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Hannibal Barca (247-183 BCE) is one of the best-known figures from the Ancient World. He is generally considered one of the greatest generals in history and Rome’s most formidable enemy. Hannibal in the Second Punic War (218-201 BCE) almost inflicted a total defeat on the Roman Republic. This war is often simply known as Hannibal’s war. The story of the conflict is well known, such an event as his heroic crossing of the Alps have has become legendary. Less well known, are the causes of the Second Punic War. Below is a discussion of the origins of the second great war between Carthage and Rome. It will be argued that the causes of the Second Punic War were Carthage’s intrigues with the Celts, Hannibal’s rivalry with Rome in Spain , and the great Carthaginian’s general thirst for revenge on Rome.

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>.

It is not fashionable these days to assign much importance to the role of individuals in history. Hannibal was determined to avenge the death and defeat of his people in the First Punic War. He was determined like his family to defeat Rome and it became an obsession. From his earliest childhood, he was raised by his father to hate Rome and to seek his destruction .<ref> Bickerman, Elias J. (1952). "Hannibal's Covenant". American Journal of Philology. 73 (1): 1–23</ref>. This was not typical of all or many in the Carthaginian elite. A story is told of how Hannibal became the life-long enemy of Rome. Once in Spain is father brought him to an altar. There Hamilcar ‘commanded the young Hannibal to lay his hand on the body of the sacrificial victim and to swear that he would never be a friend to Rome." <ref> Polybius, 3.11</ref>. Hannibal was bound by this oath and he never wavered from it and he became the Republic’s greatest enemy. The personality of Hannibal, his genius , and his hatred of the Romans were was crucial in the outbreak of the war. However, even without Hannibal, many historians argue that another war between the two greatest powers in the Western Mediterranean was inevitable .<ref>Bickerman, p 22</ref>.