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Hannibal :

Birth: 247 before J.C. - Death: Bethany, 183 before J.C. Hannibal, Son of Hamilcar Barca which belonged to the one of the greatest families of the Carthaginian aristocracy, born in 247 before Jesus-Christ. His father ordered the Carthaginian forces of Sicily threatened by the advance of the Roman troops.

The Eastern Mediterranean then consists of kingdoms Hellenistic built on the vestiges of the conquests of Alexander the Great. Egypt, Syria, minor Asia is controlled by the heirs to the Greek emperor who will subject to the Greek influence old civilizations. The new cultural model Hellenistic will give rise to an art, a literature, a life style and designs political originals. The Greek language will become the vehicle of this culture, which will extend to the unit from the Mediterranean, in particular with Carthage. Hannibal, formed by a Greek tutor, will be initiated with the traditional worships inherited Tyr, the metropolis of origin of Carthage.

The balance of the forces in the Western Mediterranean will be deeply marked by the first war Romano- Carthaginian that will oppose the armies of Rome and Carthage during 23 years. The latter, equipped with a fleet of war of two hundred buildings, will establish its counters in Sicily, in Sardinia, along the coasts of Spain and North Africa. Its maritime trade will extend its sphere of activity to the Gulf of Guinea, for gold, and in Great Britain, for tin. Rome, which will covet Sicily, will obtain a maritime deterrent force into 264 before Jesus-Christ. Carthage, finally overcome, will have to give up its possessions of Sicily and Sardinia at spring 241 before Jesus-Christ, date on which the fleet Carthaginian will undergo a serious defeat near the Egates islands.

Hamilcar will negotiate the conditions of peace with the Romans. Carthaginians will have to then face the mercenaries of the army of Sicily who had not been paid. Hamilcar will arrive, with much lower forces, to overcome the rebels into 238 before Jesus-Christ. It will embark the next year for Spain, accompanied by his son-in-law Hasdrubal and his three sons: Hannibal was then nine years old, Hasdrubal and Magon. Installed in the old Phoenician colony of Gadès (Cadiz), it will undertake the conquest Iberian Peninsula and thus the silver mines of the country. He will die during a battle, in 229 before Jesus-Christ. His Hasdrubal son-in-law, indicated by the army, will take his succession. He will constitute a true state ibero- Carthaginian, will extend his conquests in direction of the north and the center of Spain, then will build a new capital Called Carthage the New one (Carthagène) before being proclaimed king. Hannibal, then 26 years old, will take the mysterious succession of Hasdrubal assassinated in 221 before Jesus-Christ.

The conflict with Rome, which will begin again in 218 before Jesus-Christ, will last nearly twenty years. Rome worried about the relations between Hannibal and certain cities of Gaul and about the plain of Pô, was then the allied one of Marseilles. The city Phocéens, the principal competitor of Carthage the Mediterranean Western, could not protect its Iberian counters. Rome will violate the treaty, which prohibited to him to cross the rivers of Èbre, to be combined to the Iberian citizens of Sagonte hostile with Carthage. Hannibal will overpower the city rebels and will start thus the hostilities with Rome. Latin will assemble two simultaneous military expeditions in direction of Spain and Sicily before the disembarkation in Africa.

[color=#000000]Hannibal will move towards Italy in June 218 before Jesus-Christ. The Roman task force intended for Spain will learn with stupor, at the time of its stopover in Marseilles, that Hannibal had just crossed the Rhone with 38 thousand men and 37 elephan