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Hannibal biography historical figure. The legendary Hannibal - the commander of Carthage

(246 -183 BC)

His father was the famous commander and statesman Hamilcar Barca "Lightning", who commanded the troops of Carthage on the island of Sicily and in the wars against Rome. Hannibal received a comprehensive education according to the Greek model and early chose a military career - from childhood he participated in his father’s campaigns along with the brothers Hasdrubal and Mago, in particular, during the First Punic War of 264 -241 BC. on a campaign to Spain, where the Carthaginians fought with the Romans, defending their dominance in the Mediterranean Sea and the right to own the fertile island of Sicily. (It was with the Sicilian conflict that the First Punic War began.) Hannibal swore to his father to forever hate Rome and devote his life to fighting it. Commander Hamilcar Barca had a worthy replacement growing up. When he died in a clash with one of the Iberian tribes, his son-in-law became commander-in-chief of the army of Carthage.
Young Hannibal proved quite early that he was capable of fighting the Romans on his own. At the age of 22, he commanded the Carthaginian cavalry in Spain, and even then in Ancient Rome they saw him as a dangerous opponent. Hannibal soon took command of all Carthaginian troops on the Iberian Peninsula. This happened after the death of his sister’s husband: then the Carthaginian army elected Hannibal as its commander-in-chief. The People's Assembly of Carthage approved the young military leader in this position.
His talent as a politician and commander was revealed during the preparation and conduct of the Second Punic War of 218 -201 BC. Then Hannibal, in violation of the Roman-Carthaginian agreements, took possession of almost the entire Iberian Peninsula with its rich silver mines and fertile lands, displacing the Roman troops from there.
As a result of the First Punic War, almost all of Sicily was ceded to Rome, and the dominance of Carthage in the Mediterranean was eliminated and its merchants lost their monopoly on maritime trade. Naturally, Carthage could not come to terms with this.
The plan for the Second Punic War was drawn up for Hannibal by his father Hamilcar Barca and was offensive in nature. By that time, relations between Rome and Carthage had become extremely strained, which foreshadowed a major war both on land and at sea.
Having become the commander-in-chief of the Carthaginian army, Hannibal began to carefully prepare for war. A base for conducting military operations was created in the south of Spain, an alliance of tribes hostile to Rome was organized, deep reconnaissance was carried out in the enemy rear, the routes of the upcoming movement of the Carthaginian army were studied, and guides were hired.
Hannibal did not follow the favorite tactics of the Roman military leaders, who skillfully waged war in the borderlands with any opponents. He decided to transfer the war to the territory of the Roman Republic itself, where such insolence was simply not expected from the Carthaginians.
Possessing a flexible mind and ingenuity, Hannibal resorted to original and unexpected measures for the enemy to achieve his goals. To start the Second Punic War, he made excellent use of the foreign policy situation. In 219 BC. part of the forces of the Roman army was involved in the war in Illyria (a region in the northwestern part of the Balkans), and in the valley of the Padus River (in Northern Italy) an anti-Roman alliance of local tribes was taking shape. In Rome, the Carthaginians had many spies who provided Hannibal with valuable information about the enemy.
In such a favorable foreign policy situation, the Carthaginian army unexpectedly attacked the rich Spanish city of Saguntum, an ally of Rome. After an 8-month siege, Saguntum was taken by storm and destroyed to the ground. This gave rise to the Roman Senate to announce the severance of peaceful relations with Carthage. Thus began the Second Punic War.
Leaving 16 thousand soldiers to defend Carthage and also 16 thousand soldiers under the command of his brother Hasdrubal to secure his rear base in Spain, Hannibal led an army of 92 thousand at the beginning of 218 BC. crossed the Ebro River and conquered the Iberian tribes north of it. After this, the Carthaginian commander left the commander Hanno with 11 thousand troops in the conquered lands, and he himself crossed the Pyrenees at the Mediterranean Cape Creuse.

Then Hannibal won over the Gaul tribes in the south of modern France, defeated the infidels and crossed the Rhone River. Reconnaissance (500 people of the Numidian cavalry) of the Carthaginian commander reported that the Roman army (24 thousand people) under the command of Cornelius Scipio blocked the path to Italy along the Mediterranean coast, camping near the well-fortified city of Massilia. Hannibal decided to bypass the enemy to the north, setting up a barrier of cavalry and war elephants against him, and invade Northern Italy through the Alpine Mountains.
In September 218 BC. the commander at the head of an army of 60 thousand and with 40 war elephants (the Romans did not have such “equipment”, and few of them saw war elephants) undertook his famous campaign from Spain to Italy. The Carthaginian army made a 15-day trek through the snowy Alps, unprecedented for its time, descended into the Po River valley and suddenly appeared on the plains of Northern Italy. Moreover, along the way, Hannibal made the local Gauls, the traditional enemies of the Romans, his allies.
The well-trained and disciplined Carthaginian army won two victories over the Romans - on the banks of the Ticina (Ticino) and Trebbia rivers. In the first of them, Hannibal defeated the commander Scipio, destroying all of his cavalry. He withdrew with his infantry to the upper reaches of the Trebbia River and united there with the army of another Roman commander Lang. At this time, the troops of the Gallic tribes left the army of Rome and went over to the side of Hannibal, significantly increasing the number of his troops.
Then the battle took place on the Trebbia River. The Romans settled here in a well-fortified camp and did not want to go out into the open field to fight. However, Hannibal outwitted Scipio and Lang: he allowed the enemy to win easy victories over his small troops, while simultaneously devastating all the villages around the enemy camp. In December 218 BC. A false attack by the Numidian cavalry, which crossed the river and lured the Roman cavalry out of the camp behind them, became the prologue to the big battle.
Lang, preparing for the elections of consuls, dreamed of becoming famous as the conqueror of the Carthaginians. Following the cavalry, he led the infantry out of the camp, which crossed the Trebbia and was thoroughly frozen in the cold river water. The battle began with the actions of light infantry, and ended with flanking by the more numerous Carthaginian cavalry. The Roman troops were defeated, their cavalry suffering especially heavy losses.
The Roman army retreated south, and the Carthaginians occupied all of Northern Italy. Then Hannibal moved to Central Italy, where significant enemy military forces were already waiting for him.
In 217 BC. On the shores of Lake Trasimene a battle took place between the army of Hannibal and the 40,000-strong army of the Roman consul Flaminius. During the battle, the Romans were ambushed by the Carthaginians in a defile near Lake Trasimene. Flaminius, at the head of his army, without proper reconnaissance, set out on the road in the pre-dawn fog. Balearic archers, African infantry and foot Gauls unexpectedly attacked the Roman column from the mountains. 15 thousand Roman legionnaires, including Flaminius, were killed. The remnants of his army either fled or were destroyed during the pursuit. After the battle, the victors devastated the fertile Italian region of Campania, its population fled to Rome.

