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The Second Punic War was often known as Hannibal’s War in Rome.<ref> Garland, p. 113</ref>. It was in a real sense the personal war of Hannibal. The Barcid was the main driver of the conflict between Carthage and Rome. The government of Carthage was divided over their support for Hannibal in Spain and they were not really in favor of another war with Rome. Their city had suffered too much in the war and in its aftermath during the ‘Mercenary War’ and there was a strong pro-peace party in the city <ref>Rich, John. "The origin of the second Punic War." Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies. Supplement, no. 67 (1996), p 37</ref>. Possibly most the leadership in Carthage was opposed to another war with Rome and tried to block Hannibal’s strategy. The Senate or Assembly was controlled by a party that wanted peaceful co-existence with Rome and distrusted Hannibal. However, despite most the Carthaginian elite opposing the war, under the leadership of Hanno the Great, they were unable to restrain Hannibal <ref> Polybius, Rise of Rome. Iii</ref>.

Most of the leadership in Carthage was opposed to another war with Rome and tried to block Hannibal’s strategy. The Barcid’s while Senate or Assembly was controlled by a party that wanted peaceful co-existence with Rome and distrusted Hannibal. However, despite the elite Carthaginians' opposition to the war, under the leadership of Hanno the Great, they were unable to restrain Hannibal <ref> Polybius, Rise of Rome. Iii</ref>.  While Hannibal was technically loyal to Carthage , he often acted like as an independent sovereigns sovereign in Iberia. They were The Carthaginians did not really controlled by the Carthaginianscontrol him in Iberia. Indeed, the Barcid’s were to lead Barcid led the city-state into a war that they did not want. Hannibal could use his massive wealth from his Iberian conquests to bribe many Carthaginians politicians to support his anti-Roman policies .<ref> Garland, p 116</ref>. They were populists who could sway public opinion and put pressure on the pro-peace faction to support Hannibal. The power of the Barcid  Hannibal was such powerful enough that he could effectively hijack the Carthaginian Senate and to dictate its foreign policy and . He was even able to drag it into a another war with Rome, which many despite opposition from Carthaginian citizens simply did not want. One of the key reasons for the outbreak of the Second Punic War was the inability of Carthage to restrain Hannibal , who had become too powerful. If the Carthaginian Senate had been able to control the Barcid, a war between Hannibal and Rome could have been averted .<ref> Garland, p. 121</ref>.