Hannibal Barca

Hannibal Barca, the son of Hamilcar Barca, is born in Carthage. He will grow up during a time of great tension between Carthage and Rome.

At the age of ten, Hannibal accompanies his father to Spain and swears an oath to be an enemy of Rome, a vow that will shape his entire life and career.

Hannibal succeeds his brother-in-law Hasdrubal the Fair as commander of the Carthaginian forces in Iberia, where he expands Carthaginian control and prepares for conflict with Rome.

Hannibal launches the Second Punic War by besieging and capturing the Roman-allied city of Saguntum in Iberia, setting the stage for his famous campaign against Rome.

Hannibal leads his army, including elephants, across the Alps into Italy, a daring and unprecedented military feat that astonishes his enemies and allies alike.

Hannibal achieves his greatest victory at the Battle of Cannae, where he decisively defeats a larger Roman army, inflicting massive casualties and demonstrating his tactical genius.

After years of campaigning in Italy, Hannibal is recalled to Carthage to defend the city against the Roman invasion led by Scipio Africanus, marking a turning point in the war.

Hannibal faces Scipio Africanus at the Battle of Zama and is defeated, effectively ending the Second Punic War and Carthage's power in the Mediterranean.

Hannibal is elected as a suffete (a high-ranking public official) in Carthage, where he implements significant financial and administrative reforms to strengthen the city.

Fleeing from Roman demands for his extradition, Hannibal commits suicide by poisoning himself in the court of King Prusias of Bithynia, ending his life on his own terms.