Hannibal highly appreciated the organization and armament of the Roman infantry, its high combat training and coordination in battle. He decided to build his infantry according to the Roman model. This gave good results and greatly surprised the enemy commanders.
Hannibal continued his offensive to the south of the Apennine Peninsula. In clashes with the Romans, his army invariably demonstrated coherence in the actions of infantry, cavalry, and war elephants, against which the Romans still could not find an “antidote.”
In 216 BC. A big battle took place at Cannae, during which the Roman army under the command of Varro and Aemilius suffered a truly crushing defeat. Hannibal skillfully built his army and decisively attacked the Roman army. Using his numerous and maneuverable light cavalry, the commander surrounded and destroyed the main enemy forces. In the Battle of Cannae, about 50 thousand Roman soldiers fell, not counting 6 thousand prisoners; The Carthaginians lost only about 7 thousand people.
After the complete defeat of the enemy army, Hannibal had a good opportunity to go to Rome, but he missed this opportunity. When his troops appeared near the Eternal City, a large army had already been formed there again. Hannibal was unable to provide assistance to the city of Capua, which had joined him and was now besieged by Roman troops.
However, the brilliant victory of the Carthaginian army at Cannae did not break Republican Rome and did not lead to the collapse of the Roman-Italian alliance, which Hannibal had so hoped for. His persistent request to send reinforcements from Carthage remained unanswered. He could only rely on his own forces, which inexorably decreased with each military clash with the Romans.
Having received no reinforcements from Carthage, Hannibal turned to younger brother Hasdrubal, commander of the Carthaginian troops in Spain. He responded to his call, but the Roman commander Claudius Nero became aware of the movement of Hasdrubal’s troops. In 207 BC. The Romans ambushed the enemy near the Metaurus River and defeated him.
As proof of their victory, they sent Hannibal his brother's severed head. However, he did not even think about leaving Italy, continuing to lead with great tenacity fighting. Meanwhile, Rome's tactics, aimed at prolonging the war and depleting the forces of the Carthaginian army on Italian soil, began to yield results. Isolation from rear bases put Hannibal's troops in an extremely difficult situation.
In 204 BC. he received news that the Roman general Scipio had invaded Carthage. This forced Hannibal to leave Italy and return to his homeland. Gradually, the Roman Republic began to seize the initiative in the war. To increase the size of the Roman army, the Senate announced the recruitment of free citizens fit for military service, starting at the age of 17. The state bought 8 thousand young slaves, promising them freedom if they joined the Roman army.
The Romans won a series of victories over the Carthaginians and their allies in Sicily, Spain and Italy itself. The Carthaginian navy was no longer able to wage war in the Mediterranean. During the capture of the Sicilian city of Syracuse by Roman troops, the great scientist of the Ancient World, Archimedes, was killed.
Returning to his homeland after 16 years of absence, Hannibal gathered a new army and in March 202 BC. fought with Scipio Africanus at Zama. If earlier the Carthaginian commander defeated the enemy due to the advantage of his cavalry, this time he lost to the better organized Roman cavalry. Moreover, the Romans learned to deal with enemy war elephants - they put the elephants to flight, and they caused great confusion in the ranks of the African infantry. In the battle of Zama, the Carthaginian army lost 10 thousand people, while the winners lost only 1,500 people. The Roman commander who defeated Hannibal then received the nickname Scipio Africanus.
In 201 BC. The Roman Republic and Carthage concluded an extremely difficult peace for the vanquished, although Hannibal insisted on continuing the war. The Second Punic War ended with the complete military defeat of Carthage: it handed over its entire fleet to Rome and was obliged to pay the winner 10 thousand Euboean talents annually for 50 years. All Carthaginian possessions outside Africa went to the Roman Republic. African Numidia was declared independent from Carthage. Rome gained complete dominance in the Mediterranean.
Until 196 BC Hannibal ruled Carthage. The desire to resume armed confrontation with Rome, which he hated, did not leave him. Suspected by the Romans of preparation new war and having lost the trust of his fellow citizens, the elderly commander was forced to flee his native Carthage, the defense of which he had given his whole life from enemies. However, the hatred of Rome followed him everywhere.
At first, Hannibal found refuge with the Syrian king Antiochus III, becoming his advisor. After the defeat of the Syrian ruler in the war with Rome of 192 -188 BC, Hannibal took refuge in Armenia, and then in Thebonia. There, the 70-year-old commander, fearing that he would be handed over to Rome, took poison. According to Roman sources, his last words were: “We must relieve the Romans of constant anxiety: they do not want to wait too long for the death of one old man.”
Hannibal entered military history as one of the greatest commanders of the Ancient World. His talent as a commander was combined with the gift of a wise statesman, politician and diplomat. He managed to create a strong Carthaginian army, the basis of which was infantry, and the striking force was cavalry. For fifteen years he successfully waged a war against powerful Rome far from his homeland, relying only on his own strength.
The Carthaginian commander shared with his soldiers all the hardships and dangers of war. Even the Roman chronicles admit that Hannibal “never ordered others to do anything that he could not or would not do himself.” The Battle of Cannes was the crowning achievement of the military art of the great warrior of antiquity - it became a new word in tactics, the first example of delivering a main attack on both flanks, encircling large enemy forces and completely destroying them. And the passage of thousands of Carthaginian army with war elephants through the Alpine mountains to this day amazes the imagination of contemporaries.

Hannibal Barca - Carthaginian general, one of the great military commanders and statesmen of antiquity. Commanded Carthaginian forces against Rome in the Second Punic War, 218–201. BC e. and opposed the empire until his death. The years of life of the military leader Hannibal Barca - 247 BC. e. - 183–181 BC e.

Personality

The personality of Hannibal Barca (you will learn briefly about him as you read the article) is quite controversial. Roman biographers do not treat him impartially and accuse him of cruelty. But despite this, there is evidence that he entered into agreements for the return of prisoners and respected the bodies of fallen enemy generals. The bravery of military leader Hannibal Barca is well known. Many stories and anecdotes about his wit and subtlety of speech have survived to this day. He spoke Greek and Latin fluently.

Appearance

It is difficult to judge the appearance and height of Hannibal Barca, since his only surviving portrait is silver coins from Carthage, which depict him as a young man with a beardless face.

Childhood and youth

The biography of the commander is not rich in accurate data. Many seemingly facts are simply speculation. Begins short biography Hannibal Barca with information that he was the son of the great Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca. His mother's name is unknown. Hannibal was brought to Spain by his father, lived and was raised among warriors. IN early age he was instilled with eternal hostility towards Rome, and his whole life was devoted to this struggle.

First appointment

Hannibal Barca received his first command (the photo, or rather the portrait of the commander, you can see in the article) in the Carthaginian province of Spain. He became a successful officer because after the assassination of Hasdrubal in 221, the army proclaimed him commander-in-chief at age 26, and the Carthaginian government quickly ratified his appointment to the field.

Hannibal immediately became involved in consolidating the Punic takeover of Spain. He married the Spanish princess Imilca and then conquered various Spanish tribes. He fought against the Olcad tribe and captured their capital, Altalia, and conquered the Vaccaei in the northwest. In 221, having made the seaport of Kart-adasht (modern Carthage, Spain) his base, he won a resounding victory over the Carpetani in the area of the Tagus River.

In 219, Hannibal attacked Saguntum, an independent Iberian city south of the Iber River. The treaty between Rome and Carthage after the First Punic War (264–241) established the Iberus as the northern limit of Carthaginian influence in the Iberian Peninsula. Saguntum was south of the Ibra, but the Romans had a "friendship" (though perhaps not an actual treaty) with the city and viewed the Carthaginian attack on it as an act of war.

The siege of Saguntum lasted eight months, during which Hannibal was wounded. The Romans, who had sent envoys to Carthage in protest (though they did not send an army to help Saguntum), demanded Hannibal's surrender after his fall. Thus began the Second Punic War, declared by Rome. Hannibal led the troops on the Carthaginian side.

March to Gaul

Hannibal Barca (unfortunately, we cannot see a photo of the commander) spent the winter of 219–218 in Carthage in active preparations to transfer the war to Italy. Leaving his brother Hasdrubal in command of a sizable army to defend Spain and North Africa, he crossed the Iber in April or May 218 and then went to the Pyrenees.

Hannibal left Carthage with an army of 90,000 men, including 12,000 cavalry, but he left at least 20,000 in Spain to protect supply lines. In the Pyrenees, his army, which included 37 elephants, met stiff resistance from the Pyrenean tribes. This opposition and the retreat of Spanish troops reduced the size of his army. When Hannibal reached the Rhone River, he encountered little resistance from the tribes of southern Gaul.

Meanwhile, the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio moved his army, which had been delayed by a rebellion in Italy, by sea to the area of Massilia (Marseille), a city that was associated with Rome. Thus, Hannibal's access to the coastal route to Italy was blocked not only by the olive trees, but by at least one army and another that was gathering in Italy. As Scipio moved north along the right bank of the Rhone, he learned that Hannibal had already crossed the river and was moving north along the left bank. Realizing that Hannibal planned to cross the Alps, Scipio returned to northern Italy to wait for him there.

Conflicting accounts surround Hannibal's actions after crossing the Rhone. Polybius claims that he crossed the river four days' journey from the sea. Researchers are looking at historical sites such as modern Beaucaire and Avignon. Hannibal used captured fishing boats and built floating platforms and earth-covered rafts for the elephants. The horses were transported to big boats. During the operation, hostile Gauls appeared on the eastern bank, and Hannibal sent forces under the command of Hanno to defend. He crossed the river further upstream and attacked from behind. As the Gauls tried to block Hannibal, Hanno's force struck, scattering the Gauls and allowing the bulk of the Carthaginian army to pass through the Rhone.

