People said it was impossible to cross the Alps with an army.
Then Hannibal came along, and before the Romans knew what had happened he had done it. He had crossed the Alps with his army and was in at the back door!
The Romans were unable to keep him from marching on toward their city, winning battle after battle as he came along. They were unable to prevent him marching up and down Italy, conquering other towns in Italy and doing pretty much as he pleased. It seemed as if Rome were beaten and she were to lose all of Italy.
Now, in some games, if you can’t defend your own goal, it may be a good plan to try attacking your opponent’s goal.
Rome thought she would try this plan. While Hannibal was attacking her, she herself would attack Carthage while its general was away and there was no strong goal-keeper to defend that city.
So the Romans sent a young man named Scipio with an army to do this.
First, however, Scipio went to Spain to cut Hannibal off from the way he had come, and this country Scipio reconquered.
Then he went over to Africa to attack Carthage itself.
The Carthaginians, frightened at being attacked with their general and his army far off in Italy, sent as fast as they could for Hannibal to come home. When at last he arrived, it was too late. Scipio fought a famous battle at Zama near Carthage, and the Carthaginians were beaten, beaten a second time by the Romans. Thus ended the second Punic War in 202 B.C. This is another easy name and easy date—just like a telephone number:
Zama—two-O-two.