Freeman demonstrates that the Carthaginian possession of Saguntum played into the Romans’ plan for future conquest as they prepared to expand their empire. Little is also known of his time in Spain and the information we possess focuses on Saguntum, where the hostilities with Rome would reignite. From that point on he would spend the rest of his life fighting or fleeing the Romans. He grew up in the army and took over for his father at eighteen years old. The first five chapters examine context and what Hannibal’s childhood might have looked like as well as his journey to Spain. Hannibal’s childhood constitutes one of these gaps. The problem Freeman faces with Roman sources is the gaps in information, making a biographical and chronological approach a challenge. At nine years old, he left Africa for Spain with his father to establish New Carthage and keep the Romans from adding Carthaginian territory to their growing empire. The eventual conquest of Sicily ignited the struggle with Carthage that Hannibal would soon be caught up in. Freeman explains that Carthage was a merchant state, and its growth caught the attention of the Romans. The author demonstrates that adding a new perspective is key in understanding Rome’s true intentions. Roman reports often paint Hannibal and Carthage as the invaders of the Italian peninsula, placing Rome on the defense. Adding a Carthaginian perspective to this approach shows Hannibal as a dynamic character with an intense patriotism versus a barbaric villain who rivaled the great Roman Empire as depicted in Roman-centric accounts. Freeman’s biographical approach allows Hannibal to be seen in a cohesive story and chain of events rather than merely in certain isolated battles that history often picks and chooses. He demonstrates the strength and weaknesses of these sources along the way. The author uses often hostile Roman sources to follow Hannibal through his departure from Carthage as a boy through his campaigns against Rome to his exile and retirement in Bithynia. Freeman’s biography of the Carthaginian general places Hannibal back into his original context and parallels his life with the growing tensions between Rome and the rest of the Mediterranean. Philip Freeman’s Hannibal: Rome’s Greatest Enemy with a Carthaginian perspective seeks to rectify this view. Hannibal is placed among history’s greatest generals for his campaigns against the Romans, but his feat is often viewed in the context of Roman history, downgrading or glazing over his achievements. Reviewed by Julia Wetzel (University of North Texas)Ĭommissioned by Margaret Sankey (Air University)
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