Hannibal soon received the support of the Gallic tribes, which were led by the Celtic tribe of the Boii. Their lands had been invaded by Roman settlements and they had good information about Alpine crossings. Polybius makes it clear that Hannibal's army did not cross the Alps "blindly", they had information about the best routes. After crossing the Rhône, Hannibal's army traveled north 80 miles (130 km) into an area called "the island", the location of which is key to Hannibal's subsequent movements on land.

According to Polybius, it was a fertile, densely populated triangle surrounded by hills, the Rhone, and a river called Isr. The confluence of the two rivers marked the border of the lands of the Alobrogue tribe. On the "island" there was civil war between two military brothers. Brancus, the elder brother, in exchange for Hannibal's help, provided supplies for the Carthaginian army, which, after marching some 750 miles (1,210 km) four months from Carthage, was in dire need of them.

Crossing the Alps

Some details of Hannibal's crossing of the Alps have been preserved, mainly by Polybius, who is said to have traveled the route himself. A group of tribes, outraged by Brancus' betrayal, ambushed and attacked Hannibal's columns from the rear along the Isr River at the "gate to the Alps" (modern Grenoble). It was a narrow river surrounded by massive mountain ranges. Hannibal took countermeasures, but they entailed heavy losses among the soldiers. On the third day he captured the Gallic city and provided the army with food for two or three days.

After about four days of hiking along the river valleys (the Izr and Ark rivers), Hannibal was ambushed by hostile Gauls in a “white stone” place, not far from the top of the mountain. The Gauls attacked by throwing heavy stones from above, causing both men and animals to panic and lose their positions on the precipitous paths. Haunted by such daylight attacks and distrust of the loyalty of his Gallic guides, Hannibal decided to march at night and hide the animals in the ravine below. Before dawn, he led the rest of his force through the narrow entrance to the gorge, killing several Gauls who were guarding it and hoping that Hannibal would be trapped.

Gathering his forces at the top of the Alps, Hannibal remained there for several days before his descent into Italy. Polybius makes it clear that the peak itself must be high enough to retain snow drifts from the previous winter (at least 8,000 feet, or 2,400 meters). The problem of determining the exact location of the camp is compounded by the fact that the name of the pass was either not known to Polybius or was not considered important enough. Livy, writing 150 years later, does not shed further light on the matter, and modern historians have proposed many theories about Hannibal's exact course through the Alps.

At the final stage of the route, snow fell on the pass, making the descent even more treacherous. The army was detained for most of the day. Finally, after a five-month journey from Carthage, with 25,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry and 30 elephants, Hannibal descended on Italy. He overcame the difficulties of climate, terrain and the guerrilla tactics of local tribes.

War in Italy

Hannibal's forces were small compared to those of Scipio, who crossed the Po River to defend the newly established Roman colonies of Placentia (modern Piacenza) and Cremona. The first significant battle between the two armies took place on the plains of the Po, west of the Ticino River, and Hannibal's army was victorious. Scipio was seriously wounded, and the Romans retreated to Placentia. After the maneuvers failed to lead to a second battle, Hannibal successfully sent the army of Sempronius Longus into battle on the left bank of the Trebbia River south of Placentia (December 218).

The Roman forces were defeated. This victory brought both the Gauls and Ligurians to Hannibal's side, and his army was greatly increased by Celtic recruits. After a harsh winter, Hannibal was able to advance as far as the Arno swamps in the spring of 217, where he lost an eye to infection. Although two Roman armies opposed him, he was able to overcome the route to Arrezia (modern Arezzo) and reached Curtuna (modern Cortona). By design, this move forced Flaminius's army into open battle, and in the subsequent Battle of Lake Trasimene, Hannibal's troops destroyed the Roman army, resulting in the death of 15,000 soldiers. Another 15,000 Roman and allied troops were captured.

The reinforcements (about 4,000 cavalry) under the command of Gaius Sentenius were intercepted and destroyed. Either the Carthaginian troops were too exhausted to consolidate their victories and march to Rome, or Hannibal believed that the city was too well fortified. Moreover, he harbored the vain hope that Rome's Italian allies would suffer damage and a civil war would break out.

The commander Hannibal Barca, whose biography is presented to your attention in the article, spent the summer of 217 resting in Picenum, but later he ravaged Apulia and Campania. Suddenly, in the early summer of 216, Hannibal moved south and captured the large army depot at Cannae on the Aufidus River. There, in early August, Hannibal Barca's battle at Cannes (modern Monte di Cannes) took place. Hannibal wisely forced the outnumbered Romans down into a narrow plain surrounded by a river and a hill.

When the battle began, the Gauls and Iberian infantry of Hannibal's center line succumbed to the advance of the numerically superior Roman infantry. The Romans continued their advance, breaking both flanks of the Spanish and Libyan infantry. Surrounded on three sides, the Romans' retreat route was closed. So they were defeated by Hannibal's army. Polybius speaks of 70,000 dead, and Livy reports 55,000; either way, it was a disaster for Rome. Almost one in five Roman men of military age were killed. Rome was now justifiably afraid of Hannibal.

The great victory had the desired effect: many regions began to retreat from the Italian confederation. Hannibal, however, did not march on Rome, but spent the winter of 216–215 in Capua, which declared its allegiance to Hannibal, perhaps hoping that he would become Rome's equal. Gradually Carthaginian fighting force weakened. The strategy proposed by Fabius after the Battle of Trasimene was put into action again:

protect cities loyal to Rome;
try to rebuild in those cities that fell to Hannibal;
never engage in battle when the enemy is forcing it.

Thus, Hannibal, unable to spread his forces due to the small size of his army, switched from an offensive to a cautious and not always successful defense in Italy. Moreover, many of his Gallic supporters were tired of the war, and they returned north to their homeland.

Since there were few reinforcements from Carthage, Hannibal, with the exception of the capture of Tarantum (modern Taranto), won only minor victories. In 213, Casilinus and Arpi (captured by Hannibal in the winter of 216–215) were restored to the Romans, and in 211 Hannibal was forced into retirement to lift the Roman siege of Capua. He tried to defeat the Roman armies, but this move was unsuccessful and Capua fell. That same year, Syracuse fell in Sicily, and by 209 Tarentum in southern Italy had also been recaptured by the Romans.

Exile

The treaty between Rome and Carthage, which was concluded a year after the Battle of Zama, frustrated all Hannibal's hopes of again moving against Rome. He was able to overthrow the power of the oligarchic ruling faction in Carthage and achieve certain administrative and constitutional changes.

Although Scipio Africanus, who defeated him at Zama, supported his leadership in Carthage, he became unpopular among the Carthaginian nobility. According to Livy, this resulted in Hannibal being forced to flee first to Tire and then to the court of Antiochus at Ephesus (195). At first he was accepted because Antiochus was preparing a war with Rome. Soon, however, Hannibal's presence and the advice he gave regarding the conduct of the war became irrelevant, and he was sent to command Antiochus' fleet in the Phoenician cities. Inexperienced in naval affairs, he was defeated by the Roman fleet at Saida in Pamphylia. Antiochus was defeated at Magnesia in 190, and one of the Roman demands was that Hannibal had to surrender.

Hannibal's further actions are not precisely known. Either he fled through Crete to the king of Bithynia, or he joined the rebel forces in Armenia. After all, it is known that he took refuge in Bithynia, which was at war with Rome at the time. The great general took part in this war and defeated the Eumenes at sea.

Death of a Commander

Under what circumstances did the military leader die? Roman influence in the east expanded to such an extent that they were able to demand Hannibal's surrender. In the last hours of his life, expecting betrayal from Bithynia, he sent his last faithful servant to check all the secret exits from the fortress at Libissa (near modern Gebze, Turkey). The servant reported that there were unknown enemy guards at every exit. Knowing that he was betrayed and would not be able to escape, Hannibal poisoned himself last act disobedience to the Romans (probably 183 BC).

History records Hannibal's greatest achievements in the Second Punic War. He was an outstanding general with an invincible military strategy. Hannibal Barca's daring attempt to fight Rome made him the best commander in ancient history.

As you can see, the personality of Hannibal Barca is quite interesting, although contradictory. Historians have collected some interesting information about this glorious commander.

