A Carthaginian general, son of Hamilcar Barca, whose march on Rome from Hispania and across the Alps between 218 and 217 BC remains one of the greatest exploits in military history.
At the age of nine, he accompanied his father on the Carthaginian expedition to conquer Hispania. He succeeded Hasdrubal and, in two years, subjugated the territory between the Tagus and Ebro rivers. The capture of Sagunto, an ally of the Romans, precipitated the second of the Punic Wars.
Hannibal left Cartago Nova with a considerable number of elephants. He crossed the Pyrenees and the River Rhône, crossed the Alps in 15 days and defeated the Romans at Ticino, Trebia and Trasimene and invaded the provinces of Picenum and Apulia. At Cannae he annihilated the Roman army. Then he would try to take Rome, but he received no reinforcements.
In 202 BC, Hannibal had to return to Africa, where he faced Scipio the Africanus, who defeated him at Zama. Carthage capitulated to Rome and the second Punic War came to an end.
Carthaginian Civilization