Hannibal: He was Determined to Conquer Rome

He was the Carthaginian General whose famous march over the Alps from Spain to invade Rome is considered one of the greatest military achievements in all of history.
His hatred for Rome was instilled in him early by his father Hamilcar Barca who was a successful General who fought hard for Carthage in the bitter rivalry with Rome. As a young man Hannibal had been working under his brother in law who led the Army. When he was killed in 221 B.C. Hannibal rises to become Commander in chief.
Within two years he had conquered most of Spain including a portion that was under Roman control called Sagunto. The Roman Empire claimed this move to be a violation of an existing treaty and demanded from Carthage that Hannibal be handed over to them. When Carthage refused Rome declared war and so in 218 B.C. the second Punic Wars began.
Hannibal's march began that year from New Carthage (now Cartagena in Spain) with about 40,000 men and material including a large number of elephants which he later used in battle. Despite snow storms, landslides, and attacks from mountain tribes he crossed the Alps in only 15 days. During this time he lost about 15,000 men whom he replaced by recruiting men from tribes in northern Italy who shared his hatred for Rome and others he subjugated. A series of victories in battle followed. The battles of Ticina and Trebia in 217 B.C. After the Battle of Lake Trasimene he crossed deep into Rome and began to ravage her provinces.
The Romans sent a force of 50,000 men North to oppose him. This force was crushed by Hannibal and one of its two Roman Generals was killed with only a loss to his own army of less than 7000 men.
Had Carthage provided him with the reinforcements he needed Hannibal may very well have conquered Rome but they failed to and the tide began to turn. In the Battle of Cannae Hannibal fails because he lacked siege weapons. He marched on Naples and fails to take that city as well. By 211 B.C. he tries to take Rome itself but fails again. He fought for the next ten years to stalemates with Roman forces inside Rome itself with depleated men and materials.
In 202 B.C. he is called back to Africa to defend Carthage against a counter attack there from Roman forces under the command of Scipio Africannus the Elder. Hannibal's forces here were routed when many of his men deserted and his most experienced warriors were killed. Carthage then surrendered to Rome and the Punic Wars were over in 201 B.C.
After the Punic Wars Hannibal turned his attentions to rebuilding Carthage but never gave up his desire to conquer Rome. Years later a dispute between Rome and Carthage erupts and the Romans accuse Hannibal again of violating the uneasy peace between them and they again demand Hannibal be handed over to them. He flees Carthage and spends the rest of his life on the run from the Romans who do not let up in their pursuit of him. In 183 B.C. Hannibal now aging and in poor health and weary of being chased committed suicide by taking poison while hiding in Asia Minor. He was 64 years old.