Premium Essay

Hannibal's Leadership During The Punic Wars

Submitted By
Words 853
Pages 4
“Of all that befell the Romans and Carthaginians, good or bad, the cause was one man and one mind---Hannibal.” The Carthaginian leader Hannibal was one of the greatest threats to the Roman Empire until its ultimate fall in the late 5th century AD. To understand why Hannibal was the great leader he was, it is important to look at his innovative ideas during the Punic Wars because his innovations were unprecedented for the time period.

Hannibal was one of the greatest military leaders of all time, although he was not self taught. Hannibal grew up surrounded by military influences. Hannibal’s father, Hamilcar, was a general who taught him much about military strategy and tactics. Hannibal promised his father to have an eternal hatred for …show more content…
He knew he and his army would be defeated if he had invaded Rome from the Mediterranean. Hannibal devised a brilliant plan that neither the Roman army nor his own army was expecting. Hannibal took his army of more than 40,000 troops and brought the battle straight to Rome. Instead of invading from the sea, Hannibal and his army traveled over thousands of miles of treacherous terrain and two mountain ranges; the Pyrenees and the Alps, to reach Italy. Because of Hannibal’s well thought out plan, the Carthaginian Army advanced with a major victory at the Ticinus River over the great Roman general …show more content…
Hannibal’s plan to cross the Alps with his army was a success but came with many losses. Hannibal lost around half of his men and most of his elephants but managed to make it to Italy. When Hannibal and his army reached Italy, they were met by a Roman army more than double their number. The Romans were a larger force but we're not as experienced and battle-tested as Hannibal’s men. Because Hannibal trained his men properly, they were able to surround the Romans and slowly defeat them. Hannibal’s strategy and leadership led the Romans to their greatest defeat of all time at the battle of

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Rome's Greatest Military Leaders: Hannibal Barca

...military leaders, that have shaped a pathway of human civilization with their skills of leadership. One leader that fits this specific category is Hannibal Barca. The article of Hannibal of Carthage states that “Hannibal was a Carthaginian general who fought against Rome during the second Punic war. His name became synonymous with inciting fear, and to this day he is considered one of the greatest military leaders of all time”. Hannibal was born in 247 BCE, when Carthage was about lose an important war. The city valued the Mediterranean’s because of its possessed wealthy provinces and prosperous seaport, but it suffered serious consequences from the Romans in the First Punic War (264-241). In the article of Hannibal Barca, “After Rome's victory, it stripped Carthage of its most important province, Sicily; and when civil war had broken out in Cartage, Rome seized Sardinia and Corsica as well”....

Words: 1284 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Hannibal Barca

...is fitting for this title, this report will include his motivations, his outstanding achievements and greatest feats during his lifetime and the consequences of his actions after his death. Hannibal Barca was born in 247 BCE, his birthplace Carthage was about to lose a long and very important war. Carthage had been the Mediterranean’s most prosperous seaport and possessed wealthy provinces, but it had suffered severe losses from the Romans in the first Punic wars (264-241)1. Hamiclar Barca, Hannibal’s father, was the general during the first Punic war. However, at the end of the war, the Carthaginians had failed to take control of Sicily, one of their most important provinces. The Romans now controlled Sicily, and this was a matter Hamiclar did not take lightly. Hamiclar was “driven by his hatred of the Romans”2. Hamiclar truly hated the Romans after they humiliated the Carthaginians at their forced surrender in Sicily. Hannibal Barca had been waiting in Carthage for his moment to rise to power. At a very early age, Hamiclar “made his son swear eternal hatred to Rome”3. Hannibal, at the age of no more than twenty, was sent to Spain to be educated about war under Hasdrubal. Hannibal never did anything in excess; he only ate and drank what was required to survive. Hannibal became a very skilled warrior and very well educated, Arts of politics and tactics of war seemed to come naturally. Hannibal had even learned the language of the enemy, Latin. After the death of Hasdrubal...

Words: 1001 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Scipio Vs Pompey

...commander, and for good reason. In many ways, they had uncanny similarities in leadership, tactics, and achievements, even though they lived around a century apart (p.172). Despite their apparent similarities, each one had individual characteristics which set him apart from the other, and indeed, from all other generals before or after, hence their exalted status in history. To truly understand why the two men are remembered so well, several factors must be examined: The time period in which they held command, their personality traits, and the tactics that won them success on the battlefield. Scipio and Pompey rose to prominence during two of the most turbulent periods in the history of Rome: The Second Punic War (p.50), and the Civil War (p.173). Both of these times were...

