this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2024
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Why didn't Hannibal attack the city of Rome itself? (lemmygrad.ml)
submitted 5 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Maybe I have the facts wrong, but here is what I understand happened:

  • Hannibal crossed the Alps in 218 BC with adorable 7-foot-tall elephants

  • Hannibal trounces the Romans in every battle, Cannae, Capua twice, Herdonia in 212

  • Hannibal controls a good bit of Italy now: 217 map: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Second_Punic_war_(cropped).png

  • The Romans fight Carthaginian territories in Africa and Iberia, eventually Hannibal has to leave Italy to defend them

Seems like he had plenty of time to strike at the nerve centre? Why didn't he sack Rome after Cannae or something? Or am I misunderstanding the facts?

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago

As I understand it he didn’t have the siege engines and generally wasn’t equipped to besiege or storm such a populated city. His strategy was to go around Italy trying to convince the non-Roman Italians to rise up against Rome.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Hannibal would trounce the Romans on the field, but he didn't have the capability for a long term siege. His goal was to get the cities of Italy to throw in their lot with him. Another issue was the Carthagnaginian senate didn't really support Hannibal. His dad basically ruled Spain with Carthage rubber stamping it to get this veteran general out of the city. As far as I know they were wary to support his son as well.