Vesper Zephyr

Hannibal is often spoken of as “the father of strategy.” He was born to a Carthaginian family, a military family. With Hamilcar Barca, a prestigious general of Carthage as his father, Hannibal vowed to take Rome as the archenemy forever, and was destined to step on to the battlefield.

 After the first Punic war, the Romans had been obsessed with the bliss of conquering more land. Hannibal, already a general of the Carthaginian empire, could not just sit back and watch. And so his famous expedition commenced, which was also known as the second Punic war. He recruited a massive passel of soldiers and mercenaries, leading them across Iberia, Gaul and routing all the enemies in the way. Almost impossibly, he had his cohorts cross the arêtes of the Alps in merely fifteen days, including some war elephants. ‘Twas a shocking truth to the Roman empire, and they were completely unprepared. Swiftly, Hannibal vanquished the Roman forces at Cannae and Lake Trasimene like howling wind blowing away the withered leaves.

 Hannibal himself was dreadful. With one eye blind and the other keen, plus his shimmering cuirass and powerful steed, some say he was “the nightmare of Rome.” The Romans were forced to take defensive action and intended to put up a long combat. And somehow, their strategy worked. Too far from his country, Hannibal had one arduous mission: transporting supplies. Bold as the Carthaginian warriors were, without water and food they began to lose morale. Eventually, Hannibal and his army were forced to return to Carthage, where they were later defeated by the Roman admiral Publius Scipio in the battle of Zama. Hence, his victory was in the end not complete. That’s why his cavalry commander Maharbal sighed, “Thou, Hannibal, know how to gain a victory; thou know not how to use it.”

 For all his life, Hannibal’s grand plans may not have seemed all so successful, but his prowess, courage and wisdom of war strategies are worth our commending.