Hannibal: Rome vs Carthage

The Second Punic War was fought between Carthage and Rome and was ignited by the dispute over the hegemony of Saguntum, a Hellenized Iberian coastal city with diplomatic contacts with Rome. After great tension within the city government, culminating in the assassination of the supporters of Carthage, Hannibal laid siege to the city of Saguntum in 219 BC. The city called for Roman aid, but the pleas fell on deaf ears. Following a prolonged siege and a bloody struggle, in which Hannibal himself was wounded and the army practically destroyed, the Carthaginians finally took control of the city. Many of the Saguntians chose to commit suicide rather than face subjugation by the Carthaginians.

Hannibal then prepared a daring land attack on Italy itself, to bring the war to the Romans.

(218 BC) Hannibal leaves Hasdrubal to siege Massilia and marches through the alps into the north of Italy, where he finds himself blocked by the counsular armies of Tiberius Longus and Publius Scipio.

(217 BC) Hasdrubal abandons the siege of Massilia and returns to Iberia. The Roman counsular armies, now under Fabius Maximus and Lucius Aemilius, still block Hannibal from going further south in Italy.

(216 BC) Hannibal finally attacks a counsular army, under Gaius Flaminius, while Tiberius Longus is too slow to intervene.  Flaminius is forced to withdraw to Rome which leaves Etruria wide open to Hannibal.

(215 - 214 BC) In Sicily, Mago arrives in Syracuse after a daring sea voyage. Tiberius Longus takes command of a nearby army which was sent to bring the city to heel and iniates a siege despite the Carthaginian reinforcements. Hannibal, now with free reign over Italy while the Romans are licking their wounds, heads south to stir up more trouble.

(213 - 212 BC) Syracuse falls back to the Romans. The Carthaginian general Gisco lands in southern Italy with a small force to support Hannibal's dwindling army, but is soon crushed by Fabius Maximus' army. Hannibal retreats toward northern Italy.

(211 - 210 BC) Multiple Roman armies converge on Hannibal and with is army depleted by attrition they are finally able to destroy his army and kill him. Meanwhile, Mago lands in southern Italy and Scipio Africanus leads an expedition into Iberia.

(209 - 208 BC) Mago is defeated by the Romans but not before wreaking more havoc upon Italy. Finally free of any Carthaginian armies on their soil, the Romans attempt to formulate a strategy to contain the turmoil in Italy. Meanwhile, Scipio Africanus is reinforced in Iberia. 

(207 - 206 BC) Hanno leaves Carthage with most of its army and lands in southern Italy, quickly defeating one of the Consuls for the year. The Romans realize that the situation in Italy is untenable and decide to strike upon a vulnerable Carthage. All Roman armies converge upon the enemy capital and while Hanno returns to defend the city, he is forced to leave the bulk of his army behind in Italy. Soon after, Carthage falls to the Romans, ending the Second Punic War.