Introduction

Rome had laid its ultimatum at the feet of the carthaginian senate after hannibal had laid siege to seguntum in spain. The romans were worried about gallic opportunism on their northern border, but did not anticipate a full fledged carthaginians invasion at all. Hannibal amassed a force of 90 thousand infantry, 12 thousand cavalry and 67 war elephants at new carthage. And in april of two 18 b c, set out on a campaign that would ultimately last 17 years. His first task was to simply make it out of spain.