Hannibal+Barca

Hannibal Barca (248-183 BC) was a Carthaginian general during the Second Punic War. He is known as Rome's most able adversary, and one of the finest military commanders in history. He is most famous for traversing the Alps with an army that included about 30 war elephants (though most of them died en route), pillaging the Italian countryside and its cities, and advancing almost to the gates of Rome themselves before being recalled to Carthage. He convinced many of Rome's vassals to defect, either out of resentment towards Rome or, later on, out of doubt of Rome's power and ability to protect its territories. Hannibal achieved three major victories against Rome: the battles of Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae; each of these was notable for its particularly innovative and effective tactics, some of which (namely the turning maneuver and the horseshoe envelopment) remained in use until the advent of gunpowder. Once settled in Italy, Hannibal did not attack Rome itself because Carthage, which was cought in the throes of political infighting, never sent the reinforcements and siege eouipment he had requested, turning his attentions instead to the rest of Italy, before being forced to withdraw. He and Carthage were defeated at Zama by Scipio Africanus, after which Hannibal briefly tried his hand at statecraft before going into exile to avoid capture by Rome.