THE DEFEAT OF HANNIBAL

After maintaining an army in Italy for 15 years, Hannibal is finally driven back to North Africa and defeated at the Battle of Zama. Over 20,000 Carthaginians and allies killed on that day and the same number captured with 132 standards, 11 elephants. About 1500 Romans died. Hannibal, even according to Scipio his enemy, he had deployed his troops very cleverly. The elephants were in the front to break up the Roman ranks, then the auxiliaries ( so that they could not get away and to soften up the Roman attack ) and then the lines of Carthaginians. Then at the very back, the Italian allies of whose loyalty he was uncertain. But the Romans won (one of Scipios tactics was to organise his lines so that they could separate to let the elephants charge through). Hannibal went to Hadrumetum and then on to Carthage which he had first left as a boy 36 years earlier where he admitted in the Senate House that he had lost the war and that they would have to sue for peace. (This battle was fought in 202 B.C. in modern day Tunisia)