Hannibal at the Gates: An Analysis of the Punic Invasion of Italy in the Third Century BCE

Abstract

This thesis examines Hannibal Barca and his role in the Second Punic War while scrutinizing his battle tactics to gain perspective on his military campaigns. Hannibal was the first Carthaginian general known to have been educated in Greek warfare. This training coupled with his natural affinity for warfare gave him a distinct advantage because the Greeks had developed the most advanced military theories and tactics of the time. There are no extant autobiographies of Hannibal or Carthaginian works on Hannibal, which has resulted in a historiographical bias. This thesis focuses on Hannibal's battle tactics in order to present this argument in as direct and unbiased a format as possible. A reexamination of Hannibal's tactics makes dissecting the imbalance between the ancient, primary sources and modern, secondary sources possible while ultimately giving a more realistic view of Hannibal.