Hannibal Barca's last name means "lightning strike."
My father, watching Hannibal as a child, exclaimed: “Here is the lion that I am raising to destroy Rome.”
Elephants in Hannibal's army acted as real armored vehicles. They had arrows on their backs, and they broke through any formation, trampling people.
The Romans used trumpets to scare the elephants of the Carthaginian army at the Battle of Zama. The frightened elephants ran away, killing many of the Carthaginian troops.
To convince people to join your army, great commander Hannibal Barca chose their best warrior and fought with him.
In one of the battles at sea, Hannibal's men threw pots of snakes at the enemy. This was one of the first examples of biological warfare.
The phrase “Hannibal’s oath” has become a catchphrase and means a firm determination to see things through to the end.

Everyone knows that Tsar Peter I had a “blackamoor” at his court. This is written in literature textbooks, where it is said that the great Pushkin is the successor of the family precisely through his line. In addition, the poet immortalized the name of his amazing ancestor by writing story of the same name called "Arap of Peter the Great". His name was Ibrahim Hannibal.

Biography

When the nineteenth son appeared in the family of the Abyssinian prince in 1697, no one even imagined what an amazing fate life had in store for him. While still a child, the boy was sent to Constantinople, to the court of the Turkish Sultan as a hostage to the loyalty of his tribe. There, the future Russian military engineer Hannibal Abram Petrovich was a servant in the seraglio. Historians consider this version to be the most plausible. Although both historians and ethnographers are still arguing about the more exact origin of Peter the Great’s “blackamoor,” known as Ibrahim Hannibal. Even the writer V. Nabokov searched for the true homeland of the great-grandfather of the great Pushkin. It was he who suggested that Hannibal Abram Petrovich, whose short biography is just a legend he invented, by chance achieved ranks and position in society in Russia. Having reached a certain place at court, the "Arap" came up with a more noble family tree. Although in fact Ibrahim Hannibal was the most ordinary and rootless boy, who, having been kidnapped in Cameroon, slave traders brought to Turkey, where they sold him to the Sultan in the seraglio.

Russia is the second homeland

According to another version, it was at this time that Tsar Peter, who was a great lover of all sorts of wonders, decided to replenish his collection in a very original way. At that time, the fashion for “little arapets” was widespread in Europe. Beautiful black boys, dressed in richly embroidered suits, served the nobility at almost every ball or feast of nobles and even kings. That is why Peter also began to demand that a “little arap” be found for him too. This task at court was entrusted to the Russian envoy in Constantinople. He used all the connections he had at the Turkish court. So Ibrahim Hannibal was bought out, whose biography changed dramatically from that moment on.

Moving to the Russian courtyard

Thus began another journey of a little black boy to St. Petersburg, distant and cold for a resident of a hot country. Peter liked the wanderer primarily for his lively mind, the tsar appreciated both his efficiency and “aptitude for various sciences.” Having matured a little, Ibrahim Hannibal began to play not only the role of a servant and valet of the Russian emperor, but even his secretary. Until 1716, the blackamoor, constantly being with the tsar, gradually became his favorite, and this despite the fact that there were many other black servants at the Russian court.

New life

It was not for nothing that Peter I was considered the Great. He was wise in almost everything, even in his manifestations of eccentricity. Noticing intelligence and great diligence in the little blackamoor, the emperor decides to send his matured secretary to Paris to study military affairs. At that time, on the orders of Peter, quite a lot of boyar or noble children were sent to Europe - “minors” who, not wanting to learn anything, often did nothing other than “politeness” or gluttony in overseas countries. Ibrahim Hannibal was sent to Europe by Peter as if in mockery of these noble loafers. The king wanted to prove to them that diligence and diligence in science, even from such an African savage, could make an educated man - a statesman.

And Peter was not mistaken: the young “little arap” lived up to his godfather’s hopes. From now on his name was Hannibal Abram Petrovich. The date of birth of the newly-minted godson of the emperor in all documents is indicated conventionally - 1697. He received his patronymic “Petrovich” from Peter I, who personally baptized him. At the Russian court, the little blackamoor, having accepted Christian faith, received biblical name- Abram, and Hannibal left his surname in honor of the conqueror of the Romans and the famous Carthaginian commander. In all this, historians saw another piece of Peter’s wisdom: the sovereign wanted his young favorite to accomplish great things.

Education

Petrovich, whose biography has changed dramatically since that time, left Russia with a letter of recommendation from Peter I personally to the Duke of De Men. The latter was a relative of Louis XV and commanded all the royal artillery. The emperor was not mistaken in his godson. The young man persistently studied mathematics and engineering, studied ballistics and fortification. He completed his military education with the rank of artillery captain. His “practice” took place in the Spanish War, where he showed remarkable courage and was even wounded.

Start of a career

This approach to learning was exactly what the Russian Tsar wanted to see in his pets. Peter demanded his favorite back to Russia, but unexpectedly for everyone, Ibrahim Hannibal was “stuck” in Paris. The city of love and joy lured him deeply into the net. Moreover, a married, middle-aged countess had her eye on the handsome, handsome black man. She seduced Ibrahim, and a whirlwind romance began between them, which greatly surprised many in the Parisian world. Moreover, the story almost ended in scandal. The Countess became pregnant and gave birth. And, as expected, a black child was born. The scandal was hushed up, albeit with difficulty. The real husband, the count, who did not suspect anything about his wife’s infidelity, was sent away during the birth, and instead of a black one, they put a white one in the cradle, bought from some poor family. The real baby was handed over “to safe hands” for upbringing.

The mystery of the black little black man

Where did he come from, the mysterious Ibrahim Hannibal? What was the life of a man who appeared so unexpectedly in the history of Russia really like? It must be said that it is not at all the way director Mitta described it in his film. What did Hannibal Abram Petrovich really look like? For obvious reasons, his photo does not exist, but in the Paris National Museum there is a portrait, which is often attributed to the young godson of the Great Peter. In general, personality is shrouded in numerous mysteries. Let's start with the fact that the artist who created the portrait was born seventeen years after Ibrahim's death, so he could not see the original.

In addition, no one knows what happened to the first-born of the royal godson, whom the countess gave birth to. Although Pushkin collected information about his amazing ancestor with great care, he wrote everything down from the words of his relatives. Therefore, it is impossible to say for certain whether there was a child or whether it was an invention of Alexander Sergeevich. One thing is for sure, Ibrahim Petrovich was not a red tape and did not chase skirts. He was more concerned about his career and serving the royal throne.

Ups and downs

Returning to Russia, treated kindly by Peter, the young man devoted himself entirely to his service. He continued it after the death of his godfather. In total, Ibrahim Hannibal outlived as many as seven Russian emperors and empresses. He didn't have to fight anymore. Throughout his life, Peter’s godson built docks, fortresses and arsenals, and carried out fortification work in many famous buildings of both the Peter and post-Petrine era, including in Kronstadt and the Peter and Paul Fortress.
During his life, Hannibal Abram Petrovich, whose descendants are still collecting materials about him, saw disgrace and even a short exile to Siberia. But he continued to build even at a distance from the yard. And when he returned from exile, he again managed to gain rank and wealth. Peter's godson reached the peak of his career under Empress Elizabeth. In 1759, he was awarded the highest military rank of general-in-chief and the Alexander ribbon on his chest. From that time on, he began to head the engineering corps under the emperor. Hannibal Abram Petrovich received such a high assessment of his merits from the empress.

Family

His personal life was far from smooth and even. Alien to frivolous relationships, he approached marriage as a practical necessity - with the goal of procreation. When Ibrahim Hannibal married for the first time in 1731, Peter was no longer with him. The arap's first chosen one was the Greek Dioper, the daughter of a galley fleet captain. The father himself wooed Evdokia for him: although the groom was black, he was rich in rank. But Hannibal Abram Petrovich did not rejoice in family happiness for long. His wife loved someone else. She walked down the aisle against her will, on her father’s orders. The chosen one of her heart was Lieutenant Kaisarovich, whom she loved madly. She was unhappy in her marriage and took revenge on her black husband as best she could. Soon Hannibal, having received the “highest” appointment, moved with his family to the city of Pernov. The meetings between Evdokia and Kaisarovich inevitably stopped, but she quickly found a new lover - the young conductor Yakov Shishkov. And soon his wife became pregnant. Hannibal was looking forward to his son, but a white girl was born. And although this also happens in mixed marriages, the husband nevertheless became furious. He brutally beat his wife. Moreover, the offended Ibrahim did not stop there: he got the traitor imprisoned in a dungeon. Evdokia ended her life in a monastery.

