Includes:
•Charles River Editors’ original biography of Hannibal
•Cornelius Nepos’ biography of Hannibal from Lives of Eminent Commanders
•Jacob Abbott’s biography entitled Hannibal
•Livy’s History of Rome Volume III , which discusses The Second Punic War
•Polybius’ Histories Book III, which covers the start of The Second Punic War and Hannibal’s victory at Cannae
“I will either find a way, or make one.” – Hannibal (Latin proverb, attributed to Hannibal in regards to crossing the Alps with his elephants)
In the history of war, only a select few men always make the list of greatest generals. Napoleon. Caesar. Alexander. They are always joined by Hannibal, who has the distinction of being the only man who nearly brought Rome to its knees before its decline almost 700 years later. Rome never suffered a more horrifying defeat in its history than at Cannae, and indeed, Hannibal nearly rewrote the course of Western history during the Second Punic War. Even today there remains great debate on just how he accomplished his masterful invasion of Italy across the Alps. Since his army included war elephants, historians still argue over exactly where and how he crossed over 2,000 years after he managed that incredible feat.
Hannibal will always be listed among history’s greatest generals, and his military campaign in Italy during the Second Punic War will always be studied, but part of the aura and mystique surrounding the Carthaginian legend is that there is still a lot of mystery. Since Carthage was destroyed by Rome a generation after Hannibal, most of what is known about Hannibal came from the very people he tormented in the late 2nd century B.C., and thus much of his background and life story is unknown. Moreover, while military historians are still amazed that he was able to maintain his army in Italy near Rome for nearly 15 years, scholars are still puzzled over some of his decisions, including why he never attempted to march on Rome in the first place.
The Ultimate Hannibal Collection looks at the life of the Carthaginian hero, explores some of the mysteries and myths surrounding his life and campaigns, and analyzes his legacy, which has remained strong over 2,000 years after his death and promises to last many more. This collection includes several biographies, Livy’s history of the Second Punic War, and pictures.
