Hannibal: Rise and Fall Trivia Quiz

Answer: 247 BC

Hannbial was born in 247 BC in Carthage as the eldest son of Hamilcar Barca, a Carthaginian general in the First Punic War (264 BC-241 BC). Hamilcar Barca was the founder of the city of Barcelona in Spain. He died in 228 BC by drowning in the Jucar River.

Answer: Saguntum

Hannibal took Saguntum in 219 BC. Hannibal wanted war with Rome and he knew this was the easiest way to provoke it. Rome asked for Hannibal's extradition and Carthage refused. Rome declared war on Carthage. Also the two countries hated each other after The First Punic War and this played a role in Rome's declaration of war. Saguntum was an ally of Rome and called
for its aid but Rome was unable to help as it was busy dealing with pirates.

Answer: He crossed the Alps

The Roman consul Publius Cornelius Scipio I was in Massalia to re-supply his army and then invade Spain. However, Hannibal was already at the Rhone. Instead of fighting the Romans he crossed the Alps! The Romans thought they would fight on Cartaginian ground, as in the First Punic War.

When Scipio heard of this he rushed to the Rhone to block the river. Once there he got to knew that the Cartaginian army already left three days earlier. It was a mistake that he was criticized for the rest of his life.

He went into the mountains with 50,000 men. Little more than half of them came back alive.

Answer: The Battle of Lake Trasemine

In 217 BC Hannibal ambushed a Roman army under the command of Gaius Flaminius Nepos. After smaller battles at Ticinus and Trebia two Roman armies lined up to surround him when crossing the Apennines. However, he crossed sooner then expected. The two Roman armies now had to chase Hannibal to prevent Hannibal reaching Rome.

Instead of fighting the two armies, he ambushed the chasng Roman army of Nepos, killing 15,000 men and Nepos as well.

Answer: Fabius Maximus

As Rome had no general capable of defeating Hannibal, Fabius Maximus used 'scorched earth' tactics, but it was not approved by the Roman senate because they taught it was 'not Roman' and only for cowards.

Answer: Battle of Cannae

Hannibal won that battle with only 50,000 versus 80,000 men. Rome had never sent out an army this big before. Hannibal lined up his army in a crescent shape, with his cavalry on the flanks. He also had hidden reserves. Just before their lines engaged he sent out his cavalry (Numidian mercanaries) they drove the Roman cavalry away and chased them off the battlefield.

The Romans tried to make good use of their superior numbers. The front lines of the Carthaginians were close to breaking, but at the same time the Romans were being "sucked in". At that point Hannibal threw in his hidden reserves causing the Romans to be surrounded on three sides. They had no choice but to retreat, and that was the moment when the Numidians returned. The Romans were completly surrounded. The massacre was huge. Hannibal killed 48,000 men in eight hours!

Answer: Battle of Metaurus

In 207 BC Hasdrubal Barca, the brother of Hannibal, fled Spain as he had lost all Carthaginian-held territory to the Romans. He fled to Italy to aid his brother but was defeated at Metaurus where he died. This marked the turning point in the war. The Romans chopped off his head and threw it into Hannibal's camp.

Answer: Battle of Zama

In 203 BC Scipio landed in Africa threatening Carthage, so they called back Hannibal from Italy. Hannibal lost the battle, the war and Carthage's hopes of destroying Rome ...

Answer: At the deathbed of his father he swore to not give the Romans a single moment's peace

His father, Hamilcar Barca, made him swear to never love the Romans, always to hate them, and never to give them a moment of peace. Carthage was a trading city and not as focused on armies as the Romans. Their merchants sailed all over the seas of the known world.

The went to the north, to Britannia and to the east they traded with the Parthians. The Romans were a more war-like people. These two civilazations were the two greatest at the time. It is no wonder these 'super powers' clashed. After losing the First Punic War Hannibal tried to do his utmost to restore the honor and power of Carthage.

Answer: 183 BC

As Rome demanded his extradition he fled to Syria to fight as a rebel against Rome. In 183 BC they knew where Hannibal was hiding and, rather than allowing himself to be captured by his greatest enemy, he chose to commit suicide.