[Prev Page][Contents][Next Page]

The Punic Wars

The audio gifMetaurus River

The climax of this phase of the war came in 207, when Hannibal's brother sought to join forces with him in Italy.

Hannibal's younger brother, audio gifHasdrubal, had been fighting in Spain. Indeed, there had been fighting in Spain ever since Hannibal left there, and the campaigns were tough and hard- fought. Even as the goal in Italy was to keep Hannibal bottled up, so the goal in Spain was to keep Hasdrubal bottled up.

But by 208, Hannibal's position was becoming desperate. He sent word to his brother that he had to come to Italy at all costs.

Coin of Hasdrubal
Hasdrubal Barca

And he did so. Hasdrubal duplicated his big brother's accomplishments: he gave the Romans in Spain the slip, crossed the Pyrenees, crossed the Rhone River, crossed the Alps (with elephants). He fought his way down the Italian peninsula.

Many know Hannibal; few know Hasdrubal. The best way to be famous, it appears, is to be first.

The goal of this great effort was for the two brothers to join forces, and this of course was exactly what the Romans were determined to prevent. The two got quite close, within a day or two's march.

But Hasdrubal was forced to battle at the Metaurus River, and the Romans won a resounding victory there. Hasdrubal himself was killed in the battle. When Hannibal learned of this, he retreated south again, unwilling to give battle in his turn.

The Metaurus River was the last significant battle in Italy of the Second Punic War. From 207 onward, Hannibal's only thought was how to preserve his army and how to preserve Carthage itself.

For a time, it seemed that the best way to protect Carthage was to remain in Italy. If Rome mounted a major invasion of Africa, she would have to so weaken Italy that Hannibal could again threaten Rome. The situation was a standoff that neither side could afford to maintain.