In 220 BC Hannibal leads small campaigns to press Carthaginian aims deeper into Spain. At 25 he’s in charge of the largest army Carthage has assembled at this time. No one is sure where the future will take Hannibal. Rome and Carthage are not sure if they want to go to another war just yet. But Hannibal does. The 27 year-old commander envisions the next war and most importantly, where the central theater of the war will be fought. It’s unclear when he develops his bold and risky plan for the 2nd Punic War. He may have had his grand vision in his head for years. Either way, he has a strategy and he’s going to execute it.

It’s impossible to grasp the daunting journey Hannibal is about to embark without grasping the tremendous influence Alexander the Great had over the emerging talent. Alexander died 80 years before Hannibal’s birth. but his memory is well-ingrained in the mind of every living male in the Hellenized World. Every boy would learn the famous and daring exploits of the revered Macedonian. Even a few generations later Alexander’s victories, youth, and most importantly his strategic brilliance fit neatly into this perfect, idealized story of a “super commander.” Every aspiring general, ruler, and military hero compared himself to Alexander. This is true in Hannibal’s time. It is still true to this day.

Alexander forever set the standard of the ultimate hero of the battlefield. Napoleon wept when a journalist compared his achievements to Alexander. A young Julius Caesar’s eyes once filled with tears when he stood before an edifice of Alexander. The 33 year-old lamented the “failure” of his own life; claiming a barren list of achievements when compared to the man who conquered Persia before turning 30.

In Hannibal’s day the portrait of the ideal man involved a general who uses daring, wit, and unconventional means to outclass and outmaneuver his enemy. These romantic fantasies command the mind of Hannibal. He wants history to idolize his name; to make a legend out of his exploits. He wants his name etched in marble next to Alexander as much as he wants to squeeze the life out of Rome. This explains the unthinkable crusade Hannibal is about to launch.

After mounting a series of successful raids deeper into Spain, Hannibal returns to his quarters and is surprised to discover there are unexpected guests there waiting for him.

Distinguished Roman delegates of the Senate greet the young commander. They ask for his permission to host them as they have an urgent matter to discuss. Hannibal accepts. The delegates then warn the Carthaginian that he must cease all military activity, including his raids in Iberia. They tell him that he must refrain from venturing deeper into Spain. In particular, Hannibal must leave the city of Saguntum alone. Saguntum is a small coastal dwelling (near modern day Sagunto). The city pledges allegiance to Rome. The Senators tell Hannibal that if he strays too close to the city then the Romans will take this as a provocation and military hostilities will commence.

Hannibal does not receive this news well. His anger gets the better of him and he chastises the Senators for their hypocrisy in the matters of imperialism. Who are they to tell Hannibal where he can go with his army when they constantly march theirs into territories that don’t belong to them? Hannibal sends them off in a cold fury. At this point both sides understand that all routes now lead to another war.

Why did the Romans allow Carthage to wrap its tentacles around Spain? In the 2 decades between the first and 2nd Punic War Rome was distracted fighting enemies elsewhere. They were stretched thin and during that time they could do little but fire warnings to Carthage about pressing their gains in Iberia.

Hannibal takes advantage of this and in 219 BC he marches his army straight to Saguntum and assaults the city. The citadel is well protected and so a siege ensues. However the city cannot match the pressure and brilliant maneuvering of Hannibal’s army and he overcomes the city’s defenses. Saguntum now belongs to Carthage. (The image above shows the remnants of Saguntum in Valencia, Spain.)

When word of the disaster reaches Italy the Romans immediately order Carthage to give up Hannibal and surrender him to Rome. If Carthage refuses to divest its greatest general into Roman custody then this will be interpreted as an act of war. It’s an absurd demand and Rome knows this. As Rome expects, Carthage does not yield to the ludicrous demand. In 218 BC, 22 years of tentative peace breaks apart. Rome and Carthage slide back into war.

