Why couldn't Hannibal beat the Romans?

Question

Can anyone tell me why Hannibal wouldn't beat the Romans? Why did Hannibal win the battle but lost the war?

Answer 1

Good question and a number of very good answers.

Hannibal was defeated by Roman engineering, Roman Logistics, Roman government. At the time Rome could not find a General equal to Hannibal, so after a number of defeats it fell to a campaign of wills between the Carthaginians and the Romans.

The Roman had the tall walls, the Legions, the road and the supplies, working to there advantage. Hannibal had to bring supplies from afar, forage of the ground, and maneuver in hostile foreign ground against a hostile populace.

The first to yield lost. Rome fell to the tactic of containing Hannibal and threatening Carthage.

Answer 2

It had nothing to do with supply lines. Hannibal acted in the interests of the North African Confederation with a commission from Khartio Haegia, and an army of merely 35 thousand. The Romans conceded they could not beat him on the feild, especially after the Battle at Cannes, so they gambled, massed on and sacked Khartage, thus forcing the leadership there to sue for peace. A condition for that peace was the recall and exile of Hannibal to Axiam.

Answer 3

An army needs a supply line. Hannibal couldn't get Carthage to send urgent supplies during his 10 years in Italy, indeed, he brought everything. Hannibal lacked the siege engines necessary to crack Rome and he had to give up when the Romans invaded North Africa and threatened Carthage. Hannibal never lost a major battle on the Italian pennisula. He suffered defeat defending his homeland. Carthage fired him. The Romans cracked all of Carthage into gravel, cut down every tree, sowed salt into the farmland and lead off the survivors into slavery. Hannibal was one-eyed. Listed as one of the greatest military leaders in military science.

Answer 4

It was all about supply lines. He also let Carthage too vulnerable whlie he and his elephants trambled southern Europe.

All the Romans had to do was march south and across the Mediterranean to attack Carthage while the bulk of the Carthaginian army was behind them.

A united force with access to its supplies has a distinct advantage over a divided one without ready access to supplies.

Answer 5

That's right, he did win the battle, and Rome was wide open for him. Why didn't he take the 'Eternal City' ?

I don't think we will ever know, some 'daemon' held him back, and eventually back in Carthage the entire Phoenician race paid the price.