Scipio Africanus: Rome's Second Punic War
Scipio Africanus
The General who brought an end to the punic wars. Scipio's father held the consulship in one of the most critical years of Rome's history, 218 B.C. While with his father during a battle on the Ticinus, a young Scipio made his first mark on history, seeing that his father was wounded and cut off by the enemy, he charged at the enemy cavalry and saved him. Scipio africanus was an outstanding military leader who not only defeated hannibal but also ended the second punic war.+
Scipio was born into one of ancient Rome’s noble families in 236 B.C. His great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all consuls as well as Scipio himself. There is little to nothing known about his early life other than he fought alongside his father in the second punic war, where his father died. He later served as military tribune at the battle of Cannae in 216 B. C.
Scipio got his reputation as a great general through defeating the Carthaginian general Hannibal. In 210 B.C. When Rome decided to send reinforcements to the battlefield in Spain there was no senior general willing to head down there, so Scipio volunteered to lead the fight against Carthage.In 211 B.C., Scipio was put in charge of Rome's forces in Spain, Two years later, he took the city of Carthago Nova. In 208 B.C. At the Battle of Baecula Scipio defeated Hasdrubal (Hannibal's brother), who fled to Italy with some of his troops. Scipio defeated the rest of the Carthaginian forces in Spain retaking it for Rome in 206 B.C. He next planned to take his forces to Africa after being elected consul in 205 B.C. but ran into some opposition from the Roman government. He then traveled to North Africa with as many troops as he could muster to fight Hannibal. Hannibal’s government then called him back to protect carthage. Scipio and Hannibal finally faced each other in the Battle of Zama In 202 bc, during the battle the Roman soldiers sounded horns which frightened the carthaginian elephants causing them to
The General who brought an end to the punic wars. Scipio's father held the consulship in one of the most critical years of Rome's history, 218 B.C. While with his father during a battle on the Ticinus, a young Scipio made his first mark on history, seeing that his father was wounded and cut off by the enemy, he charged at the enemy cavalry and saved him. Scipio africanus was an outstanding military leader who not only defeated hannibal but also ended the second punic war.+
Scipio was born into one of ancient Rome’s noble families in 236 B.C. His great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all consuls as well as Scipio himself. There is little to nothing known about his early life other than he fought alongside his father in the second punic war, where his father died. He later served as military tribune at the battle of Cannae in 216 B. C.
Scipio got his reputation as a great general through defeating the Carthaginian general Hannibal. In 210 B.C. When Rome decided to send reinforcements to the battlefield in Spain there was no senior general willing to head down there, so Scipio volunteered to lead the fight against Carthage.In 211 B.C., Scipio was put in charge of Rome's forces in Spain, Two years later, he took the city of Carthago Nova. In 208 B.C. At the Battle of Baecula Scipio defeated Hasdrubal (Hannibal's brother), who fled to Italy with some of his troops. Scipio defeated the rest of the Carthaginian forces in Spain retaking it for Rome in 206 B.C. He next planned to take his forces to Africa after being elected consul in 205 B.C. but ran into some opposition from the Roman government. He then traveled to North Africa with as many troops as he could muster to fight Hannibal. Hannibal’s government then called him back to protect carthage. Scipio and Hannibal finally faced each other in the Battle of Zama In 202 bc, during the battle the Roman soldiers sounded horns which frightened the carthaginian elephants causing them to