While ancient history is full of larger-than-life figures, the famed Carthaginian military commander we know as Hannibal has taken on a particularly mythic quality. His story is woven together with hearsay, embellishment, and extremely limited source material. Nevertheless, Hannibal defined a critical period in Roman history—and ancient history, more broadly—plowing across the Italian peninsula with a cadre of foot soldiers, elite cavalry, envoys, and even elephants. His army laid waste to many strategically important cities; utilized intelligence networks to deter powerful Roman allies along the route; and triumphed in key skirmishes against formidable Roman generals and the impressive armies they commanded, triggering wave after wave of public outcry and panic back in Rome.

But when we peel back the legend, what’s left? What do we know and what can we accurately say about the famed Hannibal Barca? Where did he and his family come from, and why did they and their fellow Carthaginian countrymen war repeatedly with Rome? How did the Carthaginian army manage to devastate the Italian peninsula so thoroughly in the Second Punic War? And—perhaps most importantly—why did Hannibal and his army ultimately fail in their long and impressive fight against Rome?

Eve MacDonald, PhD

Even in his failure, his bitterest enemies continued to admire and fear Hannibal. His exploits passed into the realm of myth and legend in his own lifetime, and in his death he has retained a kind of heroic notoriety that few can ever hope for.

InstitutionCardiff University

Eve MacDonald is a Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at Cardiff University. She earned a PhD in Ancient History at the University of Ottawa. She wrote the book Hannibal: A Hellenistic Life and has published numerous papers on ancient history. She has also worked extensively in the field on excavations, including in Italy and Carthage in Tunisia. Additionally, she has conducted fieldwork at the site of Fulayj in Oman and taken part in excavations of Sasanian Persian outposts in Georgia and Iran for the Persia and Its Neighbours project.

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