Hannibal's Last Battle

Zama & The Fall of Carthage

Brian Todd Carey, Joshua B. Allfree, John Cairns

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Year: 2007
• Print ISBN: 9781844156351
• eBook ISBN: 9781473814813
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World War II
• Index: History

A "crisply written, well researched . . . superb piece of scholarship about one of the most dramatic and decisive battles in the ancient world" ( Journal of Military History).
 
At Zama (in what is now Tunisia) in 202 BC, the armies of two great empires clashed: the Romans under Scipio Africanus and Carthaginians, led by Hannibal. Scipio's forces would win a decisive, bloody victory that forever shifted the balance of power in the ancient world.
Thereafter, Rome became the dominant civilization of the Mediterranean.
 
Here, Brian Todd Carey recounts that battle and the grueling war that led up to it. He offers fascinating insight into the Carthaginian and Roman methods of waging war, their military organizations, equipment, and the tactics the armies employed. He also delivers an in-depth critical assessment of the contrasting qualities and leadership styles of Hannibal and Scipio, the two most celebrated commanders of their age.
 
With vivid prose and detailed maps of the terrains of the time, Hannibal's Last Battle is an essential text for fans of military history and students of the classical period.

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements
List of Maps
Key to Maps
List of Illustrations
Chronology of the Punic Wars
Introduction:	Clash of Civilizations
	The Battle of Zama as Turning Point
	Phoenicia’s Heir: The Rise of Carthage
	Rome: From City-State to Master of Italy
Chapter 1	The First Punic War (264–241 BCE)
	The Organization and Tactics of the Carthaginian Army
	The Organization and Tactics of the Roman Army
	The First Punic War: The War at Sea and On Land
	An Unequal Peace and the Mercenary War
Chapter 2	The Early Campaigns of Hannibal
	Hannibal’s Early Life and the Origins of the Second Punic War (218–202 BCE)
	The Second Punic War: Initial Strategies
	Dangerous Journey: Hannibal Crosses the Alps
	Seizing the Initiative: Early Punic Victories at the Ticinus and the Trebia (218 BCE)
	Ambush at Lake Trasimene and Rome’s ‘Fabian’ Strategy (217 BCE)
	Cannae: Hannibal’s ‘Killing Field’ (216 BCE)
	After Cannae
Chapter 3	The Early Campaigns of Scipio
	Scipio’s Early Life and Building a New Army
	Rome Resurgent and the Elder Scipios in Spain
	Scipio the Younger and the Capture of New Carthage
	The Roman Conquest of Spain (208–207 BCE)
	Hasdrubal Defeated: The Battle of Metaurus River (207 BCE)
	Scipio’s Masterpiece: Ilipa (206 BCE)
	Scipio Returns to Rome and Builds an Army (205-204 BCE)
Chapter 4	The African Landings and the Battle of Zama
	The African Landings (204 BCE)
	The Battle of the Great Plains (203 BCE)
	Armistice and Hannibal Recalled
	Parley on the Plain and Locating the Battlefield
	The Battle of Zama (202 BCE)
	Scipio Africanus: ‘Greater than Hannibal’?
	The End of the Second Punic War
Chapter 5	In Zama’s Wake: The Growth of Roman Imperialism and the Third Punic War
	Hannibal After Zama (201–183 BCE)
	Scipio After Zama (201–184 BCE)
	Rome Expands in the Mediterranean (201–149 BCE)
	The Third Punic War
	The Siege Perfected and the Fall of Carthage (147–146 BCE)
	Rome Transformed: The Legacy of the Punic Wars
Notes
Glossary of Important Personalities
Glossary of Military Terms
Glossary of Roman and Carthaginian Government Terms
Select Bibliography
Index

