| Hannibal Barca | |
|---|---|
| King of Carthage
| |
| |
| A statue of Hannibal counting the signet rings of fallen Roman nobles after Cannae. | |
| Reign | 228 - 179 B.C. |
| Predecessor | Hamilcar II |
| Successor | Hasdrubal II |
| Born | 247 B.C. Carthage |
| Died | 179 B.C. Carthage |
| Issue | Hasdrubal II, Mago, Gisco, Hanno |
| Dynasty | Barcid |
| Father | Hamilcar II |
| Religion |  Punic Polytheism
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Hannibal Barca was a famous general and second King of Carthage's final ruling dynasty, the Barcids. Gaining power in 228 B.C. upon the death of his father Hamilcar II, Hannibal began a campaign of conquest and revenge against the Roman Republic because of Carthage's defeat in the preceding Sicilian War. In the following Punic War, Carthage was decisively defeated despite Hannibal's uncontested tactical genius that enabled him to win almost every battle he fought.
Following his defeat in the war, Hannibal was allowed to remain in power as King, although he faced increased opposition and was forced to remain on guard in the event of several assassination and coup attempts that threatened him or his heirs. While much external affairs curtailed in the wake of Rome's dominance, Hannibal was able to accomplish many major domestic reforms, including reinstating popular rule within the Council and jumpstarting Carthage's devastated economy. Hannibal died after nearly thirty years on the throne, and while Carthage was almost destroyed, is usually hailed as its greatest leader.
Early Life and Becoming King[]
Hannibal was born to the Carthaginian king Hamilcar and had two younger brothers and several sisters. At the time Carthage was still in a period of defeat following the Sicilian War and was politically unstable. Hannibal's father had taken the throne from the previous Bomilcarid dynasty following the defeat and had taken steps to consolidate his power and the power of his heirs both in Africa and in Spain, hoping to one day make Rome return the territories it had seized during the Sicilian and Mercenary Wars. Hannibal pleaded with his father to take him on one of his campaigns to Spain. Hamilcar agreed, provided Hannibal swore an oath to never be friends with Rome and to restore Carthage to its rightful place. Hannibal did so and participated in several campaigns with his father.
When his father died in 228 B.C., Hannibal, as the eldest son, rose to the throne at the age of 21. Extremely young for a king, the Council of Hundred and Four sought to control the new monarch in many different ways, yet Hannibal had the strength and will to not let this happen and he soon took control of the state by himself. For much of his early reign he was not very popular amongst the aristocracy but both the image of his father and himself as war heroes solidified their support from the military and lower classes.
War with Rome[]
In 218 B.C., tensions with Rome had reached the point of war once again. Rome had effectively taken control of a city in Spain that Carthage insisted was within its mutually agreed sphere of interest. Rome refused to budge on the issue, leading to outrage within Carthaginian society. Carthage soon declared war and Hannibal, as the king and best general Carthage had to offer, marched to Spain with his army, intent on driving the Romans out and laying siege to Italy. True enough, the Romans were soon forced out of Spain and Hannibal continued on through Gaul and the Alps into Italy, leaving behind his younger brothers to manage Spain and resupply him with reinforcements.
Within Italy, Hannibal smashed the Romans in several key battles, most notably the River Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae, time and time again defeating larger armies. Hannibal hoped that such victories would inspire Rome's subservient cities and Italic peoples to abandon the Republic and join his ranks. Some did, but to a degree much lesser than he had expected. For their part the Romans realized that they did not have a general that could best Hannibal in the field, so their consul Fabius insisted that they avoid Hannibal and focus on other targets that were much more manageable. Under the so called "Fabian Strategy", Hannibal was safely contained within Italy, unable to siege any cities that turned him away. Any Carthaginian attempts to reinforce him or give him siege weapons were intercepted and destroyed. One such battle ended up killing his younger brother Hasdrubal.
Helpless within Italy, the war soon turned against Hannibal and Carthage as their forces in Spain were destroyed by the rising Roman general Scipio and their Greek allies eliminated. When Scipio was chosen to lead an army to assault the Carthaginian homelands, Hannibal realized the severity of the situation. Risking the discovery and destruction of the remnant Carthaginian fleet, Hannibal left Italy with his army, hoping to intercept Scipio and destroy this threat to Carthage's survival. In Africa, the two generals and their armies faced off in the Battle of Zama in 202 B.C. Scipio and the Romans had studied Hannibal's tactics extensively in preparation, and therefore were able to turn much of them against him. Hannibal's envelopment tactic that worked so well at Cannae was used against him and the Roman soldiers had developed methods that effectively neutralized the Carthaginian war elephants. Finally, last minute diplomatic breakthroughs meant that Hannibal's Numidian allies switched sides, depriving Carthage of much of its cavalry. Zama was a decisive defeat, and the only one Hannibal would experience. Carthage would sue for peace soon after.
Postwar Rule[]
Despite much popular opinion turning against him for his loss, Hannibal managed to maintain his throne despite both Roman and Carthaginian aristocrats demanding his deposition. The terms of peace for the war was steep, with Carthage surrendering almost all of its Spanish and African territory to the Roman Republic. In addition, Carthaginian security was dependent on Rome and a heavy indemnity was also demanded. Hannibal returned to his office to begin laying the groundwork for Carthage's return.
As part of his reforms, Hannibal effectively limited the power of the Council of Hundred and Four, returning to its roots as a popularly elected body. He also enacted several economic policies designed to revive Carthage's stagnant economy and devastated trading fleet. Finally, he collected funds for the renovation of Carthage's extensive harbor and main temple complex. Despite concerns within Rome, Hannibal never paid much attention to the military, leaving what little remained as a guard force capable of policing the city. Hannibal would ultimately die in 179 B.C. and be succeeded by his son Hasdrubal II, who would continue many of his reforms. Hannibal was known throughout the Mediterranean as one of the best tacticians in the world and still holds this distinction today. Hannibal is regarded as one of the patrons of the city of Carthage, and alongside Queen Dido is honored as its greatest Classical rulers.