At the end of Hannibal’s career as a military commander of Carthage, a main enemy of Rome, it can be said that his career was a failure as he did not achieve his primary objective, the taking of Rome. However, his military achievements glittered and shone because he struck fear into Rome and he also earned himself a place in the modern world as the father of strategy. Hannibal will always be remembered and regarded as one of the greatest military tacticians and strategists in all of European history and is considered one of the greatest generals of the Ancient World. It was his superior strategy and tactical skills that allowed him to compete with and almost defeat Rome, but this greatness prevented him achieving his ultimate goal, because …show more content…

His analysis of the situation meant he could not take such a large military gamble and this led to his ultimate failure, as he was then proven to be unable to win the war for Carthage.
The glittering nature of his career is perhaps best shown by how the opposing forces saw him. Many years after the defeat of Hannibal’s forces, while he himself never again threatened Rome, the memory of him constantly did. This illustrates his tremendous impact. Hannibal had struck fear into Rome. Hannibal forged himself into folklore as a cruel and crafty invader of the Roman land, who was only stopped by epic courage and determination. “No Carthaginian record of Hannibal’s exploits survived. The only record comes from the Romans who admired him as much as they feared him, for his tactical ability and his willingness to share the hardships of his men.” (100 Great Military Commanders, 2004, pg. 15) His name for centuries after his death continued to inspire fear as many parents would tell their children that if they were to misbehave, that Hannibal would come and get them in the night. Hannibal because a figure of terror in the mind of the