Preface and Acknowledgements

Few historical figures in western civilization have commanded as much attention from historians, generals and military theorists as Hannibal Barca. Born into a well-placed Carthaginian military dynasty, Hannibal and his brothers Hasdrubal and Mago, followed in their father Hamilcar’s footsteps and dedicated their lives to battling the Romans in Spain, Italy and North Africa. Hannibal’s epic journey across the Alps and numerous victories over Roman armies during the Second Punic War have been studied for millennia, while his destruction of the Roman host at Cannae in a double-envelopment has often been considered the perfect engagement. Nearly always fighting at a disadvantage in manpower and resources, Hannibal rose to the ranks of legend within his own lifetime, becoming the most feared man in the Mediterranean. It is even said his reputation was so fierce that Roman parents merely had to utter ‘Hannibal ad portas’ (‘Hannibal is at the gates’) when their children misbehaved.

In the twentieth century more attention has been paid to the generalship and campaigns of Hannibal’s arch-enemy and eventual nemesis, Publius Cornelius Scipio ‘Africanus’. This scrutiny has given rise to a new appreciation of this Roman commander, with many historians proclaiming Scipio to be ‘greater than Hannibal’ as either tactician, strategist, or both. Like Hannibal, Scipio was from a well-established noble family, but, unlike his Punic adversary, Scipio had the advantage of fighting for a civilization with extraordinary resources and a growing desire for imperium. The struggle between these two giants of their age is emblematic of conflicts between antagonists and civilizations in any age, which is probably why historians have spent so much effort studying these two extraordinary generals.

As the title of this study suggests, this monograph concentrates on the campaigns of Hannibal and Scipio Africanus during the Second Punic War, emphasizing the events leading up to the Battle of Zama in 202 BCE. In order to put this campaign in perspective, time is spent exploring the origins, course and outcome of the First Punic War and the events leading to the eventual destruction of Carthage in the Third Punic War. It is hoped that this work will serve as a brief introduction to the Punic wars and to the personalities and campaigns of two of military history’s most compelling figures.

When I began research on this book, Joshua B. Allfree and John Cairns, my illustrators for Warfare in the Ancient World and Warfare in the Medieval World, came on board again and provided outstanding tactical and regional map illustrations. Their efforts give this book its uniqueness. We could not have completed this project without the collaboration and support of a few notable people. We would like to first and foremost thank Pen and Sword Books, especially our managing editor Rupert Harding. Mr Harding’s wisdom and guidance throughout the process of publishing three books in three years has proved invaluable, as has the adroit copy editing of Philip Sidnell, whose knowledge of, and passion for, ancient military history is evident in his support of this project. Without these gentlemen’s generous assistance this book would simply not have been possible. Special thanks is also extended to Dr Jon Carleton, Chair of History and Military Studies at the American Public University System, for his encouragement while writing this book. Finally, we would like to thank our family and friends whose unwavering support over the process of creating these three books has been instrumental to our success.

Brian Todd Carey
Loveland, Colorado

List of Maps

The Carthaginian Empire, circa 264 BCE

Rome During the Middle Republic, c. 218 BCE

Sicily and North Africa During the First Punic War

The Battle of Mylae, 260 BCE (phases I–III)

The Battle of Ecnomus, 256 BCE (phases I–V)

The Battle of Tunis, 255 BCE (phases I–IV)

The Battle of Drepana, 249 BCE (phases I–III)

The Battle of Aegates Islands, 241 BCE (phases I–III)

Carthaginian Possessions in Spain, 218 BCE

Hannibal’s Route Across the Alps, 218 BCE

The Battle of the Ticinus, 218 BCE (phases I–V)

The Battle of the Trebia, 218 BCE (phases I–VIII)

The Battle of Lake Trasimene, 217 BCE (phases I–V)

The Battle of Cannae, 216 BCE (phases I–V)

Italy During the Second Punic War

Spain During the Second Punic War

The Siege of New Carthage, 209 BCE (phases I–VI)

The Battle of Baecula, 208 BCE (phases I–IV)

The Battle of Metaurus River, 207 BCE (phases I–VI)

The Battle of Ilipa, 206 BCE (phases I–VI)

The North African Campaign, ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Full Title
• Copyright Page
• Contents