The Loss of Zama

After conquering Spain from Carthaginian rule, Consul Publius Cornelius Scipio is ready to finish the Second Punic War.  Hannibal has spent 16 years devastating Italy and the Roman armies, this has left the Roman Senate desperate.  Scipio proposes a plan that would have been denied ten years ago but now seems the only path to take.  Scipio proposed to take his army from Spain and make his way through Africa and attack Carthage, the enemies heart.  The plan was passed and Scipio set to work collecting his army and traveled to southern Spain where it would be fastest to cross the Strait of Gibraltar.  Scipio was able to collect a little over 30,000 infantry and over 6,000 cavalry to go on this campaign, the crossing went smoothly and Scipio captured a land base in Morocco (Ascanio Tedeschi).  Hannibal was still in southern Italy at the time of Scipio's launch from Spain, so when he learned of the trouble Carthage was in, Hannibal left Italy immediately making it back to Africa in the year 202 B.C.  During the time at sea Scipio had been productive, defeating a Carthaginian army sent to stop him and also "liberating" some of the Carthage controlled lands.  As Carthage lost control other powers in Africa started to cause problems, Massinissa from the Numidians took a core of Numidian Cavalry and started to raid Carthage valleys and lands.  Scipio couldn't finish the job he was sent to do because he wasn't willing to siege Carthage while Hannibal was there.  Hannibal had made it to Carthage in time but at the loss of leaving some of his army behind, this forced him to rally the troops previously defeated and to recruit from the civilian population.  Despite this, Scipio still knew that he couldn't defeat Hannibal in the city, but if he could lure him out he might have a chance.   Scipio did this by attacking several valleys a little away from Carthage, these provided food to Carthage, thus pulling Hannibal out to defend them.  Hannibal's army outnumbered the Romans with 40,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry and even 80 War Elephants, compared to Scipio's 30,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry(roman-empire).  To add to the situation, both generals new about the Numidians in the area, and that if they could get them to join their cause that army would be almost guaranteed victory.  It now became a race to get to the area of Zama, where the Numidians were known to be.  As both Armies closed in, the Romans were able to make contact first and win support, unknown to Hannibal.  Hannibal finally came within three miles of the Roman camp, showing that he wanted battle, and the Romans agreed.  Hannibal sorted his troops one morning and headed out, when he got there he started to line up his soldiers for battle, just as the Romans were dong too.  Hannibal lined his mercenaries and civilian soldiers in the front into to lines, while his veterans where stationed further back to prevent a rear attack. Then he placed his cavalry on either flank of his first line with his War Elephants in small blocks in front of his first line.  Scipio had been studying Hannibal's tactics and had a plan to defeat him.  He lined his infantry in small blocks formed into lines three deep, allowing lanes to be present in his formation(roman-empire).  Then he placed his cavalry on either side, and just as the Numidians were showing up.  Both sides were ready for battle, and both sides sent out skirmishers to test for weaknesses in the opposing lines.  Hannibal then sent his elephants to break the Roman lines, but when they got there they went through the lanes causing minimal damage, and when they got to the back they were dealt with in ease.  After that small victory the Romans sent their cavalry to scare away the opposing cavalry, and it works, the Romans drive the Carthaginian cavalry off the field.  That's when Scipio sends his infantry into battle, and with a lot of success, the Romans make the civilian and mercenary lines collapse on each other forcing Hannibal to send his veterans in to support his infantry.  As the Romans push the Hannibal back, the Roman cavalry rejoins the battle, surrounding Hannibal and his forces and destroying them.  Hannibal is barely able to escape and make it back to Carthage(Ascanio Tedeschi).  With the end of the war, Hannibal starts to rebuild the economy of Carthage until Rome comes looking for his head.  That is when he travels to Greece to become a war adviser to a Macedonian king in the Third Punic War.

Plans for Zama

Reanactment of Zama