HANNIBAL — the invader from Carthage. For most of his life his name struck terror into the hearts of every Roman citizen. As a young boy, Hannibal had taken an oath to prove himself the enemy of the Roman people. And a mighty enemy he was. In his drive to destroy Rome, Hannibal led his army in an almost impossible march across the Alps into Italy. He brought with him thirty-seven elephants, and for this one act he is best remembered. He captured town after town on his way to Rome, employing tactics that would be used by modern armies hundreds of years later. This Carthaginian general was such a brilliant commander, so relentless in his attempt to fulfill his oath, that for centuries after his death, the Romans used a rallying cry when they were threatened. "Hannibal ad portas!" (Hannibal is at the gates).

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