Romans at the Tagus River.
You have changed history! Had Rome sent its forces directly to Iberia,
it is unclear what the result might have been. It is possible that
the Gauls might have invaded Italy, and caused a great deal of trouble.
It would not be out of the realm of possibility that Rome would have collapsed,
and western history changed significantly. It is also possible that
the unorganized Gauls might have failed to create much impact, and the
Roman army in Spain might have destroyed the Carthaginians before they
got started. If Hannibal were not the official leader, he might have
had less impact, and the Romans might have been victorious. Scroll
down to see what actually happened. Having
chosen to send your troops to Gaul, you have done exactly what the "real"
Romans chose to do. Logically, the threat from Gaul is much closer
and more immediate, and must be dealt with. Just as the real
Romans did, however, you may have made a mistake. The time, money,
and men it will cost you to subdue the Gauls is critical to the development
of Hannibal and his plans. While you delay, Hasdrubal, the official
leader of the Carthaginian forces, is murdered, and Hannibal is chosen
leader by acclamation. His popularity and power rise to new heights,
and his men will now willingly follow him into any situation, regardless
of their potential gain. Since Hannibal truly detests Rome, he will
no doubt cause you great trouble now. Move on to
your next decision. You are now
in Spain, with an immense force. Hannibal is in the vicinity, and
spies report that he has only one-fifth the number of troops you do (about
20,000 to 100,000). He is withdrawing toward the Tagus River, and
you are in hot pursuit. This would be an excellent chance to eliminate
Hannibal, if you choose your strategy wisely. The River Tagus is
about 3-feet deep, and you can easily ford it if you choose to do so.
You cannot be sure when you might have another opportunity to catch Hannibal
alone with such a small force. What did the Romans do?