Oct. 4, 2024
Oct. 4, 2024
Oct. 4, 2024
4, 2024
Second Punic War
On August 2, 216 BCE, the Romans had engaged with
Iberian, Celtic, African, and Numidian mercenaries hired by
the Carthaginians to supplement their forces, led by their
general Hannibal, at the Battle of Cannae
Both consuls Paullus and Varro participated in this
assault and led from the rearguard of their main force
Varro had led the troops during the actual fighting, and
there is a discrepancy when it comes to Roman
casualties: Livy claims 55000 dead Romans, whereas
Polybius indicates closer to 70000 Roman dead
Following the disastrous routing attack to weaken Hannibal,
he was able to freely roam about southern Italy between
216 BCE to 203 BCE, disrupting Roman control and even
forcing capitulation of many of the southern Roman cities
Many of his allies in Campania remained loyal to
Hannibal and Carthage during this conflict
Under the leadership of Scipio, the Roman campaigns in
Iberia were successful, with the penultimate confrontation
being the Battle of the Baecula in 208 BCE
Scipio’s army of Roman legions met with the
entrenched Carthaginians led by Hannibal’s brother,
general Hasdrubal, but would be defeated
The fighting took place within the upper Guadalquivir
Valley
By 207 BCE, Hasdrubal had brought his army over the
Alpines and was set on regrouping with Hannibal, but
ultimate was defeated by the Romans at the Battle of the
Metaurus
In 205 BCE, Scipio had returned to Rome and was elected
to the consulship, beginning his martial political office with
the invasion of northern Africa into the heart of the
Carthaginians
Departing forth at the port of Lilybaeum, Scipio led
his Roman forces across into Tunisia to strike at
Carthage itself in 204 BCE, laying siege to it
From the shore of the port town of Croton, Hannibal
had crossed the Mediterranean to reinforce Carthage
in 203 BCE, in which Livy claims he landed in shores of
Leptiminus yet Polybius claims Hadrumetum
In 202 BCE, Scipio met with Hannibal on the
battlefield and had sorely defeated his adversary in the
Battle of Zama, completing his campaign of conquest
onto their neighbors and becoming known as Scipio
Africanus
Even with the combined force of Carthaginian and
Numidian cavalry to their sides, elephants at the front,
supported by lines of Gaul, Ligurian, and Moorish
infantry, with veteran and freshly trained troops in the
rear echelon, Hannibal would be defeated by the
smaller but more organized Scipio’s Roman forces by
the smaller clusters of Roman infantries supported by
Laelius’ and Massinissa’s cavalry to their sides
Polybius in his Histories, book 15, section 12, narrated
on the Carthaginian elephant units at the battle site,
noting they were younger beasts and not trained
entirely, having charged through Scipio’s corridors and
allowed themselves to be attacked by Roman cavalry,
some even being led into their own forces and causing
a crushing stampede onto friendly Carthaginian troops
There rests a monument facing towards Zama at Kbor
Klib, potentially used as a marker of the triumph
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus had earned his
cognomen (regal title) Africanus for his conquest of the
Carthaginians in northern Africa, defeating Hannibal
The end of the Second Punic War, as told by Hannibal’s
Histories, book 15, section 18, notes the following
proceedings and concessions made from Carthage to Rome
The Carthaginians had agreed to release their colonies
across the Mediterranean to Rome, as well as
significantly reduce their navy and elephants (limited
to 10 vessels)
Much of the gained African territories were granted to
the Roman allied Massinissa of Numidia, while
simultaneously shrinking Carthage’s imperial influence
in the region
Rome had also accosted a large indemnity of various
Carthaginian talents, with figures of up to 10000, yet
did not formally annex Carthage or any of their allies’
lands in the Italian peninsula