The sacking of Saguntum made Hannibal Rome’s number one target. They know he’s gifted, smart and highly ambitious. So they will deal with him first. The only problem is that Hannibal has other plans.

Rome knew for years that a second war with Carthage was likely, if not inevitable. They assume that Sicily will become the central theater of the conflict once they knock Hannibal out of Spain. What they didn’t know is that the central theater of this war will not be Sicily. Hannibal is about to bring his army to Rome’s very doorstep and unleash a terror so devastating it will haunt the dreams of all Romans not only in the coming years but in the centuries to follow.

In the Spring of 218 BC a Roman army prepares to set sail for Spain. But Hannibal, like Alexander is not someone who waits. He’s an offense player. One who operates to the tune of his own schedule.

Before Rome makes the first move, Hannibal sets his own daring mission in motion. He moves north, heading straight for the Alps. Hannibal will hike the 6,500 foot summit of these treacherous mountains through Southern France and clear a path right into the beating heart of Italy. Sources say Hannibal departs for Italy with 50,000, ground troops, 9,000 cavalry and 40 war elephants. Hannibal’s army is well trained, fierce and every bit as deadly as Rome’s strongest forces. Before leaving Hannibal delegates the occupation of Iberia to his younger brother Hasdrubal.

Hannibal advances toward the french border quickly and with great stealth. He must be deep into his journey before the Romans catch wind of his agenda. So his army marches North and away from the coast to avoid cities and detection from the Roman navy.

He crosses the Pyrenees and into France at breakneck speed. In a matter of weeks Hannibal leads his troops to the rushing waters of the Rhone river. The temperatures begin cooling as the region braces for Fall.

His speed stuns the Romans. But when they discover that Hannibal is camped along the Rhone they are perplexed. They don’t understand why he’d travel 300 miles into Gaulic territory. If Hannibal had hugged the coastline from Northeast Spain into France they might’ve caught on sooner. But Hannibal deliberately chose a longer and more cumbersome course further inland to avoid detection and to keep the Romans second guessing. His plan works. The Romans don’t believe anyone would dare an attempt to summit the Alps with a full war party. They consider it impassable and far too deadly. They surmise that Hannibal’s actions amount to little more than an elaborate ruse.

Hannibal needs to cross the Rhone fast and make his way to the Alps before winter makes his crossing impossible. There’s also the Roman threat. Hannibal’s army stands in no-man’s-land not too far from Marseilles hosting a Roman force. But the Carthaginian encounters a new obstacle. An army of barbarians form up on the opposite bank of the Rhone. Hannibal sees that they’re looking for a fight. Since time is of the essence Hannibal decides to give them one.

Day turns to night and the barbarian army sleeps on the other end of the riverbed. Hannibal spent the previous day forming a plan with his men. At sundown Hannibal gives the order. A small Carthaginian force crosses the river in absolute silence. They make it to the other side and slip past the barbarians. As dawn approaches the barbarians wake up in horror. They’re being ambushed from behind! They grab their weapons and rally to face their foe. Weapons clash and bodies cover the ground and then the barbarians notice a series of fires roaring in front of them.

Those fires, lit by Hannibals force can be seen from Hannibal’s side of the river. That’s his signal. The distracted barbarian forces don’t notice the much larger Carthaginian force now pushing their way across the river currents. Hannibal and the remainder of his army surprise attack the barbarians with their back to the Rhone. The army is cut to pieces. It’s an astounding win for Hannibal. And it plays right into his shrewd penchant for surprising and trapping the enemy.

The path to the Alps is clear. Hannibal and his men renew their journey to the mountain pass. Now the Romans understand Hannibal’s true intentions. Hannibal actually means to climb the mountains. The journey could kill them all. But if they break through then Rome is in a world of trouble. And now Hannibal is too far along to be intercepted. Rome realizes it must readjust its entire war strategy.

