Hannibal Barca

See also: Hannibal

Hannibal Barca (in Phénicien Hanni-baal means “which with the favor of Baal” and Barca , “the lightning”), generally called Annibal or Hannibal , born in 247 av. J. - C. with Carthage (in the North-East of current the Tunis) and deceased by suicide in 183 av. J. - C., in Bithynie (close to current the Bursa in Turkey), is a Général and politician Carthaginian generally considered as one of the largest military tacticians history.

He grows during one period of tension in the Mediterranean basin whereas Rome tries to establish its supremacy on other powers such as Carthage, the Macedonia, Syracuse and the empire séleucide. The principal exploit that one recognizes to him takes place during the Second Punic War: it leaves then the Hispanie with its army and crosses the the Pyrenees then the the Alps to gain the north of the Italy. However, he does not manage to take Rome. According to certain historians, Hannibal then does not have the hardware requirement with the attack and the seat of the city. For J.F. Lazenby, it would not be the lack of equipment but that of supply and its own political diary which prevent Hannibal from attacking the city. Nevertheless, it succeeds in maintaining an army in Italy lasting more than one decade without however managing to impose its conditions to the Romans. A counter-attack of the latter forces it to turn over to Carthage where it is finally demolishes with the Bataille of Zama (taking place between Constantine and Tunis in Numidie).

The military historian Theodore Ayrault Dodge gives him the nickname of “father of the strategy” owing to the fact that its larger enemy, Rome, adopt thereafter elements of his military tactic in his own strategic arsenal. This heritage confers to him a strong reputation in the contemporary world and he is regarded as a large strategist by soldiers such as Napoleon I {{er}} and the duke of Wellington. Its life is used later as screen with many films and documentary. Bernard Werber thus pays to him homage through the character of the “Liberator” and an article of the Encyclopedia of the relative and absolute knowledge mentioned in its work the Breath of the gods .

Historical context

See also: First Punic War

In the middle of the III E, the town of Carthage, where is born Hannibal. Carthage then occupies a dominating place in the commercial exchanges of the Mediterranean basin and has in particular Comptoir S in Sicily, in Sardinia, on the coasts of the Hispanie and in North Africa. It also has an important fleet of war which ensures the safety of the sea routes towards the Or of the Golfe of Guinea and the tin of the British coasts.

The other Mediterranean power of the time is Rome, with which Carthage enters in conflict during a score of years at the time of the First Punic War (“punic” is a pejorative term used by the Romans to indicate the Carthaginians), first war of scale which Rome leaves victorious. This confrontation between the Roman Republic and Carthage is caused by a secondary conflict with Syracuse. It is marked by three phases on grounds of terrestrial and maritime operations: in Sicily (264 - 256), in Africa (256 - 250) and again in Sicily (250 - 241). It is at the time of this last phase, then especially after the war, that Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, which directs the war against Rome since 247, is made known. After a heavy naval defeat with the islands Égades in the North-West of Sicily, it must, in spring 241, to sign a treaty with the Roman Consul Caius Lutatius Catulus. This agreement forces Carthage to leave Sicily and Sardinia in 237. Rome, not having more opposition, seizes Sardinia which belongs to the Carthaginians. To compensate for this loss, Hamilcar passes in Hispanie where it seizes a vast territory in the south-east of the country. During ten years, Hamilcar carries out the conquest of the south of assisted Hispanie of his/her son-in-law Hasdrubal and his wife of Iberian origin. “Barca” is not a Family name but it nevertheless is carried by his son. The historians designate the family of Hamilcar under the name of Barcides in order to avoid confusion with other Carthaginian families where same first names (Hannibal, Hasdrubal, Hamilcar, Magon, etc) are frequently carried.

There exists only little of sources in connection with the education of Hannibal. One knows however that he learns from a Précepteur Spartan, named Sosylos, the Greek letters. Other historians report that Hannibal declares with his/her father:

I swear that as soon as the age allows it to me I employ fire and iron to break the destiny of Rome.

