Hannibal, the Carthaginian war hero

By Amal Hewavissenti

While Rome was developing as a major kingdom in Italy, the city of Carthage was emerging as a powerful state on the northern African shores. The traditional date for the establishment of Carthage is 814 BC or it may have been almost a century and a half later as some archaeologists now hold.

The story of Elissa of Tyre is a romantic legend which tells us that Elissa, a Phoenician princess escaped from king Pygmalion her murderous brother. Accompanied by priests and temple maidens of Astarte, Elissa sailed from Cyprus to the Gulf of Tunis and there, on a hill top (Byrsa as currently called) she founded the city of Carthage.

Rome and Carthage waged fierce battles for centuries for the supremacy over Mediterranean sea. Rome's power was inevitably viewed by Carthaginians and their rulers as a stark defiance to them. Above all, Carthaginians by this time had earned a considerable fame for being excellent navigators, militants and traders around the world.With the invasion and capture of Meyhna harbour in Sicily by the Carthaginian ruler, the first violent battle between Rome and Carthage broke out probably in 263 BC. The Carthaginians had diplomatically captured the Sicily's harbour simply to dislocate the commercial ties between Rome and Sicily.

Horizon

Meanwhile, a Carthaginian youth called Hannibal appeared on the horizon of these deadly conflicts and made his mark in the battles to ensure the supremacy of Carthage. He was the son of a Carthaginian military general (Hamilcar Birker) and had received preliminary experience in military camps from his childhood with his father. With the bitter childhood in military camps with his father, Hannibal had mastered what is needed by a soldier in military operations. In spite of Hannibal's persistent Chauvinism in the struggle for a free Carthage, mounted a clear protest against the inhuman practices prevalent in Carthage at the time. The infant sacrifice the blackest and most horrible rite inherited from nowhere, was severely attacked and challenged by Hannibal. This strange custom (Probably adding to the Romans' abiding hatred of the Carthaginians) was practised for centuries.

First-born sons and daughters were offered by Carthaginian parents as living sacrifices to appease the gods in times of great calamities such as famine, drought and war.

On a moonlit night, a priest placed a child killed moments earlier on the arms of a statue of god Baal.

The burning of the body of the infant against the weeping by parents was explained as joining or entering the company of gods.

Protest

Hannibal, still a youth, is said to have mounted a furious protest against the practice of human sacrifice and have destroyed several places of sacrifice. He obviously controlled the rite and practically brought the organisers of the rite to confusion. We see that his bitter childhood in military camps could not debar his from developing love for mankind. Hannibal a brilliant wrestler and a horse rider had received higher education as a youth and possessed an extraordinarily strong mind. His weak physique (thin frame) was accompanied with unswerving mind. History of the world tells us that Hannibal was made to pledge on the altar his continued hatred towards Roman empire while Hamilcar Birker, his father, was on a visit to Spain.

Young Hannibal was appointed the General of Carthage army following the demise of his father. Hannibal's military capabilities became sharper during decisive battles with Roman armies and he was a rare and extraordinary person in any situation, task or circumstances. He was a master of military strategies, a dynamic militant and a diplomatic commander who superlatively organised his army. According as Levee, a Roman historian writes Hannibal, though thin in frame, had the rare ability to endure cold and heat in the same degree and ate comparatively less simply to sustain life.

He slept among his soldiers and wore, as the commander, the average clothes that the junior soldiers wore. In the battle, Hannibal commanded his battle being in the front of the march and under no circumstances did he leave his army even when the attacks from the enemies grew intense.

Invasion

Hannibal, with the support of a massive army with tuskers, crossed the AIPs ridge within nine days and succeeded in capturing the peak of the mountain.

Furthermore, he fiercely attacked the state of Saguntum, a close friend of Rome and totally conquered the kingdom situated on the eastern coast of Spain.

Hannibal's invasion of Italy after trekking through Piranis Range, River Ronne and AIPs range is regarded as a matchless phenomenon in the world history of battles.

Though Rome responded Hannibal with a strong resistance, he succeeded in becoming the ruler of northern Italy by defeating all Roman battalions. Roman historical records say that Hannibal was an average Carthaginian who fought tooth and nail for the independence of Carthage under threat from Rome. Following year, Hannibal crossed Alpine range with two armies and defeated Roman armies after a violent confrontation.

Next he captured the power of Southern Italy after an intense battle which proved to be the bitter most ordeal for Romans against Hannibal's armies.

Fabian Maximus the ruler of Rome never encountered Hannibal but planned strategies to indirectly enfeeble the military strength of Hannibal.

Even though Hannibal ruled northern and southern Italy for around 13 years, he failed to capture Rome, probably because he lacked weapons to besiege Rome.

However, Hannibal was defeated by a Roman army in north Africa while he went to Carthage to settle rebellions there. Here Carthaginian men-of-war and weapons were captured by Romans. As Rome insisted to surrender Hannibal, he poisoned himself and died. The Roman leaders said that not the Roman armies but the Carthaginian traders and rulers who defeated Hannibal.