LEGACY, ASSESSMENT AND INTERPRETATIONS

Hannibal

Legacy-Rome Hannibal had a very lasting impact on

Roman society

In is said that Hannibal taught the Romans the meaning of fear. Naughty children were threatened with the idea that “Hannibal was coming to get them”

Despite the trivial nature of this point, it demonstrates the psychological impact that Hannibal had on the Romans.

Rome’s war with Hannibal caused both negative and positive consequences in both the short and long term

During the war:

• They were also forced to into guerrilla tactics, led by Fabius Maximus

• The destruction of Carthage in the Third Punic War was a direct impact of Hannibal’s attack on Rome

• Hannibal’s strength at sea forced Rome to adjust to their environment - corvus

The introduction of boats not only gave them a large advantage during the war, but after enabled them to expand their trade to all over the Mediterranean

After the war

• Because of this, large numbers of peasants migrated to the city, leaving these aristocrats with large masses of land

• By the time he was defeated, the bulk of the Italian the Italian countryside was devastated. In response, many rich aristocrats bought up huge tracts of these lands for very little money.

Aside from his immediate impact, Hannibal had a significant effect on military history

Hannibal is still studied today in military academies for his brilliance

With specific reference to Cannae, many military college’s study Hannibal’s tactics and leadership

- Phalanx manoeuvre at Cannae at the Australian Defence Force Academy

Hannibal’s leadership also has had an enduring effect. His leadership qualities have been examined throughout history

‘’No other foreigner made such an impact on Roman history’’ (Livy)

Legacy-warfare The battle has been marked down in military

textbooks for two thousand years as the classic example of entrapment

Count Alfred von Schlieffen: German field marshal in the 20th century

-His plan was a very large scale strategic readdressing of Hannibal's tactics in the defeat of the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire

Napoleon and Norman Schwarzkopf are both modern examples of generals that incorporated Hannibal’s tactics in their own warfare

Legacy-modern day Hannibal's name is commonplace in art and popular culture,

an objective measure of his foreign influence on Western history.

His crossing of the Alps remains one of the

most monumental military feats of ancient

warfare an is romanticized by

several artworks

Art - Hannibal and his Army Crossing

the Alps1812 Joseph Turner Literature – Gulliver’s Travels, satirical work 1726 Films – Hannibal-Rome's Worst Nightmare, Hannibal vs Rome

Assessment It is difficult to fully assess the life of Hannibal as all the

information we have on him is Roman, most of which is subject to bias

However, all sources agree that he was a military genius and is considered “one of the world’s greatest soldiers” Oxford Classical Dictionary

His military genius was demonstrated by: His extraordinary tactical skill His capacity for leadership which commanded the loyalty of

mercenary troops Threatening the existence of Rome

One the greatest testament to Hannibal’s leadership is that he never faced mutiny or lost the confidence of his men

His greatness is manifested through his legacy throughout the modern and ancient world - Napoleon praising Hannibal very highly,

complimenting him on his military tactics and his audacity

Maximilian Otto Bismarck Caspari, a prestigious university lecturer praises Hannibal highly: -“The transcendent military genius of

Hannibal there cannot be two opinions. For steadfastness of purpose, for organizing capacity and a mastery of military science he has perhaps never had an equal”

These historians’ accounts remain fairly uniform however some differences are evident.

The reason for these differences is due largely to the motive and perspective of both these historians.

Polybius was a Greek historian/writer living in Rome, where Livy on the other hand lived 200 years after Hannibal.

There are two main ancient texts of Hannibal's route:

- Titus Livius (Livy) - Polybius- Others include Plutarch, Appian and Cicero

Interpretations-ancient

Livy is a less reliable source than Polybius as he used other eyewitness accounts to write his own account of particular events

Livy had little experience of war and politics and very often biased towards Rome

What Livy accounts on Hannibal:When he was youngerCrossing the alpsMain battles between Carthage and RomeDeath

Livy’s account of Hannibal depicts him as extremely cruel, which conflicts with other accounts from historians

Livy wants to portray Hannibal was a war criminal and to demonize him. Livy writes of Hannibal upon seeing blood “Oh what a lovely sight!”

Livy understands Hannibal as a cannibal, cruel and ultimately power hungry individual

According to Livy, Hannibal's military genius was feared among the Romans

Polybius is seen as a very reliable source as he was often an eyewitness to the events he recounted.

He also had access to official Roman documents because of his privileged position in Rome

However he tended to display bias in his treatment of Scipio Aemilianus, but was clearly sympathetic to Hannibal

Polybius spent a long period as a hostage in Italy and relied heavily on Roman sources

Polybius’ and Livy’s account mostly compliment each other, with only small differences in their accounts

Polybius conversely, is far more detached and thus historical

Polybius also has great admiration for Hannibal’s leadership qualities.

Polybius describes Hannibal as a true leader working hard and fighting from the front thus sharing the dangers and leading from the front

Most of the sources available to historians about Hannibal are from Romans. They considered him the greatest enemy Rome had ever faced

Interpretations-modern The modern historians or tacticians sited

are on the whole far more balanced

Theodore Ayrault Dodge (May 28, 1842 –

1909) was an American officer and military historian and thus analyses Hannibal -“Hannibal excelled as a tactician. No battle in

history is a finer sample of tactics than Cannae” and called Hannibal the "father of strategy”

Modern interpretations of Hannibal are also conveyed through generals, such as Napoleon, Schwarzkopf and Schlieffen

Bibliography en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal www.livius.org/ha-hd/hannibal/hannibal.html ancienthistory.about.com/od/hannibal/p/

Hannibal.htm www.angelfire.com/rebellion/historicalheros/

hannibal.html www.phoenician.org/carthage_hannibal_barca.htm Hannibal : a history of the art of war among the

Carthaginians and Romans down to the Battle of Pydna, 168 B.C – Dodge, Theodore Ayrault

YouTube – Hannibal - Rome’s worst nightmare Antiquity 3 – HSC textbook, Oxford