Hannibal’s incredibly impressive victories throughout Rome were due to his army’s well thought out and innovative tactics. Hannibal brought new strategies to the battlefield that worked incredibly well time and time again against different Roman Consuls and their legions. Hannibal lined up his army similarly to the Roman formations, but his battlefield tactics and the speed of his cavalry and elephants would surround and crush his opponents. Hannibal used many types of tactics that included rapid movements, rushes and ambushes; he would surprise the Romans and take advantage of the ensuing chaos (Warry 696).
Hannibal knew the Roman losses were replaceable because of the sheer number of military eligible men in the Empire. His strategy was, therefore, not to defeat the Roman Empire, but to intimidate the Roman allies into defecting away from Rome and joining him. After Trebia and Tresimene, Hannibal received thousands of troops from the Gauls in Northern Italy. However, he needed to successfully take allies in the south to break the Empire. After the major victory at Cannae, some of the Italian allies switched sides to Carthage including Salapia, Arpi, Herdonea, and Capua, the second largest Italian city (Hoyos 122). His plan of breaking the Roman alliance appeared to be working, at least at the onset of the Second Punic War.
Knowing that he could not face Rome head on, Hannibal campaigned through all of Italy attempting to break the strong alliances Rome had with all the Italian city states.
Photo courtesy of Yassine Mrabet
Political planning, however, was not Hannibal’s only innovation. He was an expert at the ambush. In the battle at Tagus, Hannibal faced the might of the Roman army. Instead of facing them head on, however, he conned them into crossing a body of water. This made them vulnerable. Taking advantage of their vulnerability, he used forty war elephants to destroy the Roman army. He sent his cavalry into the river to pick off any Roman stragglers attempting to escape (Warry 697). Rome, despite superior numbers and the knowledge that Hannibal wished to trick them, still fell easily into his trap.
In nearly every battle, particularly Cannae, Hannibal used environmental elements only a veteran in war would think to utilize. He plotted where to set his army in order to take advantage of sunlight, wind, fog, water, and hills (Warry 83). For instance, in Cannae his cavalry intentionally engaged the Roman infantry where the sun was in the Roman’s eyes. Since the Romans were already facing battle on multiple fronts (due to his innovative formation that will be discussed later), and had limited visibility of the cavalry, they did not see the danger until it was too late. The Romans were massacred. Additionally, at Trebia and Tresimene, Hannibal hid his troops in fog, undergrowth, and among a folding landscape. As a result, Hannibal’s forces ambushed them successfully, securing yet more victories and inflicted great damage (Gabriel 36).
Even outside of the Punic Wars, Hannibal proved himself as a great military genius. When Eumenes of Pergamon requested his help defeating Rome, Hannibal was happy to oblige. In a naval battle, Hannibal knew that Rome had the upper hand. He had to outwit them. Hannibal ordered the creation of many clay spheres and then placed venomous snakes in all of them. His sailors were instructed to throw the snake-filled spheres onto the enemy’s ships. This is the beginning of biological warfare. The clay shattered upon impact and released the snakes within. The snakes covered the ship and killed any Roman that got too near. Those that were not killed were thrown into a panic. The plan worked perfectly. The chaos of the venomous snakes prevented the Romans from continuing to fight. The superior Roman force quickly fled the battle (Maynard 105). At this battle against the Romans, Hannibal created a new type of warfare. This is the genesis of biological warfare. Hannibal again outwits the Roman and proves to be a most formidable opponent.
Hannibal’s use of snake-filled jars easily defeated the great Roman navy.
Photo courtesy of Guaillaume Paumier