Its training of the practice of the military action intervenes quickly on the ground under the aegis of his/her father then of its brother-in-law Hasdrubal the Beautiful and names it with the head of the cavalry. In this field, Hannibal very early reveals its endurance and its coolness, also knowing to be made appreciate and admire its soldiers. Hasdrubal continues as for him a policy of consolidation of the Iberian interests of Carthage fore-mentioned Imilce, with which it would have had a son. However, this alliance remains regarded as probable and is not attested of all, assassinates it in its turn in 221 in spite of the opposition of Hannon (rich Carthaginian aristocrat). He is then hardly 25 years old. However, Rome, fearing the growing power of Hannibal in Hispanie, concludes an alliance with the city from Sagonte. The Roman sales leaflet is based on the treaty of 241 which prohibits in Carthage to attack an ally of Rome while Hannibal proposes the treaty signed by Hasdrubal which recognizes to him the Carthaginian Souveraineté in the south of Èbre. Hannibal encircles Sagonte. Rome reacts so that she regards as a violation of the treaty and claims justice near the Carthaginian government.

Second Punic War

See also: Second Punic War

Preparations

After the Carthaginians encircled.

Until the end of spring 218, at which time it leaves Carthagène, Hannibal sets up an large army and sends representatives to negotiate his passage through the the Pyrenees and to tie alliances along its way. According to Tite-Live, Hannibal crosses the Èbre with: 90000 infantrymen and: 12000 riders. It is however difficult to evaluate its real manpower. Certain estimates go until: 80000 men. On its arrival in Italy, it seems to direct, according to the sources, between: 20000 and: 50000.

In addition, Hannibal has some elephants of war whose role is important in the armies of the time but that the Romans know well to have met some by fighting against the troops of Pyrrhus I {{er}}. Actually majority of 37 elephants of Hannibal, which is a rather weak figure if one compares it with that other armies of the hellenistic time, die in the crossing of the the Alps or in the moisture of the Etruscan Marais . The only survivor is used as mounting by Hannibal. Indeed, Hannibal would have lost its eye right - current Elne near Perpignan -, it moves without encumber until the the Rhone, where it arrives in September before the Romans cannot prevent his passage, at the head of some: 38000 infantrymen: 8000 riders and 37 elephants of war.

After having avoided the local populations, which try to stop its progression, Hannibal escapes a Roman troop coming from the Mediterranean coast by going up the Vallée of the Rhone. The Romans has just conquered the Gaulle cisalpine, Hannibal hopes, if he manages to cross the Alps, to find a reinforcement at the Gaulois of the north of Italy.

Crossing of the Alps

Assumptions of the layout

The route borrowed by Hannibal remains always prone to polemics or, more with the south, the Col of Larche.

The details provided by Polybe and Tite-Live are very vague. In addition, no archaeological trace brings irrefutable evidence of any route. All the advanced assumptions, often by specialists but also by more imaginative authors, are it on the interpretation of the texts of Tite-Live and Polybe (nearly a thousand of works were already written on the subject).

One of the major characteristics of the collar by which Hannibal would have crossed the Alps is the sight that one has collar on the Plaine of Po. Hannibal would have indeed shown there the plain of Po to its famished and discouraged soldiers. In the septentrional Alps, of Montgenèvre to the Large-Saint-Bernard, only the collar of Savine-Stage coach and the collar of Larche allow this sight. Remain that the partisans of the Small-Saint-Bernard dispute the direction of the sentence of Polybe, which writes:

The soldiers, dismayed by the memory of the evils which they had suffered, and appearing only with fear those which they had still to endure, seemed to lose courage. Hannibal assembles them, and like top of the Alps, which seem to be the citadel of Italy, one sees with discovered all these vast plains which Po sprinkles with its water, it made use of this beautiful spectacle, single resource which remained to him, to give its soldiers of their fright. At the same time, it showed them finger the point where Rome was located and recalled them that they had for them the good will of the people which lived the country that they had under the eyes. The partisans of the Small-Saint-Bernard affirm that the Brouillard S which often rise plain of Po prevent from seeing this one. However, this plain was seen and photographed many times. An example is reproduced on the site of Patrick Hunt, professor of Archéologie to Stanford, devoted to its research of the collar by which Hannibal would have passed to Italy. This last regards to him also the collar of the Rabbit burrow as the only collar which answers the ancient texts perfectly. Polybe also gives another major characteristic:

Hannibal, arrived in Italy with the army which we saw higher, camped with the foot of the Alps, to give some rest to its troops it initially tried to engage the people of the territory of Turin, people located at the foot of Alpes.

