Prelude to the Second Punic War

-237 BC- Hamilcar Barca leads the Carthaginians in a conquest of the Iberian peninsula.
   -During this time, the Iberian peninsula was populated by barbarian tribes such as the Celts, Iberians, and Celtiberians.
-However, Hamilcar secretly planned on setting up an empire for himself, independent of Carthaginian rule.
   -Began to mint coints comparing himself and his son to the local Iberian gods, and having his troops swear allegiance to himself and his family, not Carthage.
-Spain was attractive to both Carthage and, later, Rome, because it was rich in silver!!
   -Hamilcar Barca was both ruthless and nice.  He would execute any opposition leaders, but would also send enemy troops back home after they were defeated.
      -He wanted to rule and assimilate the Iberian hordes, not exterminate them.
-231 BC- Rome catches onto what Hamilcar is doing, but they were busy fighting the Gauls and the Illyrians to do much good.
   -However, in 228 BC, Hamilcar accidentally drowns.
      -He is replaced by Hasdrubal the Fair, one of his son-in-laws and Hannibal Barca's brother-in-law, who immediately begins to commit mass genocide against the Iberians.
         -Founded a new capital in the region, New Carthage; a "virtually impregnable fortress".
-226 BC- the Romans are concerned about the Iberian peninsula.  They sign a peace treaty with the Carthaginians, in which the Carthaginians promised not to cross the Ebro River in northeast Spain.
   -One problem, however, was that this left Saguntum, a Roman-allied city, deep in Carthaginian territory.
-221 BC- Hasdrubal is murdered by a disgruntled Iberian barbarian who had finally had enough of the brutality.
   -Hannibal Barca was thus appointed to replace his brother-in-law.
      -Hannibal was super popular among his troops, which soon evolved into a cult of personality.
         -Allegedly, Hannibal never experienced a revolt or had as assassination attempt against him.
-Saguntum was really scared of Hannibal.
   -Hasdrubal had left them alone, but they knew that Hannibal was powerful enough to take the city.
   -The city pleaded with Rome to save them, but Rome was still preoccupied with the Illyrian pirates.
-Finally, Rome sent some delegates to investigate the situation.  Seguntum was right, and Rome knew that severe trouble was heading their way.
   -However, Rome presumed that the war would be confined to the Iberian peninsula only due to the isolationist character of Hannibal's army.
-219 BC- Hannibal besieges Seguntum.  Rome threatened to do something, but the Carthaginians pointed out that Seguntum was indeed south of the Ebro River, which meant that the city was indeed in Carthaginian territory.
   -Seguntum finally fell to Hannibal later that year.
-Rome finally decided enough was enough, and declared war!
   -They planned on a 3-pronged assault:
      -One force to Africa.
      -One force to the Iberian peninsula to fight Hannibal.
      -One force to remain in the Po Valley in northern Italy to fight off any Gauls who might take advantage of the absence of Rome's main army in the Italian peninsula.