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Hannibal Barca: The battles of Carthage
Rome has been the greatest military empire of all time, but there was a man that almost destroyed it by himself. Rome started being a small town in the actual Italy, founded, according to the roman legend by the prince of Troy, in the 753 b.C. But soon it started to show great capability to reign above the other small towns nearby it taking them bythe force. One of these nations in the Mediterranean Sea was Carthage, at the north of Africa, a maritime potency that was submitted by Rome in the 256 b.C. Even though Rome´s protection came to all the towns, cities, and nations after conquer them, Rome was always prepotent and even abusive with all of its conquests, Carthage was not the exception. Carthage suffered the raping desire and powerthirst of the Romans after being conquered. After being submitted, in Carthage was born a man that with a lot of hate, desire of revenge, and a very privileged mind swore a take back or a revenge against the Romans. His name was Hamilcar Barca. By himself, he conquered the Iberian Peninsula (now Spain), giving to the Carthaginians a lot of power and richness, something that bothered Rome. The RomanRepublic killed Hamilcar Barca in battle hoping that the issue would be gone with him, but Hamilcar left offspring. Even angrier, smarter, and more powerful than his father, Hannibal Barca, Hamilcar´s son, would put the biggest and most powerful nation at that time in check.

After the Alps
After the dead of his father, Hannibal planned to do something that no one have dared to do: attackthe gates of Rome. In the year of 218 b.C. he transported himself and a big army from the Iberia to the Italian Peninsula, passing trough the Alps mountains , a natural barrier used by the Romans as northern protection. Along his army, he counted with dozens of African elephants, a weapon almost invincible in the correct hands. Unfortunately, he lost more than the half of these powerful advantagesin the high mountains cliffs. A Roman general, Escipion, was sent to the Iberia to fight Hannibal, but he was shocked and ashamed to know that his enemy had left long before he arrived. He would not dare to pass the Alps, so he returned to Rome by sea and waited for him at the other side of the mountains. Both armies encountered at the Tessin river, but Hannibal’s marvelous military skillsdestroyed completely the Roman defense. Another general, Sempronio, arrived to help his compatriot, but Escipion asked to retire. Sempronio laughed at the proposition and sent this new and bigger army to the battle. Hannibal sent a cavalry group to tease the Romans as bait. The Romans persecuted them trough the Trebbia river, but it was winter and the river was gelid and with a strong current. When theRoman army (now wet, cold, and vulnerable) passed the river, the Carthaginian army was waiting for them. They massacred the Roman army. This was the Hannibal menace, not big armies or strong men but an intelligent general.

Between the Gaul and the Romans
These defeats frightened the Romans, besides getting them angry. Now Hannibal was among the Roman territory, and no one could do anything tostop him. The Roman government sent another general to fight him at the Gaul (actual France), his name was Flamino. Aware of Hannibal´s skills, Flamino was more cautious, but still, he ended in another trap. Meandering in the middle of two hill systems searching for Hannibal´s men, Flamino´s army was surrounded by the Carthaginians. In these battle, Hannibal lost the sight of one eye, but asAsimov says in La República Romana, he saw better with one eye than most of Roman generals with two (103). The Romans were stunned because they sent a bigger army this time, and they were defeated even worse than past times. The Roman parliament, furious, decided to send a new army, even bigger this time. No they encountered Hannibal in plain ground and attacked. The Carthaginian formation was...