Ibrahim was not left alone for long. Soon he got a new bride. This time it turned out to be German Christina von Schaberg. Being the daughter of an officer of the Pernovsky regiment, she is considered the great-grandmother of Pushkin, a poet in whom African, Russian and German blood was mixed. In 1736, Ibrahim Hannibal officially married for the second time. However, he still could not get a divorce from Evdokia, so for several years Ibrahim Petrovich was a bigamist. And only his high position allowed him to avoid scandal and, of course, the troubles associated with it. He finally managed to finalize his divorce from Evdokia only seventeen years later - in 1753.

Descendants

Ibrahim's marriage with Christina turned out to be extremely strong and fruitful. They had four daughters and five sons. Hannibal Abram Petrovich, whose children were either black or very dark, was happy in his second marriage. But already the second generation - grandchildren - slowly acquired European skin color and German facial features. In general, the mixture of hot African and cold German blood gave amazing results. Among the descendants of Hannibal there were blue-eyed or blond, and black-eyed or dark-skinned. One of his sons, Osip, served in the navy. He married the daughter of the Tambov governor. From this marriage a charming daughter was born - Nadezhda, who was nicknamed "the beautiful Creole" in the world. She had dark hair and eyes and yellow palms are a sign of African genes. In 1796, the “beautiful Creole” married the modest lieutenant of the Izmailovsky regiment Sergei Lvovich Pushkin, and in 1799 they had a son, Alexander Sergeevich, the future great poet, whose grandfather was Hannibal Abram Petrovich.

The great contribution of Peter’s godson to the development of potato growing in our country is known. The first potato beds, as is known, appeared in Russia under the first Emperor. Peter the Great grew this crop in Strelna, hoping to use it as a medicinal plant. Catherine II, having decided that the “earth apple” could be used in times of famine, instructed Hannibal, who was well acquainted with this plant, to try growing potatoes on his estate. The Suyda estate, which belonged to Ibrahim, became the first place on Russian soil where small and then vast fields sown with this crop first appeared. Ibrahim Hannibal wrote memoirs, and on French, but at the end of his life he destroyed them.

His attitude towards the serfs was unusual. In 1743, when he leased part of his village called Ragola to von Thieren, he included in the agreement several clauses that were surprising for that time, for example, prohibiting in relation to peasants, increasing the previously established norms of corvee, etc. And when the professor violated them, then Hannibal terminated the agreement in court. The process caused bewilderment among local landowners, who, according to their concepts, should have found von Thieren guilty, who according to local laws was not considered such. Abram Hannibal managed to win this process, although in fact it was Estonian peasants who did it. For the first time in the history of serfdom in Russia, a landowner was brought to trial for punishing and flogging peasants without observing the established norms of corvee.

Until now, much remains unclear in the biography of Hannibal. The traditional version of his origin and place of birth connected the homeland of the Arab Peter with Abyssinia - northern Ethiopia. But recent research by Sorbonne graduate Benin Slavist Dieudonne Gnammanck, author of Abram Hannibal, identifies his homeland as the border of modern Chad and Cameroon. It was once home to the Logon Sultanate of the Kotoko people. And it was precisely the descendant of this civilization, according to the author, that Hannibal was.

End of life

Most of the descendants of Peter's godson of the first and second generations are long-lived. The founder of this famous family died at the age of eighty-five, two months after his faithful wife Christina died. Having retired in 1761, he spent the rest of his life on one of his many estates in complete solitude.

People are legends. Ancient world

Hannibal - son of Hamilcar Barca, one of the greatest commanders and statesmen of antiquity, sworn enemy of Rome and the last stronghold of Carthage

The Rise of Hannibal

Hannibal - son of Hamilcar Barca, one of the greatest commanders and statesmen of antiquity, the sworn enemy of Rome and the last stronghold of Carthage, was born in 247 BC. e., was 9 years old when his father took him with him to Spain, where he sought compensation for his fatherland for the losses suffered in Sicily.

According to Polybius and other historians, Hannibal himself said that before setting off on a campaign, his father made him swear before the altar that he would be an implacable enemy of Rome all his life, and Hannibal kept this oath completely (the so-called “Hannibal’s oath”). His outstanding abilities, the extraordinary conditions of his upbringing prepared him for a worthy successor to his father, a worthy heir to his plans, genius and hatred.

Raised in a military camp, Hannibal nevertheless received a thorough education and always took care to replenish it. So, already being commander-in-chief, Hannibal learned the Greek language from the Spartan Zosilus and mastered it to such an extent that he drew up state papers in it. Flexible and strong in build, Hannibal excelled in running, was a skilled fighter and a brave rider. With his moderation in food and sleep, tirelessness in campaigns, boundless courage and selfless bravery, Hannibal always set an example for his soldiers, and with his selfless care for them he acquired their ardent love and boundless devotion. He discovered his strategic talents while still in his 22nd year as chief of cavalry for his son-in-law Hasdrubal, who, after the death of Hamilcar in 229, took over the main command in Spain. Hardly anyone else was able to combine deliberation with ardor, foresight with energy and perseverance in pursuing the intended goal to such a degree.

Coin depicting Hasdrubal

A true son of his people, Hannibal was distinguished by his inventive cunning; to achieve his goals, he resorted to original and unexpected means, to various traps and tricks and studied the character of his opponents with unparalleled care. With the help of systematic espionage, Hannibal always learned in a timely manner about the enemy's plans and even kept constant spies in Rome itself. His contemporaries tried to denigrate the character of Hannibal, they reproached him for deceit, treachery and treachery, but everything dark and cruel in his deeds must partly be attributed to his minor commanders, and partly find justification in the then concepts of international law. Hannibal's military genius was complemented by great political talents, which he discovered in the reform of the Carthaginian rulers he undertook at the end of the war. government agencies and which gave him, even in exile, unparalleled influence over the rulers of the eastern states.

Hannibal had the gift of power over people, which was expressed in the boundless obedience in which he was able to keep his troops of different tribes and languages, who never rebelled against Hannibal even in the most difficult times. Such was this man whom, after the death of Hasdrubal, who fell in 221 at the hands of an assassin, the Spanish army chose as its leader and who decided to carry out the plans of his no less brilliant father. The means for this were fully prepared.

Beginning of the Second Punic War

Without the support of the Carthaginian government, even with its secret opposition, Hamilcar created a new province in Spain, the rich mines of which gave him the opportunity to stock up on treasury, and the communities that depended on it supplied auxiliary troops and mercenaries as needed. Roman diplomats managed to achieve in 226 the conclusion of an agreement with Hasdrubal, according to which the Carthaginians were not to advance beyond the Iberus (Ebro). But southwest of Iber, in most of Spain, the Carthaginians were granted complete freedom of action. Hamilcar left his son a legacy of a full treasury and a strong army, accustomed to victories, for which the camp served as the fatherland, and patriotism was replaced by the honor of the banner and selfless devotion to its leader. Hannibal decided it was time to settle scores with Rome.

But the cowardly Carthaginian government, mired in mercantile calculations, did not at all think of being carried away by the plans of the 26-year-old young commander, and Hannibal did not dare to start a war in obvious defiance of the legitimate authorities, but tried to cause a violation of the peace on the part of the Spanish colony of Sagunta, which was under the patronage of Rome. The Saguntians limited themselves to filing a complaint with Rome. The Roman Senate sent commissioners to Spain to investigate the matter. With a harsh approach, Hannibal thought to force them to declare war, but the commissars understood what was going on, remained silent and reported to Rome about the gathering storm. Rome began to heavily arm itself.

Time passed, and Hannibal decided to act. He sent news to Carthage that the Saguntians had begun to press out the Carthaginian subjects, the torboletes, and, without waiting for an answer, he opened military operations. The impression of this step in Carthage was like a thunderclap; there was talk of handing over the daring commander-in-chief to Rome.

But is it because the Carthaginian government feared the army even more than the Romans, because it realized the impossibility of making amends for what had been done, or because of its characteristic indecision, it decided not to do anything, that is, not to wage war and not prevent it from continuing. After an 8-month siege, Saguntum fell in 218.

