Hannibal Barca: One Man Against Rome Quiz

Answer: Ebro Treaty

The Carthaginian siege of Saguntum was only an excuse for Rome to go to war against Carthage. The River Ebro had been agreed on as the boundary between Rome's and Carthage's spheres of influence. Saguntum was on the Carthaginian side of the boundary and so Hannibal had every right to subdue it.

Answer: Carthalo

He was a little known officer who also delivered an ultimatum to to Rome after Cannae. Very persuasive and very capable, he caused much fear to the Romans on Hannibal's behalf, for example by painting statues blood red, which the Romans took to be a very bad omen.

Answer: on a lion skin rug by the sentries

The Romans claimed he did this for fear of assassination. This may have been partly true, and he probably feared enemies inside and outside but, above all, he slept in hardship like his men, to show his solidarity with ordinary soldiers.

Answer: he often disguised himself with wigs and different attire

The Romans said he did this in fear of assassination. The fact is he wanted to see the land ahead of him in preparation for a battle or an ambush. He could not do this dressed as a general, so he went about dressed like a traveller or peasant or common soldier. His father taught him to take maximum advantage of the terrain in battle.

Answer: Lake Trasimene

One of only a few Hannibal quotes that survive. He was frustrated by lack of intelligence from his spies and the loss of the sight of his eye. Flaminius was an impetuous character who longed to be the first consul to defeat Hannibal. Hannibal hid almost his entire army above the early morning fog unseen by the Roman legions marching around the lake's edge. So unsuspecting were they that they failed to form a front as previously unseen javelins rained down on them.

At the very time of the battle an earthquake occurred in the region.

Answer: Optic neve failure due to fever from traveling in swamp land

Whilst traveling through swamp land Hannibal became ill with fever, probably malaria, and as the reuslt of a complication lost the sight in one eye. He was placed above the swampy waters on the only surviving elephant "Syrus" Hannibal rode on horse back as a rule.

Answer: Marched toward Rome

Hannibal tried to offer battle to the Romans, a challenge which they did not accept. He sought to break the siege by having the Roman army follow him if he was marching on Rome. He burned crops within several miles of the Roman gates and some historians say that he actually rode up the gates of Rome and threw a spear over the gates in defiance. Nevertheless, the Romans did not fall for his trick and Capua was lost.

Answer: Polybius

The history of Hannibal was written from the point of view of the victorious enemy - Rome, but historians like Polybius and Livy still could not hold back some of the truth and admiration which was the genius that Hannibal had. Writers like Sir Gavin de Beer and Harold Lamb have looked again at his life and achievements and restored some of the truth about the greatest of generals, Hannibal. Only Alexander can be compared to him.

Answer: Alexander, Pyrrhus, Hannibal

The meetings between Hannibal and Scipio had an affect on Scipio personally .He was never the same after their first meeting and the battle of Zama. It is not known what was really said before Zama. Scipio seems to have taken on a life style like Hannibal after his triumph in Rome which gave him the title Africanus.

He died in the same year as Hannibal and his wish was to be buried outside Roman territory, shunning the Roman State.

Answer: The delayer

Fabius' tactics have come down through the ages as delaying tactics - deliberately fighting a war of attrition. At the time it was not a term of praise or endearment and he was detested by a long string of senators and consuls for failing to offer battle to Hannibal. (In the longer term, however, his reputation was partially restored). Fabius knew that was the only way to win was to wear down his enemy over a period of time. Like Scipio he, too, was undefeated by Hannibal. All others who offered him battle were beaten.