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Beware, the bogey man will get you! At least, that’s what the Roman’s thought and said for 16 years as Hannibal, the original bogey man, roamed the Italian countryside.
At a young age Hannibal was due to be sacrificed by his own father, Hamilcar Barca, to his gods. Hannibal on the way to his early death screamed out, “Don’t kill me, I vow to hate and kill the Romans till I die.” Hamilcar was impressed with his son’s vigor, and allowed him to live.
Rome and Carthage had been involved in serious battles over trade and expansion rights. Carthage was the dominant world power, and Rome was the upstart new kid on the block. The first Punic War started brightly for Carthage, as the Romans lost their Sacred Chickens en route to their first battle proved ominous. (Not making this stuff up. The Romans were very superstitious and always killed a chicken to read the future in the chicken’s entrails). Eventually, the dominant Roman land forces figured out a way to take the land battle to the dominant Carthaginian Navy. They used grappling hooks, threw them over to the opposing ship and pulled it in. When close enough, planks were bridged between the two vessels. Carthage lost her powerful navy rapidly. The first Punic war ended in 241 after nearly 20 years fighting. Rome gained Sardinia and Corsica, as well as dealing a serious blow to Carthaginian naval power in the Mediterranean. Between the treaty agreed upon in 238 and 218, Carthage knew it was going to return to war. Rome feared it, but had other things to worry about, such as the Mithridatic Wars in Illyria (Yugoslavia region).
Because Rome was sidetracked, a young Hannibal took advantage in Spain. He crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and began to decimate the small Roman forces sent against him. Soon enough Spain was in chaos, and Carthage took this large colony from Rome. Hannibal did not stop there, he undertook one of History’s greatest feats, he crossed the Alps with his entire army, including 36 African Elephants. Upon leaving the Alps, Hannibal surprised the Roman towns, as they never expected anyone could cross the alps. Quickly assembled armies were sent, and obliterated, first at Lake Trasimene, and then Hannibal’s most comprehensive and famous victory at Cannae in 216. 60,000 Romans died at Cannae, making it the worst Roman defeat ever. It would be another 500 years before the Goths destroyed 40,000 at Adrianople to equal such a massacre. Hannibal had one problem, however, he lost much of his siege-war machines. He did march to Rome, but knew that he could not take it by direct assault, so, Hannibal and his army ravaged the Italian peninsula until a young general from a famous family concocted a genius plan.
Publius Cornelius Scipio theorized that if Rome took an army to Hannibal’s homeland, the Hannibal would leave Italy. It was a daring plan, and many Romans disagreed, but why not, Hannibal was not being dealt with and had not been dealt with for 16 years. Scipio set sail, and in 202 his army linked with a powerful Roman ally Massinissa of Numidia. The combined army began to terrorize the defenseless Carthage. Hannibal was ordered home. Upon his arrival, things seemed to stabilize, yet Scipio proved to be too savvy for Hannibal on October 19, 202. He laid traps and reorganized his army to deal with the elephants, which caused such dread in the Roman army. Once the battlefield was cleared of the elephants, Scipio and his ally Massinissa used their new position advantageously. Hannibal fled, and Carthage surrendered, thus ending the Second Punic War. Scipio returned to Rome a victor, and was given a title of honor “Africanus” for his incredible victory against Carthage.
What happened to the bogey man? Hannibal continued to be a thorn in Rome’s side until his death, fulfilling the vow made to his father. He spent most of the remaining years of his life in the east, involving himself with any nation fighting against Rome. He was invited by the Seleucid, Antiochus III “The Great”, to fight against Rome in the Syrian Wars. Eventually, after a long manhunt, Rome tracked Hannibal down, and his protectors gave him up. Hannibal committed suicide at Libyssa in Modern Turkey. The original bogey man was dead, and Rome breathed a sigh of relief.
armchaircapitalist 