Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome, Episode 23A, The War with Hannibal.

Rome had laid its ultimatum at the feet of the Carthaginian Senate after Hannibal had

laid siege to Saguntum in Spain.

If the Carthaginians did not immediately recall Hannibal from the field and ceased their aggressive

operations, Rome would declare war.

The Carthaginians declined to do as the Romans asked, and both sides immediately began to prepare

for battle.

The Roman consuls for the year Cornelius Scipio, the father of the famous Scipio-Africanus,

and Sampronius Longus, began to raise legions with the intention of simultaneously attacking

both Spain and North Africa.

But in Spain, Hannibal was making preparation of his own that would throw the Roman war

plan into complete disarray.

He formulated a bold strategy to break the Romans by way of a direct invasion of Italy.

The Romans were worried about Gallic opportunism on their northern border, but did not anticipate

a full-fledged Carthaginian invasion at all.

Hannibal amassed a force of 90,000 infantry, 12,000 cavalry, and 67 war elephants at New

Carthagin, and an April of 218 BC set out on a campaign that would ultimately last 17

years.

This first task was to simply make it out of Spain.

The Carthaginians only controlled about half the country, and the march to the Pyrenees

was a difficult one.

Hannibal had no time for prolonged sieges and was forced to directly assault the cities

...