Hannibal - Scipio Africanus: The Second Punic War (218 - 201 BC)

The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. It was the second of three major wars between Carthage and the Roman Republic. They are called the "Punic Wars" because Rome's name for Carthaginians was Punici.

The war is marked by Hannibal's surprising overland journey and his costly crossing of the Alps, followed by his reinforcement by Gaulish allies and crushing victories over Roman armies in the battle of the Trebia and the giant ambush at Trasimene. Against his skill on the battlefield the Romans deployed the Fabian strategy. But because of the increasing unpopularity of this approach, the Romans nevertheless resorted to a further major field battle. The result was the Roman defeat at Cannae. In consequence many Roman allies went over to Carthage, prolonging the war in Italy for over a decade, during which more Roman armies were destroyed on the battlefield.

Despite these setbacks, the Roman forces were more capable in siegecraft than the Carthaginians and recaptured all the major cities that had joined the enemy, as well as defeating a Cathaginian attempt to reinforce Hannibal at the battle of the Metaurus. In the meantime in Iberia, which served as the main source of manpower for the Carthaginian army, a second Roman expedition under Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major took New Carthage by assault and ended Carthaginian rule over Iberia in the battle of Ilipa. The final showdown was the battle of Zama in Africa between Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major and Hannibal, resulting in the latter's defeat and the imposition of harsh peace conditions on Carthage, which ceased to be a major power and became a Roman client-state. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Punic_War)

Fabian strategy: Quintus Fabius Maximus (consul 45 BC), the dictator of the Roman Republic, employed this strategy in defending Rome by the great general of Carthage, Hannibal, in southern Italy during the Second Punic War (218-202 BC).