History of Wars Summary 16 - The Second Punic War, Part 7: The Battle of the Metaurus and Scipio's Rise

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.