Hannibal

This is an historical biography of Hannibal, the military leader of Carthage responsible for waging a dramatic onslaught on Rome during the Punic Wars. One of the few generals of history to be famous for the war he lost, Hannibal′s attack in 218 BC – which included his renowned march of elephants across the Alps – ranks amongst the most courageous and ill–fated enterprises in the history of the ancient world. It was after the defeat of Hannibal that Rome was able to assert its strength in the Mediterranean, establishing the Roman Republic as the most formidable force in Europe. The book explores Hannibal′s character and career. It shows how his actions as commander of the Carthaginian army in Spain consciously precipitated the Second Punic war in which he intended to exact revenge on Rome for earlier defeats. His march across the Alps, and then his war to wrest control of Italy from Rome – a conflict lasting more than a decade – has an inevitable, tragic fascination. Hannibal′s hatred of the Romans drove him around the centres of the old Hellenistic world. He finally killed himself rather than be taken captive back to Rome. Until now the traditions and the reality surrounding Hannibal have only been told from the perspective of Rome. Here, Professor Lancel brings his unrivalled understanding of the Carthaginian world to explain the complexities of Hannibal′s character and the internal dynamics of the period in which he lived. This definitive biography of one of the most fascinating figures of ancient history offers a fresh perspective on the demise of the Hellenistic world and the rise of Rome.

List of Figures. Foreword. Glossary. 1. Hamilcar Barca. 2. Time for Spain. 3. From Cartagena to the Po Valley. 4.′Blitzkrieg′ – from the Trebia to Cannae. 5. Declining Fortunes. 6. Setbacks. 7. Zama. 8. Exile. 9. Heritage, Legend and Image. Chronological Highlights. Bibliography. Index.

Serge Lancel is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Grenoble. For the past 30 years he has excavated and published on excavations in and around Carthage. He has been the director, since its foundation, of the crucial excavation at Byrsa, an important sector of Carthage for most of its existence. He is author of Carthage (Blackwell, 1995). Antonia Nevill has an honors degree in Italian and French. A committed European and a lifelong francophile, she has spent over thirty years teaching in Further Education. Retirement has at last enabled her to devote more time to her favorite occupation, translating.

"Lancel′s new study should remain for some time to come the best treatment in English focusing on Hannibal specifically. Eminently readable and with a chronological chart and maps, Hannibal will appeal to readers at all levels." Choice " Hannibal combines readability with solid scholarship. Lancel′s particular strength is his close acquaintance with things Carthaginian. He has excavated there and is the author of a history of the city which is also available in English. This competence means that, in so far as the source material will allow it, he is able to write from a sympathetic Punic perspective." Greece and Rome