Words: 1414 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Why Was Hannibal Effective

...During the Punic wars, Hannibal was an exceptional General. Many people liked him because he thought outside the box. An example of this is when instead of attacking a ship at sea, he threw snakes at it to scare the crew into surrendering. This shows that his strategies were different but effective. Many people approved of his leadership because of this. Hannibal was set on taking over all of Liberia. He did this without thinking twice about all of the allies of Rome in the city and kept pushing. Rome Jumped on the chance to declare war on Carthage. Hannibal was thinking something to prevent the Romans from beating Carthage. He was in Iberia with his army. Rome was on the other side of the Alps, which were very tall mountains. That didn’t...

Words: 422 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Hannibal the Great

...Hannibal the Great ECPI University Hannibal the Great Pundits often agree that there are five characteristics of great leaders. The first of these is being flexible. Not everything always goes according to plan. Competitors change tactics, governments force new regulations, strikes stop the flow of products, and, occasionally, natural disasters occur. During times like these, leaders have to be able to change course; that is, first make sure their interests will survive, and then find a new way to reach their goals. The second characteristic is being able to communicate. Many leaders are superb orators, but speaking well isn’t all that is required of a good leader. There are lots of people who talk a good game but fall short of delivering. Leaders who communicate well not only share their thoughts with their subordinates, but also let their strength and personal character show through in their communication, and empower those who work for them by defining the company’s goal and showing how to get there. Courage, tenacity, and patience together form the third characteristic. Possessing the courage to stand alone, the tenacity to not submit to pressure, and the patience to persevere until you’ve won -- and sometimes at the same time--is something you should strive to develop if you want to be a truly successful leader. The fourth necessitous characteristic is the amalgam of humility and presence. Feigning aloof, or superior your employees, does not make one a leader. Leaders...

Words: 2334 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Scipio the Learner

...Hannibal at Zama in the last battle of the Second Punic War. He earned recognition as a great leader and commander for his bravery and his tactical strategies. In the chapter “Scipio Africanus” in the book, “The Centurion Principles” by retired Colonel Jeff O”Leary, the military life and leadership qualities of Scipio are examined. Additionally, O’Leary shows how Scipio’s skills can be applied the business world. As a student at Houston Christian, these leadership principles can also be applied to my life today. Scipio’s life was severely affected by war and it helped him to become the leader he was. He survived a horrible massacre at Cannae by the Carthaginian commander, Hannibal. When he was only 17 years old, he saved the life of his father in an act of extreme bravery and selflessness. Later, his father and uncle would each die in battles against the Carthaginians, in part due to limited Roman forces sent by an uncommitted Roman senate. Instead of being bitter and turning away from responsibility from fear, Scipio learned everything he could about Hannibal’s war tactics. Eventually, in an act of obligation for his fallen patriarchs and from a desire to test his strength and skill, Scipio volunteered as Commander of Legions in Spain when no one else would. Following his appointment, he spent time to get to know his allies and to commend those he was leading in order to build their confidence and their support for his leadership. Despite an initial battle loss against the...

Words: 747 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

400 Words to Learn Toefl

...400 Must-Have Words for the TOEFL® This page intentionally left blank. 400 Must-Have Words for the TOEFL® LYNN STAFFORD-YILMAZ LAWRENCE J. ZWIER MCGRAW-HILL New York Chicago San Francisco • Lisbon London • Madrid • Mexico City • Milan • New Delhi San Juan • Seoul • Singapore • Sydney • Toronto • • Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 0-07-146707-6 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: 0-07-144328-2. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps. McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. For more information, please contact George Hoare, Special Sales, at george_hoare@mcgraw-hill.com or (212) 904-4069. TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“McGraw-Hill”)...

Words: 38362 - Pages: 154

Free Essay

400 Must Have Words

...NEED MORE TOEFL MATERIALS?? Go Here: http://www.yosite.ru 400 Must-Have Words for the TOEFL® This page intentionally left blank. 400 Must-Have Words for the TOEFL® LYNN STAFFORD-YILMAZ LAWRENCE J. ZWIER MCGRAW-HILL New York Chicago San Francisco • Lisbon London • Madrid • Mexico City • Milan • New Delhi San Juan • Seoul • Singapore • Sydney • Toronto • • Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 0-07-146707-6 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: 0-07-144328-2. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps. McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. For more information, please contact George Hoare, Special Sales, at george_hoare@mcgraw-hill.com or (212)...

Words: 38371 - Pages: 154