Who was Hannibal?
Q: Who was Hannibal?
A: Hannibal was a Carthaginian statesman and general who is most famous for his actions during the Second Punic War.
Q: What did Hannibal do in the Second Punic War?
A: During the Second Punic War, Hannibal marched an army from Iberia over the Pyrenees mountains and the Alps mountains into northern Italy and defeated the Romans in a series of battles. At the Battle of Cannae, he defeated Rome's largest army ever assembled.
Q: How many men were in Rome's army at Cannae?
A: The Roman army at Cannae is reckoned to have been 16 legions with a total of 86,000 men.
Q: What happened to this large army?
A: Over 80% of this army was killed or captured, including many of its commanders.
Q: What did Hannibal do after his defeat at Carthage?
A: After his defeat at Carthage, Hannibal lived at the Seleucid court and convinced its Emperor to fight Rome. When he lost a naval battle, he fled to Bithynia where he eventually killed himself when asked by Rome to give up.
Q: Why is Hannibal considered one of history's greatest military commanders?
A: Military historian Theodore Ayrault Dodge once called Hannibal the "father of strategy" because even his greatest enemy, Rome, copied his military ideas which makes him one of history's greatest military commanders.
Q: What does it mean that Hannibal is considered "the father of strategy"?
A: This means that due to his innovative tactics during war time even his enemies had to copy them which makes him an influential figure in terms of warfare strategies throughout history.