The Roman ambassadors demanded the extradition of Hannibal in Carthage and, having received neither a satisfactory nor a negative answer from the Carthaginian Senate, declared war, which was called the Second Punic War, which many ancient historians called the “Hannibal War”.

The Roman plan for conducting military operations provided for the usual division of the army and navy between the two consuls of 218 in such cases. One of them was supposed to concentrate his troops in Sicily and, having crossed from there to Africa, begin military operations on enemy territory, in the immediate vicinity of Carthage itself. Another consul was to cross with his army to Spain and pin down Hannibal’s forces there.

However, Hannibal's energetic response disrupted these calculations and delayed implementation. strategic plan Romans for several years. Hannibal's genius told him that Rome could only be fought in Italy. Having secured Africa and leaving his brother Hasdrubal in Spain with an army, in 218 he set out from New Carthage with 80,000 infantry, 12,000 horsemen and 37 war elephants. In the battles between the Ebro and the Pyrenees, Hannibal lost 20,000 people, and to hold this newly conquered country he left Hanno with 10,000 infantry and 1,000 horsemen. The route of the campaign ran along the southern coast of Spain and Gaul. From there Hannibal descended to Southern Gaul and here skillfully evaded meeting with the consul Publius Cornelius Scipio, who thought to block his path to the Rhone Valley. It became clear to the Romans that Hannibal intended to invade Italy from the north.

This caused the Romans to abandon their original campaign plan. Both consular armies were sent north to meet Hannibal.

Crossing of Hannibal's troops across the Rhone

Meanwhile, the Carthaginian commander approached the Alps. He had to overcome one of the difficulties of the entire campaign - to lead the army along icy steeps, narrow mountain paths, often through snow storms, which for the Carthaginians, who did not know what snow and cold were, were a particularly difficult test. According to the research of Wickham and Crater, Hannibal made this pass through Little St. Bernard. Others point to Mont Genèvre as well as Mont Cenis. The crossing of the Alps lasted thirty-three days.

At the end of October 218, Hannibal's army, after five and a half months of a difficult campaign, spent in continuous battles with the highlanders, descended into the valley of the Po River. But the losses she suffered during this time were enormous, so that upon arrival in Italy, Hannibal had only 20,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry at hand. Almost all the war elephants were killed. In Cisalpine Gaul, recently conquered by the Romans, the Carthaginian commander managed to rest his exhausted army and significantly replenish it with troops from local tribes.

War in Italy

Having occupied and destroyed Turin, Hannibal defeated the Romans near the Ticino River (Ticinus), and then completely defeated them on the Trebbia River, despite the fact that the enemy was reinforced by significant reinforcements hastily summoned from Sicily and Massilia.

After delivering the first blows to the enemies, Hannibal settled into winter quarters in Cisalpine Gaul and became concerned about strengthening his army with allied troops from Gallic and other tribes. At the opening of the campaign in 217, two enemy armies - Flaminia and Servilia - were placed on the paths of Hannibal's advance towards Rome. For strategic reasons, the Carthaginian decided not to attack either one or the other, but, bypassing the army of Flaminius from the left wing, to threaten its communications with Rome. To do this, Hannibal chose an extremely difficult, but at least the shortest route - to Parma and through the Clusium swamps, flooded at that time by the flood of the Arno River. The commander’s army walked in the water for four days, lost all the elephants, most of the horses and pack cattle, and Hannibal himself lost one eye from inflammation. When, upon leaving the swamps, the Carthaginian made a demonstration of moving towards Rome, Flaminius, leaving his position, followed Hannibal's army, but did not observe any military precautions. Taking advantage of his enemy's oversight, Hannibal staged an unprecedented ambush with an entire army at Lake Trasimene.

Coin depicting Flaminius

When the main forces of the Romans were drawn into the valley formed by the lake and the surrounding hills, Carthaginian troops began to descend from all the hills at the conventional sign of Hannibal.

The battle that unfolded looked more like a mass slaughter of the Romans than an ordinary battle. In a narrow valley, the Romans were unable to deploy their battle formations and, surrounded by the enemy, rushed about in confusion. Many threw themselves into the lake and drowned. Almost the entire army of Fliminius and he himself died in this battle.

In view of terrible danger, in which the fatherland found itself, the Romans handed dictatorial power to Quintus Fabius Maximus (later nicknamed Cunctator, i.e., the Slowman). Fabius, having well understood the state of affairs, resorted to a new system of actions; he avoided decisive battles, but tried to tire the enemy with campaigns and difficulties in obtaining food. His slowness and caution, however, did not please the Romans, and at the end of the dictatorship of Fabius in 216 BC. e. command of the army was entrusted to two consuls: Gaius Terence Varro and Lucius Paulus Aemilius. The army subordinate to them was the largest since the founding of Rome (90 thousand infantry, 8100 cavalry and 1 thousand Syracusan riflemen).

At this time, Hannibal was in a very difficult situation: the troops were exhausted by continuous marches, suffered from a lack of everything, and no reinforcements were sent from Carthage, due to the intrigues of a party hostile to the commander. The Carthaginian was rescued from these difficulties by the rashness of Terence Varro, who attacked the conquerors at Cannae (in Apulia) in an area convenient for Hannibal’s excellent Numidian cavalry. Before this battle, the Romans had an army that consisted of 80 thousand infantry and 6 thousand horsemen. Hannibal's infantry numbered only 40 thousand soldiers, but he had a quantitative and qualitative superiority in cavalry - 14 thousand horsemen. There the Romans suffered a terrible defeat; most of their army was destroyed, and Paul Aemilius was killed.

Hannibal's victory at Cannes had a wide resonance. The communities of Southern Italy began to go over to the side of the Carthaginian commander one after another. Most of Samnium, Bruttia, and a significant part of Lucania fell from the Romans.

Hannibal's successes were also appreciated outside of Italy. The Macedonian king Philip V offered him an alliance and military assistance. In Sicily, Syracuse went over to Hannibal's side. The Romans risked losing the entire island.

Despite the victory, Hannibal could not now, as before, attempt to take possession of Rome itself, since he did not have any means for a proper siege. He had to be content with the fact that after the battle of Cannae most of the Roman allies in Italy took his side and that Capua, the second city of the republic, opened its gates to him. In this city, the commander gave temporary rest to his exhausted troops, but Hannibal’s position improved little, since the rulers of Carthage, occupied exclusively with their selfish trade interests, missed the opportunity to completely crush their ancient rivals, the Romans, and did not provide their brilliant commander with almost any support. A fatal role for Hannibal was played by the short-sighted policy of the Carthaginian government, because of which the Carthaginian army, located in enemy territory, did not have regular connections with its metropolis and was deprived of sources of replenishment of material and human reserves. For all this time, only 12 thousand infantry and 1500 cavalry were sent to Hannibal as reinforcements. Meanwhile, Rome recovered, gathered new troops, and consul Marcellus won his first victory over the Carthaginians at Nola. After a series of military operations with varying success, Capua was taken by the Romans, and Hannibal had to take a purely defensive position.

Not receiving help from his fatherland, the commander summoned his brother, Hasdrubal, from Spain, who (207) consequently moved with his troops to Italy, but could not unite with Hannibal, since the Romans took timely measures to prevent this. The consul Claudius Nero defeated Hannibal at Grumentum, and then, uniting with another consul, Livius Sampator, defeated Hasdrubal. Having learned of the fate that befell his brother (whose severed head was thrown into the Carthaginian camp), Hannibal retreated to Brutium, where for another 3 years he endured an unequal struggle with his sworn enemies.

Return to Carthage

After this time, the Carthaginian Senate summoned the commander to his defense. hometown, who was threatened by the consul Publius Cornelius Scipio, who carried the war to Africa.

Coin depicting Publius Cornelius Scipio

In 203, Hannibal left Italy, sailed to the African shores, landed at Leptis and stationed his troops at Adrumet. An attempt to enter into negotiations with the Romans was unsuccessful. Finally, at a distance of five marches from Carthage, at Zama, a decisive battle followed (202). The decisive role in the victory over Hannibal was played by the Numidian cavalry led by King Masinissa, who went over to the side of the Romans. The Carthaginians were completely defeated, and this ended the 2nd Punic War. In 201 BC. e. a peace treaty was signed. Its conditions were difficult and humiliating for the Carthaginians. They lost all their overseas possessions, including Spain. They were forbidden to wage war even with neighboring tribes without the permission of the Roman Senate. Carthage paid a huge indemnity of 10 thousand talents and gave the Romans its entire navy and war elephants.