In the septentrional Alps, only one collar would satisfy these two conditions (seen on the plain of the Po and settlement of Taurins): the collar of the Rabbit burrow. Thus, since colonel Perrin in 1883, of many authors join with this thesis. The only notable exception is the thesis of Sir Gavin de Beer (published in 1955) which proposes the collar of Traversette in the southernmost Alps, close to the Mont Viso. Its layout does not cross the country of the Allobroges and its assumption is violently disputed, including in England.

Lastly, the usual use of the ancient historians being to imagine probable speeches placed in the mouth of the historical characters, it has hardly reasons there to accept in the absolute authenticity of this scene, and the gesture of speaker who accompanies it. Since it is possible that the reported scene is pleasant a image of Épinal, the comparison of the various possible ways cannot carry definite decision.

According to the sources, Hannibal loses at the time of this crossing, between: 3000 and: 20000 men. Its sudden appearance after the crossing of the Gaulle and the Vallée of the Po enables him to break the recent allegiance of the local tribes in Rome before the latter cannot react against the rebellion.

The forces of Hannibal cross as for them the valley of Po and are committed in a secondary confrontation: the Battle of Tessin. At this time, Hannibal obliges the Romans to evacuate the plain of Lombardy because of superiority of its cavalry, which increases the size of the army of: 40000 men of which: 14000 Gallic. The other consular army is sent in urgency in the valley of Po. Before the news of the defeat of Tessin does not reach Rome, the Roman Sénat orders to the consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus to bring back its army of Sicily to join Scipio and to face Hannibal.

This last, by skilful operations, is in position to counter it considering which it controls the road connecting Plaisance to Arminum that Sempronius must borrow to reinforce Scipio. It takes then Clastidium - current Casteggio in Lombardy - where it finds great quantities of provisioning for its men. But this success is not complete because Sempronius, benefitting from the lack of vigilance of Hannibal, slips on its side and joined the camp of Scipio beside the Trébie river close to Pleasure. In December 218, Hannibal at the time of showing once again its higher military capacities during the battle of Trébie.

Battle of the lake Trasimène

See also: Battle of the lake Trasimène

After the victories of Tessin and Trébie, the Carthaginians rest with Bologna then continue their descent towards Rome. Having made safe its position in the north of Italy by its victory, Hannibal takes its winter quarters with the Gallic ones whose support decreases. In spring 217, it decides to establish a more reliable base of operations more in the south. Thinking that Hannibal wishes to advance towards Rome, Caius Servilius Geminus and Caius Flaminius Nepos, the new consuls, mobilize their armies in order to block the roads of the east and the west that Hannibal is likely to borrow to go to Rome. Only the other road towards central Italy is with the mouth of the Arno. This route passes by large a Marais which is submerged more than usually at this period of the year. Hannibal knows this particularly difficult road but it is also surest and certainly fastest of the center of Italy. As the historian Polybe indicates it, the men of Hannibal walk four days and three nights on “a road which was under water” and suffering terribly from the tiredness still reinforced by the lack of Sommeil.

In same time, Hannibal tries to break the allegiance of allied of Rome in their showing that Flaminius is unable to protect them. Despite everything that, Flaminius passively remains cut off in Arretium. Incompetent to involve Flaminius in the battle by the only fact of devastation, Hannibal decides to walk in force against the left side of his adversary, which causes to cut this last of Rome. This operation is recognized as being the first revolving movement of the History.

