Maria Skehan

Hannibal's Road To Rome Maria Skehan

Hannibal Barca, the great Carthaginian general, is lauded as one of the finest military leaders in the history of antiquity. Regarded as 'the father of strategy' he became a model for men like Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte. This travelogue retraces Hannibal's road to the Second Punic War and his quest to topple the emerging power of Rome. Hannibal's Road to Rome takes us on an extraordinary adventure of discovery as we follow the Carthaginian general's acclaimed overland march with army and elephants from Spain to Italy where for years he battled Rome on Italian soil. We will discover how this giant of history became the fiercest enemy of ancient Rome and how Rome's fear of the ghost of Hannibal led to the demise of Carthage. We will track down Hannibal's friends and foes - both real and mythical - in Carthaginians, Romans and Greeks, and in native Iberians and Gauls. Our journey begins in Cartagena, Spain and continues through spectacular Mediterranean countryside with a rich history in the diverse Spanish regions of Murcia, Valencia, Catalonia and the French region of Languedoc-Roussillon. Part one of Hannibal's Road to Rome will end at his momentous crossing of the River Rhone. Enriching our journey, Hannibal's road will connect us with an abundance of stunning modern culture, none of which would exist if this enigmatic man had managed to change the course of civilisation by conquering Rome.