전쟁사 좋아하는 사람 모여라~~

Hannibal's brother, Hasdrubal, gathered his forces in Iberia and marched into Italy to support his brother. In 207 BC, he crossed the Alps and arrived in northern Italy. Rome feared that if the two Carthaginian armies joined forces, a crisis similar to Cannae would occur again. The Roman army intercepted Hasdrubal's messengers, learned of his plan, and attacked him at the Metaurus River. At the Battle of the Metaurus, Hasdrubal was defeated and killed, and his army was largely destroyed. This victory prevented Hannibal from joining forces with his reinforcements. Meanwhile, Scipio continued to attack Carthaginian forces in Iberia. The Roman victory at the Battle of Ilipa in 206 BC effectively ended Carthaginian rule in Iberia. Scipio then planned to move the theater of war to Carthage itself. Although Hannibal remained in Italy, the strategic situation had become significantly unfavorable. Rome shifted its strategy from driving Hannibal out of Italy to attacking Carthage directly.

Even after the devastating defeat at Cannae, Rome continued the war. Instead of engaging Hannibal head-on, the Roman army adopted a strategy of defending key cities and limiting the Carthaginian forces' range of activity. Hannibal attempted to gain allies in Southern Italy, but not all cities sided with him. Rome besieged Capua and eventually recaptured the city in 211 BC. The fall of Capua was a significant event that weakened Hannibal's influence within Italy. Meanwhile, Rome also attacked Carthaginian forces in Iberia. The young general Scipio launched a surprise attack on New Carthage in 209 BC, capturing it and seizing Carthage's main military bases and supply depots. He formed alliances with Iberian tribes, driving out the Carthaginian forces one by one. Although Hannibal was fighting Rome in Italy, he found it increasingly difficult to receive adequate support from his homeland and Iberia. The initiative in the war slowly began to shift towards Rome.

In 216 BC, Rome organized a large-scale army to decisively defeat Hannibal. The Roman army, led by two consuls, gathered approximately 80,000 troops and confronted the Carthaginian forces at Cannae in southern Italy. Hannibal positioned Gallic and Iberian infantry in the center, with strong cavalry and infantry on both flanks. As the Roman army pushed the center, the Carthaginian forces intentionally retreated, and the troops on the flanks narrowed the encirclement inwards. Subsequently, Carthaginian cavalry attacked the Roman rear, trapping the Roman army from all sides. The Battle of Cannae resulted in immense casualties for Rome, and some of Rome's allies wavered. Several cities in southern Italy, including Capua, defected from Rome or approached Carthage. However, Rome did not surrender. Citizens continued to recruit troops, and the Senate opted for a war of attrition. Cannae was Hannibal's most famous victory, but it failed to collapse the Roman state system.

In 217 BC, Hannibal advanced into Etruria, and Rome sent an army led by Flaminius to pursue him. Hannibal prepared a large-scale ambush using the narrow terrain around Lake Trasimene. As the Roman army passed by the lake, Carthaginian forces attacked simultaneously from the mountains and the lake, inflicting heavy casualties on the Romans who were unable to form a proper battle line. The Battle of Lake Trasimene remains a classic ambush in ancient warfare. When news of the defeat reached Rome, public anxiety grew, and the Senate appointed Quintus Fabius Maximus as dictator. Fabius adopted a strategy of cutting off supply lines and delaying tactics rather than engaging Hannibal head-on, aiming to wear down the Carthaginian army. Hannibal tried to provoke a battle, but the Roman army did not easily respond. While this strategy didn't bring immediate spectacular victories, it was a method of preparing for a long war by utilizing Rome's abundant manpower and resources. However, criticism arose within Rome that the strategy was overly passive.

In 218 BC, Hannibal began a daring expedition, crossing the Alps from Gaul. Despite heavy losses due to the mountainous terrain, cold, food shortages, and attacks from local tribes, Hannibal eventually reached northern Italy. Rome had not anticipated Hannibal crossing the Alps and was caught off guard, unable to respond effectively to the sudden invasion. Hannibal fought Roman forces in northern Italy, securing consecutive victories in 218 BC at the Battle of the Ticinus River and the Battle of the Trebia River. Particularly at the Battle of Trebia, he pressured the Roman army with ambushes and maneuvers, inflicting significant damage. Following these victories, several Gallic tribes joined Hannibal, further strengthening his army. Rome raised new troops to counter him, but Hannibal seized the initiative in northern Italy. His objective was not merely to defeat the Roman army but to destabilize the alliance system Rome relied upon. The war was now set to continue for an extended period on Italian soil.

