Download Hannibal - The Second Punic War

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216 BC: Hannibal attacked Roman
supply lines
Gauis Terrentius Varro was
elected consul
Found Hannibal at the Audifus
River
Hannibal declared for battle – It
was refused
 Hannibal sent his cavalry to a
small roman camp harassing the
water-bearing soldiers
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According to Polybius, “Hannibal's
cavalry boldly rode up to the edge
of the Roman encampment,
causing havoc and thoroughly
disrupting the supply of water to
the Roman camp”.
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216BC: Near town of Cannae in
Apulia in southeast Italy
Greatest tactical feats in military
history
Roman Commanders:
› Lucius Aemilius Paullus
› Gaius Terrentius Varro
Roman’s methods of fighting
and their equipment were
highly sophisticated
Rome led ≈80,000
Hannibal led ≈40,000
Hannibal’s men came from different
regions:
Carthage
Infantry:
•Libyans
•Iberians
•Gaetulian
•Gauls
Cavalry:
•Numidian
•Spanish
•Gallic
•Liby – Phoenician
Romans densely packed their infantry
in the centre and the cavalry on the
wings
 Consuls planned to use the infantry to
quickly break the Carthaginian lines
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Hannibal placed his cavalry and most
veteran infantry on the wings and his
lighter infantry in the centre.
 Hannibal formed their line into a bow
 Hannibal had his centre ranks slowly
retreat – Leading the Romans into a
trap
 The Carthaginian Cavalry destroyed
the Roman cavalry on the left
› Then advanced behind the Roman
allied cavalry on the right and
assaulted them from the rear
Roman Allied
Cavalry
Numidian
Cavalry
African
Infantry
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Spanish and
Gaulish
Infantry
African
Infantry
Roman
Cavalry
Destroyed
Numidian
Cavalry
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Romans were drawn in
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Carthaginian Cavalry return and
assaulted the Romans from
behind
› Completely surrounded the
Romans  Trapped and
Compressed
› Many Romans did not have
space to raise their weapons
Spanish
and
Gaulish
Cavalry
Numidia Cavalry
African Infantry
Polybius notes:
‘70,000 Romans and their allies were
killed, 10,000 captured’
African Infantry
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Hannibal refuses to march to Rome  He lacked equipment and supplies
Hanno, leader of the Carthaginian senate, refuses to assist Hannibal with
reinforcements
Roman elected a new commander: Marcus Claudius Marcellus
Marcellus was able to restrain Hannibal in three separate battles in Nola
212BC: Hannibal decided to take the Roman port, Tarentum, to wait for
Hasdrubal with reinforcements
208BC: Marcellus gets ambushed by the Numidian Cavalry
207BC: Rome ambushed Hasdrubal at Metaurus River before
reaching Hannibal
 205BC: Scipio was elected consul
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Scipio retook control of Spain and prepared for an invasion of North
Africa
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Romans decided to attack Carthage
› Forcing Carthaginians to recall
Hannibal
Scipio was elected Consul
› He Proposed to end war by invading
Carthage
He landed on Utica with 7,000 men –
Defeated Carthage army in 203BC (The
Battle of the Great Plains)
Scipio offered a new treaty to Carthage:
› Carthage would lose its overseas
empire
› Carthage was to reduce its fleet and
pay a war indemnity.
› Masinissa was to be allowed to
expand Numidia into parts of
Africa.
203BC: Carthage senate recalled
Hannibal back
› Romans fleet were cutting supply lines
in the Gulf of Tunis
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100 Miles south from Carthage
Marked the final and decisive end
of the Second Punic War
Romans were led by Publius
Cornelius Scipio Africanus
› Allied with Berber Numidian
forces
Hannibal had a force of ≈50,000
Men
› Outnumbering Romans by
≈10,000
Hannibal requested a meeting with
Scipio
› Offered all the cities and a
promise to never attack again –
Scipio refused
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Hannibal sent his elephants
Scipio anticipated this move and created open
lanes for attack
› Some panicked, ramming into Hannibal’s
front line
› Some was lured and killed
Scipio sent his cavalry to push Hannibal aside –
Forcing the infantry to the centre
Regular legionaries began to push back the
front of Hannibal's force
The Roman cavalry routes the Carthaginian
cavalry off the field
 Scipio attacks Hannibal's first and
second line of infantry and forces
them to retreat
 Both armies extended their lines to
prevent being flanked
 Scipio failed to encircle Hannibal
 Roman and Numidian cavalry broke
off its pursuit - Returned to attack
Hannibal's infantry= Trapped!
 Carthaginian soon broke off –
Second Punic was soon to be over
 Scipio used much of the same tactic
at Zama as Hannibal at Cannae
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≈20,000 Hannibal’s men killed & ≈20,000 imprisoned
After 16 years of war - Rome was victorious
Scipio defeating Hannibal led to being the world’s greatest general
Hannibal managed to escape the slaughter
› Escaped to Hadrumentum with a small escort
He advised Carthage to accept good terms with Rome – the war, at this
time, was futile
Polybius notes:
“Hannibal, escaping with a few horsemen, did not draw rein until he arrived
safely at Hadrumentum. He had done in the battle all that was to be
expected of a good and experienced general.”
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Ended in Roman victory
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Scipio became the world’s greatest general
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Carthage was forced to surrender and accept Scipio’s terms:
1.
Carthaginian territory outside of Africa were to be surrendered; along with navy and
elephant fleet
2.
Carthage agreed to not engage in warfare without the permission of Rome
Pay Rome 10,000 talents for the next 50 years
3.
4.
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Lost resources had to be provided to Rome
Hannibal became a businessman for several years  committed suicide to avoid
capture.
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=P
erseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0234%3Abook%3D
15%3Achapter%3D18
 http://www.roman-empire.net/army/zama.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Zama
 http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/mediterran
ean/2ndPunic.html
 http://www.unrv.com/empire/result-of-secondpunic-war.php
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