In the subsequent period of peace, the commander Hannibal showed himself and statesman; occupying the position of praetor, or head of the republic, Hannibal put finances in order, ensured urgent payment of the heavy indemnity imposed by the victors, and in general, in a peaceful manner, as in wartime, rose to the occasion.

Flight and death

The thought of resuming the struggle with Rome, however, did not leave him, and in order to secure greater chances of success, he entered into secret relations with the Syrian king Antiochus III. Hannibal's enemies reported this to Rome, and the Romans demanded his extradition. Then the commander fled to Antiochus (195) and managed to persuade him to take up arms against Rome, hoping to persuade his compatriots to do the same. But the Carthaginian Senate decisively refused to wage war. The Syrian and Phoenician fleets were defeated by the Romans, and at the same time Cornelius Scipio defeated Antiochus at Magnesia. Antiochus III, having suffered defeat, was forced to seek peace, one of the conditions of which was the surrender of Hannibal.

The new demand of the Romans for the extradition of Hannibal forced him to flee (189). According to some sources, Hannibal at one time lived at the court of the Armenian king Artaxius, founding for him the city of Artashat on the river. Araks, then to the island. Crete, from where he went to the Bithynian king Prusius. Here he became the head of an alliance between Prusius and his neighboring rulers against the Roman ally, the Pergamon king Eumenes.

In one of the naval battles, Hannibal managed to put the Pergamon ships to flight by throwing vessels with snakes onto their decks. Hannibal's actions against the enemy were still victorious, but Prusius betrayed him and entered into relations with the Roman Senate regarding the extradition of his guest. Having learned about this, 65-year-old Hannibal, in order to get rid of shameful captivity after such a glorious life, took poison, which he constantly carried in a ring.

This is how this man died, equally brilliant as a warrior and a ruler, who, however, failed to stop the progress world history, perhaps because the ancient valor of Rome found in Carthage a selfish rival, incapable of rising above the interests of the moment and looking for solid foundations of state life in the depths of the people, and not in the mercantile calculations of the oligarchy. In Hannibal’s own words: “It was not Rome, but the Carthaginian Senate that defeated Hannibal.” He was buried in Libissa on the European shore of the Bosphorus, far from Carthage, which was destined to outlive its great commander by only 37 years.

Ancient historians about the personality of Hannibal

There is a single lifetime depiction of Hannibal, his profile on a Carthage coin minted in 221 at the time of his election as military leader.

The only coin with the image of Hannibal

A brief biography of Hannibal was compiled by the Roman historian Cornelius Nepos (1st century BC). In the works of Polybius, Titus Livy, Appian, who described the events of the 2nd Punic War, Roman patriotism was combined with admiration for the greatest enemy of Rome, who “fought sixteen years in Italy against Rome, never once withdrew troops from the battlefield” (Polybius, book .19). Titus Livy (book XXI; 4, 3 ff.) said that Hannibal “endured heat and cold equally patiently; he determined the measure of food and drink by natural need, and not by pleasure; chose the time for wakefulness and sleep, without distinguishing day from night; many often saw him, wrapped in a military cloak, sleeping on the ground among the soldiers standing at posts and on guard. He was far ahead of the horsemen and infantrymen, the first to enter the battle, the last to leave the battle.” According to Cornelius Nepos, Hannibal was fluent in Greek and Latin languages and wrote several books in Greek.

In the writings of historians, a semi-legendary story has been preserved about the meeting of Hannibal and Scipio, who arrived in Ephesus in 193 as part of the Roman embassy to Antiochus III. One day during a conversation, Scipio asked Hannibal who he considered the greatest commander. The great commander named Alexander the Great, Pyrrhus the king of Epirus and himself in third place after them, adding then that if he managed to defeat the Romans, he would consider himself superior to Alexander, Pyrrhus, and all other generals.

History of Ru

Hannibal, a commander who fought against Rome for 17 years, the last of the rulers of Carthage, is considered one of greatest people antiquities. This great man, who spent his childhood in a military camp, later became an implacable enemy of Rome. Some respected him, others feared him, legends were made about him. This person will be discussed in the article. What kind of person is this, where was he born, in what city did the ancient commander Hannibal live - read about all this further.

Origin and development of Hannibal

Hannibal, who later became a great commander and the threat of Rome, was born in 247 BC. e. in Carthage, a state located in North Africa. His father, Hamilcar Barca, was a Carthaginian military leader and statesman. It is known that during the period when Hannibal was not yet ten years old, his father took him with him on a campaign of conquest against Spain. Having spent his childhood in field camps and campaigns, little Hannibal gradually became involved in military affairs.

The commander Hamilcar, before taking his son with him, demanded that he take a sacred oath, according to which Hannibal pledged to be an irreconcilable enemy of Rome until the end of his days. Many years later, he kept this oath in full and became a worthy successor to his father. It was thanks to this episode that the expression “Hannibal’s Oath” subsequently became popular.

Taking part in his father's campaigns, he gradually acquired military experience. Hannibal's military service began with the position of chief of cavalry. At this point, Hamilcar was no longer alive, and Hannibal joined the army under the leadership of his son-in-law Hasdrubal. After he died in 221 BC. BC, Hannibal was chosen by the Spanish army as their leader. By that time, he had already earned a certain authority among the soldiers.

General personality characteristics

The commander Hannibal, whose biography consists almost entirely of episodes of military battles, received a good education in his youth, which his far-sighted father took care of. Even as commander-in-chief, Hannibal sought to expand his knowledge and studied foreign languages. Hannibal was quite a remarkable personality and possessed many talents. He had good physical fitness, was a skilled and brave warrior, an attentive and caring comrade, tireless in campaigns and moderate in food and sleep. He set his achievements as an example to the soldiers, who, by the way, loved and respected him, and most importantly, were devoted to him.

But the list of Hannibal's advantages does not end there. He discovered his talent as a strategist at the age of 22, while being a cavalry commander. Very inventive, to achieve the desired results he resorted to all sorts of tricks and tricks, analyzed the character of his opponents and skillfully used this knowledge. The commander, whose spy network extended even to Rome, thanks to this he was always one step ahead. He was not only a genius of war, but also possessed political talents, which he fully demonstrated in peacetime, engaged in the reform of Carthaginian government institutions. Thanks to these talents, he became a very influential person.

In addition to all of the above, Hannibal had a unique gift of power over people. This was revealed in his ability to keep a multi-lingual and multi-tribal army in obedience. The warriors never dared to disobey him and unquestioningly obeyed him even in the most difficult times.

Beginning of the Second Punic War

Before Hannibal became commander-in-chief of the Spanish army, his father Hamilcar created a new province in Spain that generated income. In turn, Hamilcar's successor, Hasdrubal, concluded an agreement with Rome, according to which the Carthaginians did not have the right to cross the Iber River, that is, to move deeper into the European continent. Some coastal lands also remained inaccessible to Carthage. Moreover, in Spain itself, Carthage had the right to act at its own discretion. Hannibal, the general of Carthage, had all the necessary resources to wage war, but the government to which he was forced to obey chose to maintain peace.

Thus, the Carthaginian commander decided to act by cunning. He tried to provoke Saguntum, a Spanish colony under the patronage of Rome, and force it to break the peace. However, the Saguntians did not succumb to provocations and complained to Rome, which soon sent commissioners to Spain to resolve the situation. Hannibal continued to escalate the situation, hoping to provoke the ambassadors, but they immediately understood the essence of what was happening and warned Rome of the impending threat.

After some time, Hannibal made his move. The commander reported to Carthage that the Saguntians allegedly crossed the line of what was permitted, then, without waiting for an answer, he began open military action. This turn of events shocked the Carthaginian government, which, however, did not take any serious steps. After several months of siege, Hannibal managed to capture Saguntum.

The year was 218 BC. e.. Rome demanded that Carthage hand over Hannibal, but without waiting for an answer, it declared war. Thus began the Second Punic War, which some ancient sources also call the "Hannibal War".