Progressing then through the highlands of Étrurie, Hannibal engages the continuation of Flaminius and, the June 21st, surprising it in a procession on bank of the Lac Trasimène, destroyed its army in water or on the close slopes (the Romans leave approximately: 15000 men on the terrain.

The Romans name then Fabius Cunctator like dictator. ” That carries a severe blow to the prestige of Fabius, and a little later the Romans force it to share his command with its Maître of cavalry Marcus Minucius Rufus.

Cannes and its consequences

See also: Battle of Cannes

Hannibal, which does not intend to attack Rome initially, aims at the Apulie, and in particular the town of Capoue. In spring 216, it takes the initiative by attacking an important deposit of supply with Cannes. By this action, the general places himself between the Romans and their crucial source of vivres. The Roman Sénat elects Caius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus new consuls. The latter give up by là-même the tactic effective, but slow, of avoidance and choose a frontal shock. Nevertheless, refusing at all costs to incline itself, Rome raises even new troops.

The effect of this Carthaginian victory pushes many parts of Italy to be adopted the cause of Hannibal. Like Tite-Live notes it, “the disaster of Cannes was more serious than the precedents, one has of it already an index in this fact that the fidelity of the allies, which so far had remained firm, started to stagger, without any reason, undoubtedly, if not which they despaired of the empire. ” During the same year, the Greek cities of Sicily revolt against the political control of the Romans whereas the king Philippe V of Macedonia brings his support to Hannibal.

In fact, Hannibal uses its victories to try to make rock in its camp the cities subjected to Rome, which is carried out after the battle of Cannes. The city (today known under the name of Santa Maria Capua Vetere) “would have offered to the Carthaginian soldiers of many pleasures softening their forces”. It is in any case the direction of the famous expression “delights of Capoue”, an expression which one does not know too much if it corresponds to reality. In fact, if Hannibal temporizes in Capoue, it is that he hopes for a total disintegration of the Italian confederation as of new alliances which would finally enable him to obtain the domination on sea. In fact, the people and the cities of central and southernmost Italy are numerous to be combined with the Carthaginian. In 216, Bruttium (current Calabria) just like rocks Lokroi Epizephyrioi (current Locri) and Crotona in 215. In 212, it is also the case of Métaponte in the Golfe of Tarente, Thourioi, close to Sybaris, and Tarente, in the Pouilles and to carry out the combat on its grounds. The ships unload in Leptis Minor (current Lamta) and Hannibal takes, after two days of voyage. This last then chooses voluntarily the Exil whereas Plutarque and Strabon imply that it moves in Arménie.

In addition to its military talents, it probably founds the city of Prusa (current Bursa in Turkey) at the request of king Prusias Ist This foundation, especially if one adds that of Artaxata to it (current Artashat in Arménie), raises Hannibal with the row of “sovereign” hellenistic. A Prophétie which spreads in the Greek world between 185 and 180 evokes a king come from Asia to make pay to the Romans the tender which they impose to the Greeks and to the Macedonians. Much agrees to think that this text refers in fact to Hannibal. It is in the sense that the Carthaginian, however of origin Barbare with the eyes of the Greeks, is integrated perfectly into the world hellenistic (current Gebze) in Kocaeli. Regarded as the tomb of the general, it is restored towards 200 after J. - C. by the Roman Emperor Septime Sévère.

Heritage

Paradoxical assessment

With the Carthaginian without any doubt the greatest threat disappears which the Roman Republic faced. Such expressions prove the psychological impact that with have the presence of Hannibal in Italy on the Roman culture .

In this context, an admiration (forced) is obvious in the writings of the Roman historians Tite-Live and Juvénal. In addition, the Romans go as far as setting up Statue S of the Carthaginian general in the streets even of Rome in order to appear their defeat opposite such an adversary. It is plausible to think that Hannibal is at the origin of more great fear that Rome ever tested vis-a-vis the one of its enemies.

