Hannibal Barca Qualities

Hannibal Barca was a war general, and is known for being one of the only people the Romans feared. Hannibal and the Romans fought for around two decades, and Hannibal triumphed over any army that was sent his way. Although Rome ended up winning the war, the Romans will never forget the man who was in charge of many of their most disgraceful defeats. The way Hannibal led made his men have respect and loyalty towards him, which proved to be a better tactic than other generals. All of Hannibal’s enemies feared him, because of the techniques he used in battle. Hannibal’s way of leading worked very well for him and his army and is what allowed him to win numerous battles. Hannibal Barca was an influential leader to both his people and enemies, and

Hannibal was a very determined leader and was a trait he took from his father and led his troops with much respect for them which is why he was so successful. In the excerpt from The Prince, by Machiavelli, one of the main ideas he stresses is that “It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved, when having to choose between the two” (Machievelli). Hannibal led with a lot of determination towards beating the Romans in battle, making the Romans view him as a headstrong person and frightening leader. Hannibal’s father Hamilcar Barca, was also a fantastic & determined war general, and Hannibal quotes that his father “bade him lay hold of the altar and swear that he would never be a friend to the Romans" (World at War). Hamilcar’s leading tactics, and determination against the Romans influenced Hannibal’s style of leadership. “Hannibal was described as a cruel leader by Machiavelli, who believed this character trait was an asset in his position…. To avoid internal conflicts and mutinies amongst the troops, a feared but respected leader like Hannibal was needed” (Eudaimonia). However, contrary to Machievelli’s statements, Hannibal

According to Machievelli Scipio “was limited in the range of actions he could take… because it could damage his reputation which was seen as spotless among his soldiers” (Eudaimonia). One of the only things that backfired on Hannibal was that with the respect from soldiers, and fear from Romans “the Carthaginian Senate repeatedly refused Hanibal’s requests for aid and supplies'' which may have been from their own selfishness, or because they feared Hannibal would become too powerful and take over Carthage (Mark). Instilling fear into the Romans which caused his men, and later even the Romans, to respect him was a good thing since fear always stays with people, while love is hard to maintain. As Machiavelli says,“ love is held by a bond of obligation which, since men are shabby, is broken for their own utility upon every occasion;but timorousness is secured by fear of punishment which never lets you go” (Machiavelli). Even after eventually losing the war, and after his passing, Hannibal was still respected, and the Romans even built a statue of him to show their ability to beat such a great nemesis which just proves how influential he truly