Battles & Wars › Greece, Rome & Han › Punic Wars
Hannibal Barca
247–c. 183 BC· Person· Europe
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
Carthaginian general who marched an army with war elephants over the Alps and beat Rome again and again in Italy.
See it on the Battles & Wars map →What happened
Son of the general Hamilcar Barca, Hannibal led an army and 37 elephants from Spain over the Pyrenees and Alps in 218 BC; by Polybius's count only about 26,000 men reached Italy. There he won at the Trebia, Lake Trasimene and Cannae. But Rome would not negotiate, and most of its Italian allies stayed loyal. After 15 years he was recalled to defend Carthage and lost at Zama. He died in exile around 183 BC, taking poison to avoid being handed to Rome.
Why it matters
He showed how a smaller army could destroy a larger one, and his battles are still taught at military academies. Rome's survival showed that staying power can beat brilliant victories.
Legacy and how we know
Polybius, who talked with men who had fought him, and Livy wrote the main accounts, both from the Roman side. Histories by Greeks in Hannibal's own camp are lost.
Still debated
Which pass he used to cross the Alps is still argued; candidates include the Col de la Traversette, Col du Clapier and Mont Cenis.
Connections (2)
▸Hannibal Barca won his greatest victory at Battle of CannaeWell documented
The connection
Cannae was Hannibal's masterpiece. He chose open ground suited to his cavalry, deliberately thinned his center so it would bend, and posted veteran African infantry on the flanks to close the trap. The plan turned the Romans' own strengths, their numbers and forward drive, against them.
When and how
Cannae, Apulia, August 2, 216 BC; Hannibal's army of about 50,000 against roughly 80,000 Romans.
How we know
Polybius's detailed account, drawing on sources from both sides, lays out the deployments; commanders have studied the plan as Hannibal's design ever since.
Debates and open questions
How much was a planned double envelopment and how much was luck, such as the Roman cavalry's quick collapse, is debated.
▸Hannibal Barca was finally defeated at Battle of ZamaWell documented
The connection
Zama reversed Cannae. Scipio had learned Hannibal's lesson that cavalry wins battles and recruited Numidian horsemen, once Hannibal's own advantage. Hannibal, short of good cavalry and leading partly raw troops, was outflanked and beaten. He escaped, urged Carthage to accept peace, and later went into exile.
When and how
Near Zama, in today's Tunisia, 202 BC; Hannibal against Scipio and the Numidian king Masinissa.
How we know
Polybius and Livy narrate the battle and Hannibal's part in it; both report a meeting between the two generals just before.
Debates and open questions
Whether that pre-battle meeting between Hannibal and Scipio really happened is uncertain; it may be a literary invention.