Hannibal and his men begin their ascent in October 218 BC. The way up threatens to slow their advance to a crawl. Lugging horses, supply packs and elephants up thousands of feet puts the army under severe strain. But dangers threatening their climb lurk around every corner. Beyond the geographical challenges there are also human challenges. Local tribesmen harass the men and their supply caravans. They frustrate Hannibal’s progress and test his patience. So Hannibal decides to deal with them his way.

Historians refer to an account of a small Gaulic force attacking the army from positions high above the cliff side during the day. Hannibal notices however that they vanish during the night. So when the sun is down he orders his men scale those positions and occupy them. When morning arrives the Gauls return to their positions only to find Carthaginian soldiers waiting for them. They eliminate the Gauls in swift fashion.

In another instance, a tribe assaults Hannibal’s supply trains at the back of his caravan. The raid is quick and the Gauls disappear into the mountains before the Carthaginians can react. Hannibal surmises that they’ll be back for another hit-and-run. So he rearranges the supply horses by moving them to the front of his army. He then stations his best soldiers at the back and disguises them to appear as though they’re hauling luggage. Just as Hannibal predicts, the tribesmen attack again. And when they discover the trap set for them it’s too late. The experienced troops butcher the tribesmen. These accounts further illuminate Hannibal’s tactical acumen.

The march is perilous and trudges forth at a snails pace. The higher they ascend, the colder and harsher the conditions become. The men must dig deep and brave the overwhelming struggle each day brings. And yet after little more than a week of climbing the army reaches the summit. The men enjoy a brief respite to celebrate their achievement. But the descent will offer no relief.

The journey down the mountains proves more deadly than the climb. Men die in the thousands. Horses and elephants slip and fall from cliff edges in droves. The army has to work overtime to construct make-shift routes in the snow and ice to allow passage for the elephants and horses.

Days pass and after tremendous strife the harrowing journey comes to an end. Hannibal and his army exit the mountains and find themselves in the lush green plains of the Po Valley. They made it to Italy. The sojourn from his encampment in Spain to this moment took 5 months. What Hannibal has just accomplished is nothing short of extraordinary. To this day it is hailed as one of the greatest expeditions in history. The crossing makes Hannibal into a mythical figure at 29 years-old. Word spreads that the Carthaginian can conquer armies and nature.

What’s even more impressive is that the men comprising his army are very ethnically and culturally diverse. His army is made up of Carthaginians from Africa, Numidian horsemen, rock slingers from the central Mediterranean islands as well as Iberian, Celtic, and Gaelic infantry. The men speak different languages. As a result many don’t even understand Hannibal’s tongue. This means he has to be creative about how he communicates and enforces orders. That Hannibal was able to lead his men through such a crossing and maintain their loyalty is a testament to his charisma and persona.

But the remarkable feat comes with a terrible price. Historians estimate half of Hannibal’s army perished in the mountains. The remaining force numbers around 20,000. He’s lost thousands of horses and most of his elephants. The only good news is that Rome looses the initiative. Rome must recall their forces sent to invade Spain and Carthage. The enemy has invaded their homeland! The alarm bells sound across Italy. Rome is in a state of panic. They haven’t dealt with a hostile force in their own backyard for more than a century. Another 600 years will lapse before this happens again.

The climb is over but Hannibal has no time to rest. His men groan with exhaustion. They’re in no shape for battle. But the Romans are coming. An army approaches their position. Rome is determined to shove the beleaguered force into the dirt. The real war between Carthage and Rome is about to begin.

Continued in Part 4…

Timeline

220 BC – Rome orders Hannibal to quell his Iberian campaigns

219 BC – Hannibal conquers the ancient city of Saguntum

218 BC – The 2nd Punic War Begins

218 BC – Hannibal leads his army into France, over the Alps and into Italy

If you want to learn more about Hannibal Barca and the 2nd Punic War then please check out Eve McDonald’s terrific book Hannibal: A Hellenistic Life.

Want more history? Check out my other blog posts right here!