Why Hannibal is considered one of the greatest warriors of all time?

           By 264 BC, Rome was a force to be reckoned with. The only power in the region that could match that of the Romans was Carthage. Hannibal was a young Carthaginian general who won most of his battles by coming up with clever ideas. Once, while fighting at sea, Hannibal had his men dump barrels full of live snakes onto the deck of an enemy ship. The enemy had not expected Hannibal to do this. They weren’t prepared to fight snakes. Hannibal won that battle easily.

            In 221 BC, Hannibal tried to attack Rome. Hannibal’s plan was to march 90,000 foot soldiers, 12,000 cavalry, and 37 elephants from Spain, through Gaul, over the Alps, into Italy, and then take Rome by force.

 

            His plan did not work as expected. The route was more rugged that he had expected. He lost nearly all his elephants and half his elephants and half his men on the trip. So, Hannibal came up with a new plan. Instead of marching on Rome, he drove Rome crazy by attacking smaller outposts and stealing food and weapons, intended for Rome. Hannibal and his men stayed on the Italian peninsula for 15 years, causing trouble wherever he could.

            In 203 BC, Rome attacked Carthage while Hannibal was away. Before Hannibal could arrive, Carthage had agreed to peace terms with Rome. That did not stop Hannibal, though. He spent the rest of his life fighting the growing power of Ancient Rome. To this day, Hannibal ranks as one of the most magnificent military minds in the history of the world.