History of Wars Summary 16 - The Second Punic War, Part 6: Rome's Counterattack and the Fall of Capua

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.