous for Hannibal and when he arrived in Italy in 218 B.C., a quarter of his army and many of his elephants had perished in the unbearable cold. But even so, Hannibal defeated our forces in three bloody battles that left the war fields scattered with dead Romans.

Enemy at the Gates

In 216 B.C. there was absolutely no doubt that Rome would fall in disgrace. The city was completely defenseless.

But Hannibal made a fatal error with his next action. Rather than continue to Rome and take the city, he looked at his dwindling supplies and soldiers and decided to spend some years traveling through the south of Italy, augmenting his troop and rounding up provisions.

Rome quickly reconstructed its army and in 204 B.C. our leaders devised a plan of attack.

Under the orders of Scipio, an army of well-trained soldiers was sent to Africa to attack Carthage. The desperate Carthaginians begged Hannibal to return, but when he did he suffered a defeat in Zama, in the southeast of Carthage.