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 If
the ancient world was to be incorporated, it was necessary that
one State should conquer all the rest. As soon, therefore, as
the growing Empires of Rome and Carthage came into contact an
internecine conflict was inevitable. Hamilcar, whose grand character
and brilliant military qualities had not saved his country from
defeat in the first Punic War, formed the plan of creating a
Carthaginian Empire in Spain, from which Rome might be again
attacked. He took with him his son HANNIBAL, then nine
years old, whom he had already bound by an oath never to be a
friend with the Romans. Hamilcar carried out the first part of
his plan with consummate skill; and when, 17 years afterwards,
his son succeeded to the command in Spain everything was ready
for the decisive struggle.
In 218 B.C., Hannibal executed his wonderful march over the
Pyranees and Alps into Italy, and commenced the long career of
victory which ranks him among the greatest generals of all time,
if indeed he be not the greatest. In the first three years he
smote Rome in three terrible battles at the Trebia, Trasimenus,
and Cannæ. But contrary to his expectations, the Italians
for the most part remained faithful to Rome. In the eighth year
he pushed up to the very walls of Rome, hurling his javelin into
the city in defiance. In the twelfth year, his gallant brother
Hasdrubal, who had marched from Spain to reinforce him, was defeated
and slain at the great battle of the Metaurus. But for four years
longer, though too weak for offensive operations, Hannibal remained
in South Italy, no Roman general venturing to disturb him; and
it was not till he was summoned to defend Carthage itself that
he quitted Italy (203 B.C.), where during sixteen years, though
meeting with occasional checks, he had never suffered a defeat.
He was now 45, and had not seen his native land since he had
sailed with his father to Spain! The decisive victory of Scipio
at Zama (202 B.C.) detracts nothing from the military reputation
of the great Carthaginian. Carthage was in effect beaten already.
Her last hope of success had vanished at Metaurus.
With clear judgment and undiscouraged patriotism, Hannibal
now insisted on the necessity of accepting the Roman terms, however
hard, and with his own hands pulled down from the platform a
passionate orator who called for further resistance. Though Carthage
had to accept the position of a dependent State, Hannibal patiently
worked at reforming her constitution and repairing her losses,
in order to be ready for any opportunity that might arise. Chased
from his country by the jealousy of Rome, he fled to her new
enemy Antiochus of Syria, and urged him to employ his resources
in enabling Carthage to renew the struggle. The advice was not
accepted; and, on the defeat of the king, Hannibal was hunted
by the Roman envoys from one kingdom to another, till at length,
despairing of escape, he terminated his life by poison in Bithhynia.
The career of this great citizen and warrior is to be regarded
not as a protest against the incorporating work undertaken by
Rome, but as an attempt to secure the direction of that work
for Carthage. It was unfortunate, though inevitable, that their
respective qualifications for the task could only be tested by
a struggle which annihilated one civilization and seriously injured
the other. Three statues of Hannibal were standing in Rome at
the time of Pliny.
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| This biography is
reprinted from The New Calendar of Great Men. Ed. Frederic
Harrison. London: Macmillan and Co., 1920. |
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