Phase 2

The Beginning of the Second Punic War

Rome and Carthage at the start of the Second Punic War

  The Second Punic War took began in 218 BCE (Bagnall, Nigel (1990). The Punic Wars.). It involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the crucial participation of Numidian-Berber armies and tribes on both sides.  The war was to a considerable extent initiated by Rome.  Before the war, Rome and Hasdrubal the Fair had made a treaty. Livy reports that a treaty made the Ebro River the boundary between the two empires and that the liberty of the people of Saguntum should be preserved (Livy. The History of Rome by Titus Livius: Books Nine to Twenty-Six). 

    Hamilcar Barca and his son-in-law, Hasdrubal the Fair, ruled relatively independently of Carthage. They signed the Ebro River treaty with Rome, when they began the Iberian conquest. Hamilcar died in battle in 228 BCE. However, not before, he entrusted a strategy to his son Hannibal.  That if he encountered trouble with the Romans what actions he should take to defeat the Romans.  I think Hamilcar had studied this issue since the Mercenary War.  However, it would be unwise to share it with many people.  This is like national Military Colleges of today making contingency plans on what action to take should a war against this or that nation occur.  Therefore, a discussion among them had taken place. Probably diplomatic envoys had been sent to the Gallic tribes as well with some success.

The Ebro River Basin 

  The Second Punic War was fought between Carthage and Rome it was ignited by the dispute over the political dominance of Saguntum, a Hellenized Iberian (Spanish) coastal city with diplomatic contacts to Rome (Mahaney, W.C., 2008, Hannibal's Odyssey: Environmental Background to the Alpine Invasion of Italia).

    Hasdrubal the Fair became Carthaginian commander in Iberia in 229 BCE. He maintained this post for some eight years until 221 BCE. Soon the Romans became aware of a burgeoning alliance between Carthage and the Celts of the Po River Valley in northern Italy. The latter were amassing forces to invade Italy, presumably with Carthaginian backing so the story goes, but there is the possibility this could be Roman propaganda too. Then the Romans preemptively invaded the Po region in 225 BCE. By 220 BCE, the Romans had annexed the area known as Gallia Cisalpina (Fagan, Garret G. "The History of Ancient Rome". Lecture 13: "The Second Punic War"). The assassination of Hasdrubal the Fair occurred around the same time (221 BCE), bringing Hannibal to the fore. It seems that, having apparently dealt with the threat of a Gaulo-Carthaginian invasion of Italy (and perhaps with the original Carthaginian commander assassinated); the Romans lulled themselves into a false sense of security

  .  Actually, the roots for this war went much deeper since Rome had imposed a huge indemnity on Carthage for the First Punic war and by illegally grabbing the Carthaginian islands of Corsica and Sardinia.  Therefore, Carthage was probably looking for an excuse to retaliate.

  The Saguntines provoked Hannibal’s attack by attacking neighboring tribes who were Carthaginian protectorates and by massacring pro-Punic factions in their city. Hannibal had  sworn to his father to never to be a friend of Rome, and he certainly did not take a conciliatory attitude when the Romans berated him for crossing the Ebro River, which Carthage by treaty was not to cross. However, Hannibal did not cross the Ebro River at Saguntum, which is near modern day Valencia – well south of that River (Hoyas, D. Hannibal’s Dynasty Power and Politics in the Western Mediterranean 247-183 BCE).

  Great tension within the city government of Saguntum, culminated in the assassination of the supporters of Carthage, Hannibal laid siege to the city of Saguntum in 219 BCE. However, the Romans ignored the city’s plea for aid… Hannibal was wounded following a prolonged siege and a bloody struggle, and the army practically destroyed.  However, the Carthaginians finally took control of the city. Many of the Saguntines chose to commit suicide rather than face subjugation by the Carthaginians.

  With that victory, Hannibal took the Romans by surprise a year later (218 BCE) by merely reviving and adapting the original Gaulo-Carthaginian invasion plan of his father and brother-in-law Hasdrubal the Fair. He was not going to wait for their attack but planned to launch his own attack first.

  The Site of Saguntum

  The 'Barcid Empire' consisted of the Punic territories in Iberia (Spain). According to the historian Pedro Barceló, it was a private military-economic political dominance backed by the two independent powers, Carthage and Gades (modern Cadiz). They shared the profits of the silver mines in southern Iberia with the Barcid family.  The Barcid Empire was strongly influenced by the Hellenistic kingdoms of the time and for example, contrary to Carthage, it minted silver coins in its short time of existence ( Barceló, P. A. Karthago und die Iberische Halbinsel vor den Barkiden Habelt). 

  Hannibal visited the local temple in Gades to conduct ceremonies before launching his campaign against Rome.

Temple of Hercules in Gades

  The Carthaginian army in Iberia totaled, according to Polybius, 90,000 infantry, 12,000 cavalry and 37 war elephants. (Polybius. The Histories, 3.35.1). It was thus one of the largest armies in the world at that time…  The Carthaginian army was Equal in numbers to any that the Romans had yet fielded. Hannibal departed with this army from New Carthage (Spanish: Cartagena, or Latin: Cartago Nova) northwards along the coast in late spring of 218 BCE. At the Ebro River, he split the army into three columns and subdued the tribes from there to the Pyrenees within weeks, but with severe losses. At the Pyrenees, he left a detachment of 11,000 Iberian troops, who showed reluctance to leave their homeland, as a garrison for the newly conquered region (Polybius, 3.35.4–5).

Stone Carving of an Iberian Warrior

  Rome had no legal protection pact with any tribe south of the Ebro River. Nonetheless, they asked Carthage to hand Hannibal over, and when the Carthaginian oligarchy refused. In view of Hannibal's great popularity, the Carthaginian government did not repudiate Hannibal's actions, and the war he sought was not declared until the end of the year. Therefore the declaration did not take place immediately because news was slow in getting to Rome. Hannibal was now determined to carry the war into the heart of Italy by a rapid march through Iberia into southern Gaul (Hoyos, D. Hannibal's Dynasty: Power and Politics in the Western Mediterranean, 247-183 BCE).

   Hannibal reportedly entered Gaul with 50,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry (Prevas, John, Hannibal Crosses the Alps: The Invasion of Italy and the Second Punic War).  Hannibal recognized that he still needed to cross the Pyrenees, the Alps, and many significant rivers (Mahaney, W.C., 2008. "Hannibal's odyssey: Environmental Background to the Alpine Invasion of Italia.").  Additionally, he would have to contend with opposition from the Gauls, whose territory he passed through. Starting in the spring of 218 BCE, he crossed the Pyrenees, by conciliating the Gaullist chiefs along his passage they allowed him, and his army to move unmolested, reached the River Rhône before the Romans could take any measures to bar his advance.   He did this by taking an inland route avoiding Roman allies along the coast. Arriving at the Rhône in September, Hannibal's army numbered 38,000 infantry, 8,000 cavalry, and 38 elephants-almost none of which would survive the harsh conditions of the Alps (Lancel, Serge, Hannibal).   

  At the Battle of The Rhone Crossing, a force of Allobroges a Gallic tribe attempted unsuccessfully to oppose him.

Hannibal's Probable Route

  The Carthaginian army crossed the River on the day of the battle using rafts, boats, and canoes in relays.  Hannibal took special measures to have his elephants ferried across the River the following day.

Route of Rhone River Crossing

Meanwhile a unit of Numidian cavalry scouting to the south had met a mixed group of Roman and Gallic cavalry and had retreated after a brief skirmish.

     Publius Cornelius Scipio had sailed from Pisa and reached Massilia (Marseilles) after sailing for five days along the Ligurian coast, and had disembarked with his army there.  Learning from the locals that Hannibal had already crossed into Gaul, he sent 300 Roman equestrians (Cavalry) up the east bank of the Rhone to locate the Carthaginian army.  They had been the ones that had skirmished with the Numidians, and they were able to learn where Hannibal’s camp was as well.   The Roman army marched upstream, ready for battle.  Hannibal evaded this force and by an unknown route reached the foot of Isere or the River Valley Durance at the foot of the Alps.

The River Valley Durance

  Before setting out for the Alps Hannibal received supplies from native tribes, some of whose hereditary disputes he had helped solve.

    Hannibal did not want to give battle to the Romans now when he almost encountered a Roman army under the command of Publius Cornelius Scipio and his brother Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus sent to intecept him at a Rhone River crossing. Seeing they could not catch him Publius Cornelius Scipio sent his brother Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus into Iberia (Spain) with two legions while he himself returned to northern Italy with the remainder to put down a revolt by Gallic tribes there.  Somehow, either through spies or through traders who were in Massilla notified Hannibal about Publius Cornelius Scipio decision - one going to Iberia and one to Italy.  That would mean his line of supply was in danger.  He had to turn around and take care of that business or carry out the original plan to invade Italy.  He chose to do the latter.  The reason I say this is that Hannibal seemed to be expecting supply issues. He had received few reinforcements and supplies by the time he entered Italy.  For some reason no one seemed to have much confidence in the Carthaginian Navy’s ability to re-supply him.

  The first Roman expidition into Iberia was unable to bring Carthaginian troops in the hinterland to Massalia (Marseille) to a pitched battle, so it continued on its way into northern Iberia by boat. Publius Cornelius Scipio returned to Rome realizing the danger of an an invasion of Italy where the tribes of the Boli and Insubres were already in revolt in the north.

                                          Locations of the Insubres and Boli North of Rome