Trekking in Italy

The Romans expected to carry out a military operation in accordance with the provisions for similar cases plan. They intended to divide the army and navy between two consuls, one of whom was to begin military operations in Africa, in the immediate vicinity of Carthage. The second part of the army was supposed to resist Hannibal. Nevertheless, Hannibal managed to turn the situation in his favor and destroy the plans of Rome. He provided cover for Africa and Spain, and himself, at the head of an army consisting of 92 thousand people and 37 war elephants, headed on foot to Italy.

In the battles between the Iber River and the Pyrenees, Hannibal lost 20 thousand people, and he had to leave another 11 thousand in Spain to hold the conquered territories. He then followed along south coast Gaul towards the Alps. In the Rhone Valley, one of the Roman consuls tried to block his path, but the battle never happened. This was the same Publius Cornelius Scipio, the Roman general who defeated Hannibal at the end of the war. It became obvious to the Romans that Hannibal intended to invade Italy from the north.

While the Carthaginian commander was approaching Italy, both Roman armies were already heading north to meet him. However, Hannibal faced another obstacle on his way - the Alps, the passage through which lasted 33 days. This entire long journey from Spain to Italy thoroughly exhausted the army of the Carthaginian commander, which during this time was reduced to approximately 26 thousand people. In Italy, Hannibal managed to win a number of victories, even though the enemy hastily transferred significant reinforcements there. Only in Cisalpine Gaul did Hannibal’s army receive rest and replenishment from the detachments of the local tribes that supported him. Here he decided to spend the winter.

Confrontation in Italy. First resounding victory

In the spring, Hannibal was ready to continue his attack on Rome, but this time two enemy armies stood in his way. He, as a skilled strategist, decided not to engage in battle with any of them, but tried to get around the enemy. To do this, the army had to be led through the swamps for four days, which entailed many losses. On the way, the army lost all the remaining elephants, a significant part of the horses, and Hannibal himself as a result inflammatory process lost one eye.

Having overcome the swamps, the Carthaginian commander made several raids, thereby demonstrating his intention to march on Rome. Flaminius, one of the consuls, abandoned his position and, forgetting all precautions, went to where Hannibal was seen. The Carthaginian commander was waiting for just this; Taking this opportunity, he ambushed Flaminia. When he and his army entered the valley of Lake Trasimene, Hannibal, who sat down with his army on the nearby hills, attacked the Roman consul. As a result of this maneuver, Flaminius' army was destroyed.

Hannibal is opposed by the dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus. Hannibal's predicament and new victory

IN urgently The Roman government decided to give dictatorial powers to Quintus Fabius Maximus. He chose a special tactic of warfare, which consisted in the fact that the Romans had to avoid decisive battles. Fabius simply intended to wear down the enemy. It is worth noting that this tactics of the dictator had its advantages, but in Rome Fabius was considered too cautious and indecisive, so in the next year, 216 BC. e., he was removed from the post of dictator.

As already mentioned, Fabius' tactics produced some results. Hannibal was in a difficult position: his army was exhausted, and Carthage provided practically no support. However, the balance of power changed dramatically after Gaius Terentius Varro, one of the consuls of Rome, made an unforgivable mistake. He had at his disposal an army significantly larger than the army commanded by Hannibal. The commander of Carthage, however, had a significant advantage in the form of 14 thousand horsemen against the 6 thousand available to Rome.

The legendary battle took place near Cannes, where Hannibal was stationed. His position was obviously advantageous, but consul Varro did not take this into account and threw his troops into the attack, as a result of which he was completely defeated. He himself managed to escape, but another Roman consul, Paul Aemilius, was killed.

As a result of such a crushing victory, Hannibal acquired many new allies, including Capua, Syracuse, Macedonia and other regions.

The impossibility of a siege of Rome. The beginning of a losing streak

Despite the achievements that Hannibal achieved, the Carthaginian commander could hardly count on a successful siege of Rome. Simply put, he did not have the resources that were so necessary for this. Hannibal gained the support of Rome's former allies, and he also had the opportunity to rest his exhausted troops. But he never received significant support from Carthage itself, whose rulers, apparently, did not have foresight.

As time passed, Rome gradually regained its strength. The city of Nola was the place where Hannibal was first defeated. The Roman commander, consul Marcellus, managed to defend the city, and from that moment on, perhaps, the Carthaginians’ luck ended. For several years, neither side was able to achieve a significant advantage, but later the Romans managed to take Capua, thereby forcing Hannibal to go on the defensive.

By that time, it became quite obvious that one should not particularly count on Carthage’s help, because its ruling elite, which was most interested in profits from trade, took some kind of unclear passive position in this war. Therefore, in 207 BC. e. Hannibal calls his brother Hasdrubal from Spain. The Romans made every effort to prevent the brothers' troops from uniting, as a result of which Hasdrubal was defeated twice and subsequently completely killed. Having never received reinforcements, Hannibal withdraws his army to Bruttium, in the very south of Italy, where over the next three years he continues the war with the hated Rome.

Return to Carthage

In 204 BC. e. Roman commander, winner of Hannibal Scipio lands in Africa and begins a war there against Carthage. Due to this, the Carthaginian government summoned Hannibal to defend the city. He tried to enter into negotiations with Rome, but this led to nothing. In 202 BC. e. A decisive battle took place, ending the Second Punic War. In this battle, Hannibal's army suffered a crushing defeat. The winner of Hannibal is the ancient Roman commander Publius Cornelius Scipio.

A year later, a peace agreement was signed between Carthage and Rome, the terms of which turned out to be very humiliating for the losing side. Hannibal himself, who was essentially the instigator of the Second Punic War, was rehabilitated and even received the right to occupy a high position in the Carthaginian government. In the field government activities he also showed himself to be a talented and far-sighted person.

Flight and death

It is likely that Hannibal never gave up the idea of renewing the war with Rome. Some sources claim that the former commander, hatching plans for revenge, entered into a conspiracy with Antiochus III, the Syrian king, who was in tense relations with Rome. The rulers of Rome became aware of this, and they demanded the extradition of the rebellious Carthaginian. In this regard, Hannibal, the great commander of Carthage, in 195 BC. e. was forced to seek refuge in the Syrian kingdom.

Subsequently, Hannibal took part in the confrontation between Antiochus and Rome, which resulted in the defeat of the Syrian king. The conditions that Rome put forward also included the surrender of Hannibal. Having learned about this, in 189 BC. e. he went on the run again. Sources that have survived to this day provide different information regarding which city the commander Hannibal lived in after he had to leave the Syrian kingdom. It is known that he visited Armenia, then Crete, and also Bithynia.

Ultimately, Prusias, king of Bithynia, betrayed Hannibal, agreeing with Rome to hand over the fugitive. The great Carthaginian commander, who was already 65 years old at that time, chose to take poison and die rather than surrender to his eternal enemy.

Sources

A brief history of Hannibal’s life was compiled by the ancient Roman historian Cornelius Nepos, who lived in the 1st century BC. e. Roman historians such as Titus Livius, Polybius and Appian, who chronicled the events of the Second Punic War, had some admiration for the Carthaginian general as one of Rome's greatest enemies. These historians described Hannibal as a seasoned and strong-willed man, a brave warrior and a loyal comrade. According to them, he never disdained being among ordinary soldiers, was always ready to share with them all the hardships of military life, was the first to enter battle and the last to leave. Cornelius Nepos says that Hannibal is a famous commander who had a first-class command of Greek and Latin and even wrote several books in Greek.

The only depiction of Hannibal made during his lifetime is his profile on a Carthaginian coin that was minted in 221 BC. e., just at the time when he was elected commander-in-chief.

The following words are also attributed to Hannibal: “It was not Rome, but the Carthaginian Senate that defeated me.” And indeed, if the ruling elite of Carthage had provided more support to their commander fighting against Rome, who knows what the outcome of the Second Punic War would have been in this case. Even Scipio, the Roman general who defeated Hannibal, may have only achieved victory through a coincidence of circumstances, taking advantage of the situation in his favor.

Like this life path passed Hannibal - the legendary commander who never managed to change the course of history. Why everything was the way it was and not otherwise - we do not undertake to judge this, but it is difficult not to agree that Hannibal is indeed one of the most bright characters in the history of mankind.