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Second Punic War took place in the years 218-201 BCE between Carthage and Rome. The conflict decided about the primacy in the Mediterranean.
Background of events
Humiliated after the First Punic War, Carthage thought of taking revenge on the Romans. After losing the war, Carthage lost its influence in Sicily, and later also in Sardinia and Corsica. Rome strengthened its rule in the western Mediterranean and significantly limited the hegemony of the Phoenicians, who had to additionally pay off a huge compensation – 3,200 talents. Despite the harsh conditions of peace, Carthage still remained a strong player in the region and sought to expand its spheres of influence in the Mediterranean basin and create a hinterland in the event of a war with Rome. The Carthaginian family of the Barcids played an important role in regaining strength in Carthage after the First Punic War.
The head of the Barcids family during the first Roman-Carthaginian conflict was Hamilcar Barkas. This talented leader and an important figure on the Carthaginian political scene was never defeated in an open battle by the Romans. Despite his relative successes, however, he could not come to terms with the defeat of Carthage and the shameful terms of peace. Certainly, his aversion to the Romans had a large impact on the further policy of Carthage, as well as the attitude of his sons towards the Roman state.
Carthage directed its expansion to the Iberian Peninsula, which became for it a source of mercenaries and income. She conquered its south-eastern part, and the acquired loot and mines allowed the Romans to pay off a huge contribution in record time. Naturally, Rome was anxiously watching the events in Spain and the growing influence of the Carthaginians. Rome established strategic alliances with several tribes and cities, incl. Sagunt and defined the Ebro River as the boundary of the Roman and Carthaginian spheres of influence.
Outbreak of the Second Punic War
The immediate cause of the new conflict between the states was the siege and the capture of Saguntu, a city in alliance with Rome, by Carthaginian forces. The Romans, who had been preparing for the conflict for a long time, demanded the release of the chief provocateur – the Carthaginian chief, Hannibal, son of the aforementioned Hamilcar, who became after his and his uncle’s death head of the Barcids family. In the event of failure to fulfil its obligation, Rome threatened to declare war on the Carthaginian state. However, the ultimatum was refused.
The plan, prepared in detail by the Roman command, assumed a simultaneous attack on Carthage in North Africa and Spain (with the help of a strong fleet), which was the granary of the African state. These plans, however, could not come into force because the initiative was taken over by Hannibal. He was aware of the small Carthaginian fleet compared to the Romans, and could only count on his well-trained ground army, which over the years had led to the expansion of the Carthaginian state in Spain.
His plan was to quickly transfer hostilities to Italy and threaten Rome directly. Unable to transport troops directly by the sea, he decided to reach Italy by land via Spain and the Alps. He also hoped that he would be able to win over to his side the Gallic tribes of northern Italy, Latin vassals of the Romans and Greek cities in the south of the Apennine Peninsula. Hannibal realized that the loss of southern Spain to Rome would mean the definitive defeat of Carthage. It was certainly the weakest point of the Carthaginian state, which, as it turned out, was later ruthlessly used by the Romans. Hannibal, in order to secure Spain during the campaign, left troops led by the brothers Hasdrubal and Magon.
Hannibal’s Expedition
In 218 BCE Hannibal, at the head of his great army of nearly 60,000 soldiers, crossed the Ebro and headed for the Pyrenees. After crossing the mountain massif, he found himself in unfamiliar territory, belonging to the arrogant and distrustful Gallic tribes. Hannibal had to use his command skills and wits to defeat the brave, though undisciplined Gallic troops. In the vicinity of Massalia (today’s Marseille in the south of France), the first clash between the Punic and Roman armies took place, but it brought nothing more than that the Romans realized how close the enemy army was to Italy.
Then Hannibal, with a smaller army, entered the Alps. It should be noted that both the Romans and the Carthaginians did not have much to do with the mountains and the harsh conditions that prevail there. This is how Hannibal’s expedition is described by the Roman historian Titus Livius:
