HannibalBy: Cormac McCaughan

“Of all that befell the Romans and Carthaginians, good or bad, the cause was one man and one mind---Hannibal.”

LegacyImpacts on Rome

Impact of Military TacticsImpact on modern culture

HANNIBAL’S LEGACY

Hannibal had an immense impact on Rome and Romans themselves for hundreds of years after his death.

His legacy extends from diplomatic relations and policies to the very core or mentality of the Romans themselves

His legacy also exists through his battle tactics which have been mimicked by famous generals such as Napoleon Bonaparte hundreds of years after the Second Punic War.

Impacts on Rome

Impact on Roman Foreign Policy: Most obvious and biggest example of Hannibal’s impact

on Roman foreign policy was the Third Punic War Rome’s history of fearing invasion, according to

Polybius: “In order to prevent such a catastrophe ever happening

again, the Roman’s determined to head off external threats before they could pose a direct threat to the states existence.”

“Hence the overriding motive for Roman expansionism was above all, the security of the state and this remained so down to Scipio Africanus’ victory at Zama in 202 BC.”

Impacts on Rome

Impacts on Domestic Policy: Hannibal’s invasion had illustrated perfectly

just how vulnerable the Romans were to a land invasion from the north.

Rome settled tens of thousands of veterans of the wars in Italy’s Po Valley – shaping the human and economic geography of Italy up to this day.

Historian and novelist Anthony Durham stated that: “Hannibal’s invasion of Italy in 218 B.C. at the

onset of the Second Punic War was a similar catalyst that moved the powers of republican Rome to make major changes in their foreign policy and domestic economic policy.”

Other Impacts

Impact on people of Rome – fear of Hannibal as Rome had been pushed to the very brink of its existence

Total restructure of the Senate and Roman government. Went from a democracy to a dictatorship. Fabius Maximus was made dictator twice to combat Hannibal in Rome.

Forced Rome (to its great displeasure) into using tactics it never would have engaged in before.

However, Rome’s encounters with Carthage did advantage Rome as it enabled Rome to expand its military prowess in things like its Navy and battle tactics.

Impact of Military Tactics

Hannibal’s exceptional prowess in military strategy and tactics had an immense impact on modern warfare.

His tactics have been imitated by some of the worlds most renowned generals including:

Napoleon Bonaparte Alfred von Schlieffen General Norman Schwarzkopf

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon studied works of great military figures of the past, not just Hannibal.

“A gifted strategist” The words Napoleon used

to describe Hannibal. Napoleon was a great admirer of Hannibal’s tactics, particularly at the battle of Trebia.

Alfred von Schlieffen

Hannibal’s tactics were even used in World War one.

The idea of a pincer movement and envelopment of the enemy taken from Hannibal’s tactics at the battle of Cannae.

Attempt to take France in 6 weeks.

Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf

American general Norman Schwarzkopf – Iraq war in the 1990’s. Schwarzkopf admitted to trying to emulate Hannibal's success at Cannae when he attacked the Iraqi ground forces.

Impact on Modern World

Huge range of impacts: Film Television Opera/Theatre Comics Novels Military history

texts We’re studying him

now….

Assessment of His Career and Life

PolybiusLivyBoak

SinnigenTim Cornell

Robert L. O’Connell

Assessment of his Career and Life

When assessing the military career of a prominent historical figure such as Hannibal, the historian must ask himself the question: To what extent was Hannibal a successful leader?

This can be answered by breaking down the question into smaller enquiry questions: Did he achieve all his objectives (military and non-military)? If not all, why? Were these failures a direct result of Hannibal’s

mistakes or were there other factors involved? What was his contribution/impact on the ancient and modern

world? What evidence do we have to make such judgments? Historians, ancient and modern? If you were Hannibal, would you be satisfied with what you had

achieved, or lament the fact that you got so close to achieving your goal and failed?

Achievements

Successfully invaded Rome with 38,000 infantry, 8,000 cavalry, and 37 war elephants by crossing the Alps.

Came out the other side with almost half of what he started with. (According to Polybius 20 000 infantry, 4000 horsemen and only a few war elephants).

United tribes of Gaul and convinced them to join him in his campaign.

Did this, according to Polybius and in agreement with several modern historians such as Tim Cornell and Anthony Durham, without any form of mutiny.

Achievements Won three (3) major pitch battles on Roman soil:

Battle of Trebia Battle of Lake Trasimene Battle of Cannae

Several other victories in Spain and other regions of Europe However, there is evidence to suggest he was not all that popular

back home at Carthage. Senate displeased with his actions Rarely saw his family Cause of economic, political and social tensions between Rome and

Carthage The Senate would eventually pull the plug on Hannibal’s war with

Rome, ordering him to return to defend Carthage’s assets in Spain instead.

He was at Rome’s doorstep at this time. Had he had the support, could he have destroyed it, and changed the course of history?

How It All Ends

Hannibal fled to Bithynia after his defeat at the hands of Scipio Aemilianus (Africanus) in 202 BC.

According to both Polybius and Livy, he remained there until 183-2 BC when the Romans finally tracked him down

It is said that rather than give the Romans the satisfaction of killing him, Hannibal took poison, ending his life.

Was Hannibal a successful leader? Yes/No.

QUOTES

Source: Polybius Histories “Of all that befell the Romans and Carthaginians, good or bad,

the cause was one man and one mind---Hannibal.”

“It is, therefore, very difficult to express an opinion on the natural character of Hannibal, owing to the influence exercised on it by the counsel of friends and the force of circumstances.”

“Hannibal excelled as a tactician. No battle in history is a finer sample of tactics than Cannae. But he was yet greater in logistics and strategy. No captain ever marched to and fro among so many armies of troops superior to his own numbers and material as fearlessly and skillfully as he. No man ever held his own so long or so ably against such odds”

Robert L. O’Connell Author of:

“The Ghosts of Cannae” “HANNIBAL'S LEGACY:

THE EFFECTS OF THE HANNIBALIC WAR ON ITALY”

An example of a modern historian on the strategies, tactics and military genius behind Hannibal’s catastrophic campaign against Rome and its impact.

Images & Interpretations

ImagesBasquesStatuesMovies

Historians

HANNIBAL - CROSSING THE ALPS

Sébastien Slodtz (French, 1655–1726)His interpretation Hannibal counting the rings of the Roman knights killed

at the Battle of Cannae (216 BC).

Polybius & Livy

Polybius Renowned for being or

attempting to be as objective as he possibly can. Thus he is a more reliable and trustworthy source.

Sees Hannibal as having exceptional military skill and prowess despite being a Roman.

“For steadfastness of purpose, for organizing capacity and a mastery of military science he has perhaps never had an equal.”

Livy More atypical Roman historian

– sought to make Hannibal out to be a barbarian.

Downplayed Hannibal’s skill and often doctored size of forces faced, i.e. when Hannibal defeated Rome he would say that Rome’s number were already depleted.

“The prevailing notion about him, however, at Carthage was that he was greedy of money, at Rome that he was cruel…”

Modern Sources

Robert L. O’Connell - Ghosts of Carthage

Tim Cornell – Hannibal’s Legacy: The impact of the Hannibalic wars on Italy

Pride of Carthage, A Novel of Hannibal by David Anthony Durham

Movies & Other Texts

Huge range of modern interpretations of Hannibal: Film TV Novels Operas/Theatres Comics Novels Military history texts

Hannibal Lecter (Next Slide)

Year Film Other notes

1914 CabiriaItalian Silent film

1939 Scipio Africanus - the Defeat of Hannibal (Scipione l'africano)Italian Motion Picture

1955 Jupiter's DarlingMGM musical picture starring Howard Keel and Esther Williams

1960 AnnibaleItalian Motion Picture starring Victor Mature

1997 The Great Battles of Hannibal British documentary

2001 Hannibal: The Man Who Hated RomeBritish documentary

2005 The True Story of HannibalBritish documentary

2005 Hannibal vs. Rome in National Geographic Channel

2006 Hannibal - Rome's Worst NightmareTV film starring Alexander Siddig in the title role

2008 Battles BCHistory Channel TV film

2010 On Hannibal's TrailBBC TV Documentary

2011 Deadliest WarriorWeapons testing and simulated combat

2011 (not confirmed) Hannibal the Conqueror Starring: Vin Diesel as Hannibal

Bibliography Books:

Livy, The War with Hannibal, transl. Aubrey de Sélincourt, Penguin Books, 1965.

Polybius, The Rise of the Roman Empire, transl. Ian Scott-Kilvert. Penguin Books, 1979.

Dodge, Theodore Ayrault, Hannibal, Da Capo Press, 1995

Ancient History Sourcebook: Polybius (c.200-after 118 BCE): The Character of Hannibal/The Battle of Cannae

The Ghosts of Cannae - Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic, Robert L. O’Connell

“Hannibal’s Legacy: The Effect of the Hannibalic wars on Italy” – Tim Cornell

Scipio Africanus: Greater than Napoleon – B.H. Liddel Hart

Pride of Carthage – David Anthony Durham

Bibliography Websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal http://www.experienceplus.com/blog/?p=372 http://www.livius.org/ha-hd/hannibal/hannibal.html http://www.livius.org/ha-hd/hannibal/hannibal2.html#

Cannae/Zama http://www.livius.org/li-ln/livy/livy.htm http://phoenicia.org/hannibal.html http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/sch0int-2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlieffen_Plan