Military Leader · 247 BC – 183 BC

Hannibal Barca

Little-Known Facts

As a boy, Hannibal is said to have sworn an eternal oath of enmity to Rome.
After the war he became a reformer and statesman in Carthage before fleeing into exile, finally taking poison to avoid Roman capture.

Myths & Misconceptions

Did Hannibal capture Rome?

No. Despite his victories he never took the city of Rome itself; Rome's refusal to surrender and its eventual counterattack on Carthage decided the war.