We continue to talk about the Second Punic War, in particular of its central phase, when Hannibal is in Italy, and of the epilogue, with the defeat of the Carthaginians in Zama. We do it, as for the previous article, accompanied by Roberto Trizio, owner of the Bar of Ancient Rome on Youtube.
Hannibal in Italy. What happens around the peninsula?
It happens that the Italic peoples are faced with a very capable and practically invincible General on the battlefield. Who proposes himself as a "liberator" from Roman domination and promises a certain autonomy to those who decide to go over to his side.
Some accept: the city of Capua (which will be the Carthaginian "capital" in Italy) does not pass by the side of Hannibal by chance. He knows perfectly well that Hannibal will return to his homeland and is preparing to be the new Rome with dominion over the peninsula.
Some resist: Annibale will try three times to conquer the strategic city of Nola, which instead will resist and will never open its doors.
Still others want autonomy from both the Romans and the Carthaginians. They don't want to get rid of one master and end up in the hands of another. And this compromises Hannibal's design. However, one thing is certain: the clash puts men, crops, families and lands to the test.
A very heavy test for the Italian territory that is suffering terribly.
How does Rome react, having its enemy number one in Italy?
He underestimates it. The Roman legions that faced Annibale alla Trebbia, in Northern Italy, were those of Sempronio Longo who were located in Sicily. These cheerfully go up the peninsula and parade through Rome like heroes who are going to liquidate an enemy forever. Convinced of victory.
Even after the defeat of the Trebbia, the Romans find themselves with a arrogant commander, Flaminio, who has not understood anything of the situation and who chases Hannibal to close the game, and without realizing it he slips into the worst ambush in Roman history. It is the battle of Lake Trasimeno.
But that's still not enough. The Romans realized the adversary's skills late, and in fact, despite a more cautious fringe, they would grant him a new battle, in Canne, with the intention of crushing him with numerical superiority. And we all know it wasn't enough.
Only after Canne did the awareness prevail, embodied by Fabio Massimo the Temporeggiatore, that confrontation had to be avoided. And make a wait-and-see war of attrition, which was finally the right card.
Fabio Massimo: who was he?
He was an eminent member of the senatorial class. A real authority and actually the only one who has the right attitude. Massimo fully understands that the Roman army and especially the military culture behind the Roman commanders is not ready to face Hannibal. He immediately proposed a waiting and attrition war, much more suited to the situation, but was not heeded. Only after Canne, the ruling class understands the correctness of Massimo's attitude and adopts his strategy. A decidedly expensive strategy, certainly heavy for the army and for the populations, but which starts the process of "gangrene" of Hannibal's position in Italy which will change the cards on the table.
Let's say that Massimo embodies the best strategy, net of Scipio, which obviously will take the war to another level. A true Roman, however. Who sees Hannibal "curl up" in Italy, but who dies without having time to see the enemy surrender.
How is the battle of Zama prepared by the Romans?
First of all, the Romans start from the battlefield that is favorable to them. After the return of Hannibal to his homeland, a real race opens, won by Scipione, to position himself on a territory congenial to the respective troops. Scipio must first neutralize the elephants. So the classical formation is modified: not on a checkerboard (the triplex acies) but in rows interspersed with spaces. They are real corridors, through which the elephants will have to pass and then emerge behind the entire Roman army, now devoid of their destructive force.
The ranks are made up of Hastati, Principes and Triarii, progressively stronger men ready to take turns to renew the impetus of arms. And on the wings the cavalry of Lelio, Scipione's highly trusted right arm, and of Massinissa, a former Numidian opponent who recently passed over to the Romans, with the task of destroying their counterparts.
However, Scipio's ace in the hole is the expected enveloping movement of the men: the second and third rows will move quickly, surrounding the opponent both on the sides and on the back.
At least, that's what Scipio would like to do.
And Hannibal?
Hannibal is aware that he has more men, but less trained and can only count on veterans of Italy. First place the elephants in the front row. He certainly expects the Romans to be able to manage them better than in the past, and he doesn't rely on them much, but it's still a headache for Scipio.
Place two rows of mercenaries and cavalry in a practically mirror way in Scipione. The veterans remain: and here Hannibal really surpasses himself. He foresees that the Roman legions will no longer maneuver as before, and suspecting the enveloping movements of the adversary, he detaches the veterans by moving back a few hundred meters.
The goal is to make the winding action fail in the middle of the battle, as the legionaries should stretch too much and play only the strongest and freshest men he has at the last moment.
Scipio Vs. Hannibal. Who was older as a strategist?
As a strategist? Scipio. By strategy I don't mean the ability to move on the battlefield, that's the tactic. I mean the general view of waging war. Hannibal is a very fine politician but he makes some mistakes. The barcid kingdom he consolidates in Spain is based on force, for example holding the members of rich families hostage, in Cartegena. And in Italy everything is focused on the fraying of the Roman municipalities, on the rebellion against the oppressor that does not work, because the Roman team was much more solid than expected.
Scipione, on the other hand, frees the hostages of Cartagena and promises Spain their representative bodies, or rather gives value and importance to the natives by treating them as customers rather than conquered. And always Scipio pushes to bring the war to Africa, he against an adverse Senate, choosing the timing perfectly.
How does the battle of Zama unfold?
It is an extremely complex battle but it can be summarized in some key points. The attack of Hannibal's elephants, which is effectively neutralized by the corridors of Scipio, and the contact with the infantry. The cavalry of the Romans put their opponents to flight and leave the battlefield. The infantry remain alone. At that, there is a particular moment: Scipio is preparing to perform his enveloping maneuver but the veterans positioned too far back defuse his move.
All he can do is lengthen his lines so as not to be surrounded, while Hannibal, reorganized the army creates a single line where the center, the strong and still rested veterans of Italy, collide with the tired legionnaires who have already faced two rows of opponents.
Tactically a victory for Hannibal. But the cannion legionnaires, who play everything in that battle, resist beyond all imaginations. The Roman line holds, and the cavalry of Lelio and Massinissa returning, catch the Carthaginians behind them and Hannibal loses, albeit with honor, the game.
Scipio and Annibale had bitter parallel destinies
Hannibal is the master of Scipio. Example from which to draw inspiration. Unleash the greatest conflict in the ancient world with your will alone. It is an unstoppable phenomenon. But the accounts don't come back. His plan fails and in the end, after 15 years, he has to surrender. It takes a while to realize this. To accept the failure of a lifetime. The last years have been lived by exiles, constantly running away from the Romans.
Scipio is catapulted onto the political and military scene, he is perhaps the greatest innovator of the Roman army, he has achieved victories never before imagined. Deliver Spain and Africa to Rome. He also wins in the East. But politics, envy destroy it. Trials to his family devastate his family. He too spends his last years in exile.
Annibale and Scipione died in the same year.
Both defeated by Rome.
Images: Michele Marsan / web
