Daily Question: 3/16/11

Please write a brief biography of Hannibal and explain whether or not you think his reputation (in Roman eyes) as a monster was deserved. 


      Hannibal was a commander for the Carthaginians around 230 B.C.E. He was smart and very good at what he did. Hannibal didn't like the Romans at a young age because his father, Hamilcar, taught him to not like them all throughout his childhood. Hannibal is most remembered for his huge defeat over the Romans in the second Punic War. He went to Rome determined to win. He went up the Straight of Gibraltar, into Spain, and through the Alps, keep in mind with all of his military elephants, then he went through France and finally got to Italy where he arrived within 50 miles of Rome. Once he arrived, the Romans and Carthaginians went into a brutal fight. The Romans greatly outnumbered the Carthaginian forces, but this wasn't going to stop Hannibal. Hannibal used his tactical skills to out smart the Romans. He let the Romans attack the center of their line, during this the Carthage line was receding back. Then Hannibal ordered his army to surround the Romans. The Romans were now surrounded on three sides. Now the Romans only can move back out, but the problem with that is that Hannibal had a calvary waiting on the outside and they were quickly coming in. Once the extra calvary came in, the Romans were completely surrounded. The Carthage forces killed all of the Roman army one by one. This battle was brutal and thats what people remember it as. The Romans were completely obliterated in this fight. I think because of all of this, his reputation in Roman eyes as a monster was well deserved. The Romans were probably just very scared of him, after all, Hannibal did kill all of them in one battle! I would be scared of him too if he killed all of the people in my city-state. Not only did he act intimidating, but he looked like it too! He wore an eye patch because he was missing an eye from battle. That just comes across as creepy to me. I'm sure that when Hannibal was within 50 miles of Rome, they were all terrified. Hannibal's intelligence and cleverness helped create this name as a monster to the Romans. Saying this, I think that Alexander the Great could have been considered a "monster" too because of his great fighting strategies and his courage to fight right in the front. But neither of them were actually that harsh. In the end, Hannibal probably did deserve his reputation of a monster.