Hannibal

Hannibal ( 247 – 182 BC )
Carthaginian general. He precipitated the second Punic War by attacking the town of Saguntum in Spain, an ally of Rome. In 218 , in a pre-emptive move, he led an army of about 30,000 over the Alps into Italy. There he inflicted a series of defeats on the Romans (see Cannae ), campaigning for 16 years undefeated but failing to take Rome itself. After being recalled to Africa he was defeated at Zama by Scipio Africanus in 202 .