This is a Geeklist for the Second Punic War from 219 to 202 BCE. Entries should be one of the following:

> Games of Battles or of campaigns
> Geeklists of Games (each geeklist covering one battle or one campaign)

Sublists of this list should be named "Timeline of War: 500-1 BCE: 2nd Punic War: {sublist info} {more sublist info}" and should be publicly editable. The creator of any sublist will take responsibility to periodically review it for additions and re-order to keep things properly chronological and, when necessary, substitute lists for individual games.

For the top level of the Timeline of War see: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/25950

For the parent of this list (500-1 BCE) see: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/27314

Understanding a little about the start of the 2nd Punic War
After their defeat in the 1st Punic War (which ended in 241 BCE), Carthage set about carving out an empire in Hispania. Hamilcar Barca started the job, taking his 9 year-old son Hannibal Barca with him in 237. Such was Hamilcar's bitterness at being strategically defeated at the hands of Rome in the 1st Punic War that he made his son swear an oath against Rome. This bitterness was probably fuelled in 238 when Rome effectively annexed Sardinia while Carthage was occupied with a rebellion among its own mercenaries.

Hamilcar died in 228, and was succeeded in command by Hasdrubal [Hasdrubal was a common name in Carthaginian circles, and this particular Hasdrubal was NOT Hannibal's brother, but rather his brother-in-law]. Hasdrubal founded the provincial capital of Nova Carthago (now Cartagena). As he steadily secured the new territories, the Romans started to feel threatened. A treaty was agreed with Carthage (226?) that prohibited Carthaginian interference north of the Ebro, and Roman interference south of it. This despite the fact that Rome had no involvements at all at the time in the area of Hispania north of the Ebro!

Rome, invaded by a conglomeration of Gallic/Celtic tribes, campaigned against them from 225 to 222, subjugating much of the Po valley in the process. In another interesting development Rome signed a treaty with the Hispanic city of Seguntum, well south of the Ebro.

Perhaps it was coincidence, but in 221 Carthage's commander in Hispania (Hasdrubal) was assassinated. Hannibal Barca had become Hasdrubal's chief leiutenant by then, so he received command of the army on Hasdrubal's death. He set about expanding Carthage's conquests.

By 219 Hannibal seems to have gained the friendship of some of the celts of northern Italy, and probably took a deliberate decision to provoke a new war with Rome. He did this by attacking, and eventually conquering (the siege took up most of 219 BCE), the independent city of Seguntum. Despite the fact that this city was well south of the Ebro demarkation line, it had a treaty with Rome. Rome decided that Hannibal's actions constituted an act of war. It seems likely that Rome was equally eager to renew hostilities; despite offering Seguntum no practical assistance, a Roman delegation went before the Carthaginian Senate after the fall of Seguntum and declared war.

Hannibal set out from Nova Carthago for Italy in the spring of 218 BCE. The size of his army is disputed, but we must presume that he had it all planned out, and that it was a large army indeed. He first had to fight his way through the unfriendly parts of NE Hispania to get to the Pyrenese mountains. Then he crossed southern Transalpine Gaul and hit the Rhone some way north of Massilia. His crossing was contested by the Gauls, but he succeeded anyway. After his scouts clashed with Publius Scipio's scouts he moved further inland to avoid the Roman force.

By now it was autumn of 218 and the weather was turning. But by disputed routes he took his army through the Alps and emerged in the north Italian plain in the vicinty of Turin. He had about 28,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry and a number of elephants. Not all the local celts were happy to see him.