Nevertheless, during the Second Punic War, the Romans refuse with the defeat and reject all the peace initiatives, including the release against ransom of prisoners after the Bataille of Cannes. In addition, there does not exist any text reporting any revolution among the Roman citizens, any faction within the Senate wishing peace, any Roman treason with the advantage of the Carthaginians, any coup d'etat and any introduction of Dictature for this period. On the contrary, the Roman aristocrats remain in competition in order to assume headquarters to fight the most dangerous enemy of Rome. The military engineering of Hannibal is thus never sufficient to really disturb the political organization and soldier of the Romans. As in fact Lazenby state: There exists also quantity of texts in favor of their political maturity and of the respect of the constitutional forms based on the fact that the governmental machinery complexes continued to function even in full disaster. There are few States of the Antiquity in which a general having lost a battle as Cannes would have dared to be maintained, even less would have continued to be treated with respect in time that chief of État.

According to Tite-Live, that does not decrease of it the fear of the Romans vis-a-vis Hannibal, in particular at the time of its walk on Rome in 211: A mail of Fregellae, which had gone without slackening day and night, threw in Rome a great terror. The multitude of the inhabitants of the countryside, whose accounts added the lie to the truth, had spread agitation in all the city. It was little to say that the women made resound their moanings the particular houses; the ladies of distinction, facing all the glances, ran as a crowd towards the temples of the gods; the scattered hair, knelt with the foot of the furnace bridges, the helping hands towards the sky and the gods, they supplaient them to tear off Rome with the hands of the enemies, and to save the honor and the life of the Roman mothers and their young people enfants.

To the Senate, this news “assigns the spirits according to the characters of each one”. It decides to maintain the seat of Capoue while raising: 15000 infantrymen and: 1000 riders to reinforce the protection of Rome. According to Tite-Live, the grounds occupied by the army of Hannibal outside the city are resold between Romans while at the same time they are occupied and for a price right. That can not be true but, as Lazenby indicates it, “that could the being well because that does not show only the supreme confidence of the Romans in the ultimate victory but also the way according to which a pretense of normal life continued. In spite of the fact that the long-term consequences of the war of Hannibal are undeniable, the latter is unquestionably more “the beautiful hour” of the history of Rome.

The majority of the sources at the disposal of the historians on Hannibal are of Roman origin. Hannibal is regarded there as the largest enemy that Rome faced. Tite-Live brings back the opinion to us that it is extremely cruel. Even Cicéron, when it evokes Rome and its two large enemies, speaks about “honourable” the Pyrrhus d' Épire and about “cruel” the Hannibal. Nevertheless, a different image is sometimes reported. When successes of Hannibal result in the death of two Consul S Romans, Hannibal vainly seeks the body of Caius Flaminius Nepos on the edges of the Lac Trasimène, organizes ritual ceremonies in homage to Lucius Aemilius Paullus and returns the Cendre S of Marcus Claudius Marcellus to its family living to Rome. However, the party taken of Polybe is more awkward since it seems to test sympathy towards Hannibal. However, Polybe remained Otage in Italy during one long period and is based mainly on Roman sources. There thus exists a possibility that it reproduces there elements of the Roman Propagande.

Modern world

The name “Hannibal” is common in the modern world and the popular culture. As for other military chiefs, victories of Hannibal over higher forces, and a finally lost cause, confer a fame to him which survives to him well beyond the borders of its country of origin in North Africa.

