The Romans defend Saguntum.
You have changed History! Had the Romans immediately sent a large
force, it is possible that Hannibal would have been contained. He
would, no doubt, have continued to cause problems, but he would always
have had a strong city behind him, and this could cause him to become surrounded.
Rome, however, did not yet see itself as a world power of such strength
that it could afford another major conflict, and so decided to try diplomatic
solutions first. Scroll down... The diplomats
arrive in Saguntum shortly after Hannibal had laid siege to the city.
He refused to see them, claiming that he was busy with siege plans, and
that he feared for their safety. The ambassadors decided to proceed
to Carthage, in an attempt to convince the Carthaginian Senate to call
Hannibal home. This foray was also met with a lack of interest.
The Carthaginians were somewhat enjoying their newfound success against
Rome, and were not willing to call it off so easily. They promised
to look into the matter, but had no real plans to do so until they were
more clear about the extent of Hannibal's success. This allowed Hannibal
to continue, and forced the Romans' next choice. Hannibal destroyed
Saguntum, and proceeded north to invade Italy by land. He was aware
of what we will call the Port Problem: Italy has a marshy coast,
with few good harbors. He felt that it would be impossible to invade
Rome by sea, so a land route was his best option. He crossed over
the Pyrenees Mountains into Gaul, and headed for the Alps. The Romans, meanwhile, had some
problems of their own. One of these I call the Leadership Factor.
Whereas Hannibal will be the leader of Carthaginian forces for the entirety
of this conflict, the Romans would have many different leaders, of varying
ability levels. The highest office of the Roman Republic was that
of consul. Many types of men became consul, only some of whom
were good Generals. This office corresponded with the Carthaginian
title of suffete, an honor accorded Hannibal by his Senate after
the fall of Saguntum. Roman consuls were elected every two years,
causing frequent changes in the quality and strategies of their leaders. The other Roman problem, is called
the Specificity of Orders Problem. Roman consuls, as Generals,
were under very specific orders from their Senate. This was designed
to prevent Roman armies from clashing, or Roman Generals from using their
army for personal power. Thus the consuls often took their armies
in separate directions, to pursue different goals. This often inhibited
their possible course of action. The consuls at this juncture are
Cornelius Scipio and Sempronius. (Scipio is a common name in the
Punic Wars, so be alert to changes in the future.) Sempronius was
sent with an army to Sicily, in case Carthage should attempt to retake
the island. Scipio was ordered to take his troops on ships, and sail
to Spain to protect Roman possessions there. Along the way, he stopped
at the Rhone River for rest and supplies. A cavalry detachment he
sent to scout the countryside came into conflict with a detachment of Hannibal's
cavalry. Though such encounters are always exaggerated, the Romans
reported a complete victory. It was also noted that Hannibal was
currently engaged in battle with hostile Gauls. The time would seem
to be ripe to catch him unawares, and unable to fight on two fronts simultaneously. Scipio was faced with his first
major decision. Should he follow orders, and proceed to Spain, in
which case Hannibal would continue his advance? Should he chase Hannibal,
who was in unfamiliar territory? If his troops went on to Spain,
Hannibal would have no opposition in getting to Italy, except for the Alps
and the unreliable Gauls. What should he do?