Saguntum was a city in eastern Iberia that had a friendly relationship with Rome. Hannibal deemed that Saguntum was encroaching on Carthage's sphere of influence and attacked the city in 219 BC. Saguntum resisted for a long time but eventually fell. Rome considered this a violation of the treaty and demanded that Carthage punish Hannibal. However, Carthage accepted Hannibal's actions, and negotiations broke down. In 218 BC, Rome declared war on Carthage, and the Second Punic War began. Rome intended to send troops to Iberia and North Africa, but Hannibal moved first. He led over 50,000 troops and war elephants across the Pyrenees into Gaul. Hannibal's objective was to enter Italy directly, threaten Rome, and draw Rome's Italian allies to his side.

Although Carthage lost Sicily after its defeat in the First Punic War, it did not decline soon after. The Barcid family advanced into the Iberian Peninsula to establish a new power base. Hamilcar Barca secured local silver and resources and built up military strength starting from 237 BC. His successor, Hasdrubal, founded New Carthage and made it an important stronghold. Hannibal, Hamilcar's son, participated in military activities from a young age and became commander with the army's support after Hasdrubal was assassinated in 221 BC. Hannibal expanded his influence by conquering or allying with the Iberian tribes. Rome was wary of Carthage's expansion but did not immediately seek war. However, as conflicts surrounding Saguntum in Iberia escalated, the relationship between the two nations began to head towards war again.

The First Punic War, lasting from 264 to 241 BC, fundamentally altered the relationship between Rome and Carthage. While Sicily was the direct point of contention, it was essentially the first head-on clash between two superpowers vying for dominance in the Western Mediterranean. Rome transformed from a land-based power into a naval force operating a large fleet, while Carthage, despite its long maritime supremacy, paid the price for underestimating Rome's sustained mobilization capabilities. Victorious, Rome annexed Sicily as a province, gaining experience in overseas rule and beginning to expand its influence in the Mediterranean world. Carthage, though defeated, was not destroyed as a state. It later expanded its influence in Hispania, rebuilding its economic and military strength, and tensions with Rome continued throughout this period. Ultimately, the rivalry between the two nations led to the Second Punic War, which escalated into a fight for Rome's survival with the emergence of Hannibal.

The outcome of the First Punic War brought significant changes to the histories of both Rome and Carthage. Rome established Sicily as its first overseas province, expanding its territory beyond the Italian Peninsula, and subsequently seized Sardinia and Corsica, broadening its influence in the Western Mediterranean. Furthermore, through the war, Rome built a large-scale fleet and accumulated naval combat experience, gaining the capability to compete with maritime nations. Carthage lost Sicily but remained a powerful nation with considerable economic and naval strength. However, internal burdens increased due to war reparations and mercenary issues, leading them to seek a new power base in Hispania. During this process, the Barcid family grew, and Hannibal would later emerge. The rivalry between the two states did not end with the First Punic War; rather, it laid the foundation for greater conflicts. Rome began its advance towards hegemony in the Western Mediterranean, while Carthage sought to regain its lost power.

Defeated in the Battle of the Aegates Islands in 241 BC, Carthage entered into armistice negotiations with Rome. Ultimately, Carthage agreed to withdraw its forces from Sicily and pay reparations to Rome. Sicily became Rome's first province continuously governed outside the Italian peninsula, marking the beginning of Rome's significant overseas territorial expansion. However, the treaty did not immediately signify the end of all conflict. Carthage was burdened with massive war debts and struggled to secure funds to pay its foreign mercenaries. This issue soon led to a mercenary revolt within Carthage. Rome, too, greatly expanded its naval capabilities and expeditionary experience through the war, but suffered immense loss of life and property due to the prolonged conflict. The First Punic War lasted approximately 23 years, an unusually long duration for the Mediterranean world at the time. The clash over control of Sicily, in particular, became a pivotal moment that led Rome and Carthage to recognize each other as rivals.