Its crossing of the Alps remains thus a military fact among most spectacular of the wars of the Antiquité and Appien: It is said that at the time of the one of their talks to the gymnasium, Scipion and Hannibal had a discussion on the question of the competence of the generals, in the presence of many spectators, and that Scipion required of Hannibal which was according to him the largest general, it what the latter answered: “Alexandre Large the”.
Scipion approved it, also putting Alexandre in first position. Then, he asked Hannibal which he would place then. Hannibal answered Pyrrhus I {{er}} because he regarded boldness as the first quality of a general. He specified that “it would be impossible to find more two kings undertaking that those”.
Scipion was aggravated by it but it continued to question Hannibal on that which it would see in third position, by hoping that it would be at least that one. But Hannibal answered: “Myself, owing to the fact that in my youth I conquered Hispanie and crossed the the Alps with an army for the first time since Hercules. I crossed Italy and all struck you of terror, obliging you to give up 400 of your cities, and I often threatened your City of an extreme danger, all this without never receiving money nor of reinforcements of Carthage”.
When Scipion felt that it was going to prolong these praises, it says while laughing: “Where you would place you Hannibal, if you had not been overcome by me? ” Hannibal, perceiving its jealousy then, answered: “In this case, I would have put myself in first position”. Hannibal continued then its own praises, while taking care to flatter Scipion in delicate manner by suggesting that it had beaten somebody of superior with Alexandre.
At the end of this conversation Hannibal asked Scipion to be its guest, which Scipion accepted very readily provided Hannibal does not live at Antiochos III, suspect with the eyes of the Romans. They showed thus, with the manner worthy of the large commanders, whom they had given up their hostility at the end of their wars.

The exploits of Hannibal, and more particularly its victory with Cannes, continue to be studied in the military academies of the whole world. In the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911, the author of the article devoted to with Hannibal rents this last in these terms: As for the military engineering of Hannibal, there cannot be two opinions. The man who could maintain himself for fifteen years in hostile ground facing several powerful armies and a succession of able generals must have been a tactician except par. In its strategies and the use of the Ambush, it exceeded without any doubt all the other large generals of the Antiquité. As splendid as were its achievements, we must even more fill with wonder us by noting the bad grace with which Carthage supported it. To answer the disappearance of its veterans, it had to raise fresh troops on the spot. Never, one heard of Mutinerie in his army, although it was made up of North-Africans, Ibères and Gaulois. Once again, which we know about him is for the greatest part resulting from hostile sources. The Romans have it so much fears and hated that they could not have returned justice to him. Tite-Live speaks about its great qualities but he adds that his defects were also large, among which he points a perfidy “larger than the punic perfidy” and a “inhuman cruelty”. Concerning the first point, there is no other justification but its ability in the use of the ambush. For the second, there is, from our point of view, no base other than the fact that it has acts, at the time of certain crises, in accordance with the general spirit of the ancient wars. Per moment, it gives by contrast a more favorable portrait of its enemy. No brutality soils its name as it was the case of those perpetuated by Caius Claudius Nero towards overcome Hasdrubal. Polybe raises only that he was shown of cruelty by the Romans and Avarice by the Carthaginians. It had bitter enemies incontestably and its life was a continual fight against the fate. For the immutability of the objectives, the capacity of organization and the control of military science, it perhaps never had the equal one”.

The document of the count Alfred von Schlieffen (entitled way éponyme the Plane Schlieffen), is elaborate starting from its military studies and insists heavily on the techniques of envelopment employed to encircle and destroy victoriously the Roman army with the Bataille of Cannes. George Patton thinks as for him that it is the reincarnation of Hannibal (among other reincarnations like that of a Roman legionary and a soldier of Napoleon I {{er}}). Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of the forces of the coalition during the first war of the Gulf, affirms for its part that “the technology of the war can change, the sophistication of the weapons undoubtedly changes. But the same principles of the war which applied time of Hannibal, continue to apply today”.

Lastly, according to the military historian Theodore Ayrault Dodge: Hannibal excelled as a military tactician. In the history, no battle offers a finer example of tactic than the Bataille of Cannes.

Others

Certain qualities are recognized to him since the Antiquité: audacity, courage and pugnacity. They are in particular implemented during a natural on the basis of Lyon and driving Raid at Turin through the Alps and which bears its name: the Raid Hannibal.

Hannibal covers plantations of olive-trees most of North Africa thanks to the work of its soldiers of which he considers the rest prejudicial in the State and their generals.

Works inspired of the character

Catalog of films

Literature

Others

• Troyens , opera of 1858 in five acts of Hector Berlioz. Hannibal appears there in a vision of Didon, just before she dies.

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