Second Punic War

The Second Punic War was fought between Carthage and Rome from date to date. It was the second of three major wars fought between the Phonecian (spelling?) city Carthage, and Rome (then still confined to the Italian Penninsula).

Background

After Carthage lost Sicily to Rome in the First Punic War, ___ Barca recognized that another confrontation was inevitable. Knowing this, he sent his sons Hannibal and ____ Barca to Spain to expand Carthage's power base via allies and/or conquering territory.

The Beginning

Hannibal took a combined army of North Africans and Iberians through southern France and crossed the Alps, losing all but one of his elephants in the process, to invade Italy. Hannibal recieved troops and supplies from the Gallic tribes of northern Italy that were either newly subjugated by Rome, or that never were. Hannibal's aim was to inspire the other cities of Italy to revolt against Rome. He did not, however, plan on laying seige to Rome itself, since he knew that doing so would be foolhardy.

The Middle Campaign

Hannibal inflicted crushing defeat after crushing defeat on the Romans. His army was so successful on the battlefield that the Romans eventually gave up facing him and instead fielded enough armies so that they could reconquer any territory that Hannibal abandoned. The Romans were able to win because a general named Scipio went to the Iberian Penninsula to attack Hannibal's power base. Scipio successfuly conquered the Iberian Penninsula.

End

Taking the Iberia wasn't enough to defeat Hannibal, however, Scipio needed to attack the heart of Hannibal's power, Carthage. Upon discovering that Scipio was coming to Africa, the council of Carthage ordered Hannibal to come to the city's defense. Roughly 1/3 of his army was Carthaginian, 1/3 was Iberian, and 1/3 was Gallic from northern Italia. Hannibal had to leave his Gallic and Iberian contingents in Italia, experienced troops all, to sail back to Carthage. Hannibal mounted a hastey defense, but was defeated handily by Scipio's more experienced army.

Results

Hannibal escaped/was exiled to the east and ended up in Syria. Rome feared him until the day he died, even though the fear was probably unwarranted. Carthage was reduced to a client state, needing to seek Rome's approval in any external matters, etc. Rome kept the territory it conquered in Iberia.

Carthage was later destroyed in the third punic war.