Part 1 Hannibal’s Early Life

On the northern shore of modern-day Tunisia, less than four hundred miles from Rome sat the city of Carthage which was a substantial rival for the Roman republic. Nothing better encapsulated the severity of the threat of Carthage to Rome than that of Hannibal and his conquests of Italy. His decision to ally with previously thought Italian allies changed the fabric of the Roman Republic. No longer could Roman allies be seen as insignificant but rather vital to the sustainability of Rome. Hannibal's rise to power can be attributed to many things but the best quality that encapsulates him as a figure is his ability to adapt his father's tactics and learn from the mistakes of Carthage in the first Punic War. Hannibal Barca was born to a distinguished Carthaginian family around 247 BCE. Hamilcar Barca, his father, fought in the first Punic war taking control of the Carthaginian fleet around the same time Hannibal was born. After the war was over with the Romans, Carthage was in a state of turmoil because of its unpaid debts to mercenaries resulting in a revolution referred to as the Mercenary War. Hannibal was a young child while this was happening and witnessed his city being ravaged by revolution. Rome seized the opportunity to further weaken Carthage by conquering the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. As the story goes, this so enraged Hamilcar he made his young son swear to one day destroy Rome. While this story is untruthful and an attempt to further villainize Hannibal, one thing is undeniable. Hannibal from an early age was exposed to war, and his father was well distinguished in Carthage for his tactics. These two things made him ready to take on the Roman military. Not an oath, his father made him swear as a child. With these two factors, one can see how Hannibal grew up to become one of Ancient History's greatest generals. From then until his father died in his late teens Hannibal was instructed by his father in warfare and leadership. By his twenties, he was given command by his father’s successor in Spain and later took over control of the entire Spanish province by his mid-twenties. Hannibal’s journey starting in Spain and ending with his death in Bithynia around 182 BCE, helped shape Rome into the militaristic empire it became following the Punic wars.

There is no way to study Hannibal or Carthage except through the context of Roman History. Because of the destruction of the city of Carthage in 149 BCE little primary sources remain about them. British Historian Howard Hayes Scullard speaks of the two sources of information when it comes to Carthage. “Carthage has left no written documents (apart from a few inscriptions) which record the thoughts or achievements of her citizens. The second source comprises the Greek and Latin writers” . These Greek and Latin sources have a bias towards the Roman viewpoint making it impossible to discuss Carthage without also discussing Rome. The sources used most in our understanding of Carthage and more specifically the Punic wars are the Greek historian Polybius and a Roman Historian named Livvy. Polybius was not born until the end of the Second Punic War but was an eyewitness of the destruction of Carthage in 149 BCE. Polybius was not a Roman himself, rather he was a Greek writing about what he was witnessing the Roman Empire accomplish. Secondly is Livy’s History of Rome, which also tells the story. Livvy was a Roman historian who was born almost one hundred years after the destruction of Carthage. While not an eyewitness of the events of the Punic wars, Livy is considered a credible source for his diligence and how he organized his writings. In the book Livy as the Historian of Rome, the author explains why historians use Livy’s work to study the ancient world. “Moreover, Livy’s extant books reveal how much care he devoted to the patterning of events by decades and pentads.” Livvy may not have been present for the events of the Punic Wars and Hannibal, but his meticulous writing style and mindfulness lend him a credible resource.