Hannibal Barca Of Carthage, Northward Africa

Image: Coin bearing the icon of Hannibal as well as his famed battalion of elephants.

In 247 B.C., the yr Hannibal Barca was born, the Carthage empire was about 500 years old. Known every bit 1 of the greatest strategist inwards armed services history, the battles of Hannibal would hit a turning betoken inwards the history of the continent that would live called Africa.

Carthage had been settled past times Phoenicians every bit a city-state in North Africa close the electrical current Tunis. In his 1961 work, French Historian Gabriel Audisio comments that he considered "Hannibal to live neither a Phoenician, nor a Carthaginian, nor a Punic, but a North African... The bulk of the Punic world seems to receive got had African, indeed Negroid, ancestry." Whether described every bit Carthaginians, Phoenicians, or Punics of North Africa, according to Audisio's inquiry they were certainly a mix of aboriginal North Africans that included the native Berbers, Moors as well as other groups. 

The Phoenicians were a Semitic linguistic communication people. English writers as well as speakers can give thank yous the Phoenicians for the electrical current English phonic system. The English Alphabets were borrowed from the Phoenician script. Their cultural influence was wide throughout the Mediterranean Sea nations. They were known every bit skilled body of body of water merchant traders. They ruled inwards pre-Roman as well as pre-historic Iberia (currently Kingdom of Spain as well as Portugal nations on the Iberian Peninsula), until losing against Rome in the Third Punic War. The metropolis of Carthage was destroyed past times the Romans inwards 146 BC.

There is no painting of Hannibal inwards beingness today. The money higher upward is oftentimes presented past times commentators every bit a representation of Hannibal as well as his legacy of tamed elephants. While this author was non able to detect an academic source for this money to confirm its appointment -- which was to a greater extent than than 2,000 years ago. The beingness of such coinage during some betoken during our mutual historic catamenia is no surprise inwards low-cal of Hannibal's historical legacy.

What nosotros make receive got are descriptions of Hannibal past times commentators of his time. According to the Roman historian Levy of the commencement century of our era, Hannibal was "fearless, utterly prudent inwards danger, indefatigable, able to suffer oestrus as well as cold, controlled inwards eating habits, unpretentious inwards dress, willing to slumber wrapped inwards armed services cloak, a superb passenger as well as horseman." He was the son of the Carthage full general Hamilcar Barca. There is no noesis of his mother inwards the history records, non fifty-fifty her name. He had 2 brothers: Hasdrubal resided inwards Kingdom of Spain as well as Maharbal was captain of Hannibal's calvary.

Carthage as well as Rome were at state of war during the First Punic War (264-241 B.C.). Both empires were seeking supremacy over the Mediterranean. Hannibal's father, Hamilcar Barca, full general of the Carthaginian mercenaries, was infuriated almost the western Mediterranean losses of Sicily as well as Sardinia. When Hannibal was 17 years old, however, his manly mortal nurture was killed inwards an ambush inwards Spain, which was primarily nether the dominion of the North African empire. Hannibal would boy stride fully into his armed services career.



Map of Carthage empire as well as Roman empire

In Oct 218 B.C., during the Second Punic War, Hannibal had arrived at the Alps. His soldiers are said to receive got stretched for to a greater extent than than viii miles at the Alps, the foothills of the Roman Empire. Hannibal's regular army of 100,000 men would trek as well as manage 1,500 miles to larn inwards at the Alps from Spain. Hannibal armies included Numidians, North Africans from an expanse roughly where People's Democratic Republic of Algeria forthwith draws its boundaries. The Numidians were known every bit main horsemen who could guide their horses amongst their knees, leaving their hands complimentary to piece of occupation swords as well as throw javelins.They had fought attacks from European tribes similar the Gauls.

Hannibal is said to receive got given this spoken language to the regular army of men who had survived as well as crossed the swift-flowing Rhone river:

"Why are yous afraid?... The greater business office of our journeying is accomplished. We receive got surmounted the Pyrenees; nosotros receive got crossed the Rhone, that mighty river, inwards spite of the opposition of thousands of Gauls as well as the fury of the river itself. Now nosotros receive got the Alps inwards sight. On the other side of those mountains lies Italy.... Does anyone imagine the Alps to live anything but what they are--lofty mountains. No business office of the world reaches the sky, or is insurmountable to mankind. The Alps create as well as back upward living things. If they are passable past times a few men, they are passable to armies."

Hannibal lost one-half of his regular army inwards the commencement 2 weeks into the Alps. Landslides were touched off past times mount tribes. Men died during mitt battle amongst tribesmen. Starvation as well as illness were also companions of the embattled lot. Polybus, a Greek historian as well as contemporary to Hannibal, described Hannibal's arrival to the Po Valley amongst almost 26,000 men. At the Po Valley, Hannibal is said to receive got made this speech:

"Soldiers! You receive got forthwith surmounted non exclusively the ramparts of Italy, but also Rome. You are entering friendly Earth inhabited past times people who abhor the Romans every bit much every bit nosotros do. The residual of the journeying volition live smoothen as well as downhill, and, afterwards one, or at most a minute battle, yous volition receive got the citadel as well as uppercase of Italia inwards your possession."

Commentators receive got speculated on why Hannibal spoke these words because the men were almost to confront the most hard business office of the journey. Friends did non hold off inwards the Po Valley. Here, the Roman regular army would run into the men inwards battle. In retrospect, considering how far the men had come, in that place actually was no going dorsum at this point. The Carthaginians believed that Rome was considering an invasion of Africa. Hannibal believed he had to deed through an overland develop on on Roman to salve Carthage. He would pass xv years inwards Italy, winning many battles -- such every bit the Battle of Cannae where he lost 6,000 troops to Rome's 70,000 troops.

We know Hannibal did non succeed, but are astonished past times how closed he came to success. The minute of the Punic Wars was over. When Hannibal eventually retreated amongst his regular army to Carthage, his regular army was defeated past times Scipio Africanus inwards the Battle of Zama.  Always sought past times the Romans, when Hannibal was almost the historic catamenia of 64 as well as to live taken prisoner, he took toxicant as well as is recorded to receive got stated:

"Let us forthwith position an destination to the neat anxiety of the Romans who receive got idea it likewise lengthy as well as likewise heavy a chore to hold off for the expiry of a hated onetime man."

Hon. doc John Henrik Clarke on Carthage

Further Comments on This Blog Has Been CLOSED.