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An Introduction to Ancient Rome

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Part 3: The Struggles with Carthage

Hannibal was a brilliant general and won many battles in which he was outnumbered by outthinking his opponents. In the Second Punic War, Hannibal won battle after battle against Rome. Perhaps his most famous achievement was taking a huge army from North Africa, through Spain, through Gaul, over the Alps, and into the heart of Rome itself.

Three of Hannibal's most famous battles were on the Trebia River, at Lake Trasimene, and at Cannae. Each time, he outwitted and outfought the Romans and scored a stunning victory.

But Hannibal's fondest hope--that the other peoples in Italy would rise up against Rome--was never realized. In the end, Hannibal was defeated at the Battle of Zama, in 202 B.C. This was the end of the Second Punic War.

Several years later, Rome started another war with Carthage and pillaged it beyond belief. Roman soldiers burned the city of Carthage to the ground and sowed salt into the ground, so that Carthage would never rise again. (Actually, Carthage was rebuilt later on and became a thriving Roman colony.)

Rome's victories over Carthage made Rome the dominant power in the Mediterranean world and allowed Roman soldiers to concentrate on conquests in other areas.

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