Hannibal was the leader of the army of Carthage, which was a Phoenician city in North Africa. Carthage was a major rival to the Roman republic.
Hannibal’s father was also a general in the Carthaginian army, and had fought against Rome, but he lost.
Hannibal hated the Romans and swore to destroy Rome. He was a brilliant general. When Rome declared war on Carthage, Hannibal decided to launch a sudden attack on Rome in revenge. He decided to cross the Alps with 90,000 foot soldiers, 12000 cavalry, and 37 elephants.
But his plans did not work. The route was more rugged than he expected. Without sufficient places to rest, he lost nearly all his elephants, and half of his men. Even then he attacked smaller outposts and stole weapons and food intended for Rome. Finally Hannibal’s army lost to the Romans but Hannibal himself somehow managed to get away.
