10 Easy Questions about Hannibal Barca

Answer: Hamilcar

When Hannibal was just nine years of age Hamilcar brought him out to Spain where Hannibal learnt the art of warfare. Hamilcar made Hannibal swear an oath that he would do everything possible to harm the Roman Empire.

Answer: True

When Hannibal first reached Italy he fought a battle against a Roman Army and won very convincingly. After the battle Hannibal's forces had to make their way through a marshland. It is said that here one of Hannibal's eyes became infected and he his lost vision in it.

Answer: The Alps

Hannibal crossed the Alps with over 45,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry and 37 elephants. Hannibal's crossing of the Alps is one of the things he is most famous for.

Answer: Carthage

Carthage was located where Tunis (in modern Tunisia) is. Carthage never succeeded in overthrowing Rome and at the end of each of the Punic Wars was forced to pay tribute to Rome.

Answer: Hasdrubal and Mago

Hasdrubal and Mago were not as good at warfare as Hannibal, but they were still good generals. Hasdrubal took the same route Hannibal did into Italy years after Hannibal's arrival, but he was defeated by a Roman Army and killed.

Answer: The Battle of Cannae

The Battle of Cannae is one of the most famous battles ever fought. Hannibal used ingenious tactics to win this battle against a huge Roman army, greatly outnumbering his own army. The casualty figures cannot be established for cetain, but most historians agree that the Romans lost 50,000 to 70,000 men in the battle and Hannibal lost only around 4,000.

Answer: Elephants

Hannibal would send the elephants in against his enemy at the beginning of the battle in an attempt to break the enemy's front lines. A man with a spear was usually mounted on the elephants.

Answer: Publius Cornelius Scipio

Scipio defeated Hannibal in Carthage and it is said that Hannibal joined Publius Cornelius Scipio for biscuits and cake years afterwards and they exchanged stories and spoke of other great generals.

Answer: True

One of Hannibal's great problems was that he did not control the Mediterranean Sea. Had he had control of it he would have been able to transport troops to Italy, and possibly have defeated Rome.

Answer: Numidian

The Numidian cavalry were usually what made the difference in the battles Hannibal fought. They were superb horsemen and could inflict colossal damage on the flanks of Hannibal's enemy.