Go ahead, laugh, but think about it for a moment and you may see some similarities. I watched a documentary on the story of Hannibal, the famed Carthaginian general who handed Rome a few humiliating defeats during the Second Punic War and it caused me to think about parallels between the famed ancient general and one of the most beloved generals in American history, Robert E. Lee.
First, both men were raised in a martial tradition. Hannibal’s father was a leading Carthaginian general and raised Hannibal and his two brothers to be future warriors. Lee’s father was Revolutionary War hero “Light Horse” Harry Lee, and Lee’s attendance at West Point is likened to Hannibal’s accompanying his father in Spain, as Hannibal gained important knowledge of military strategy and experience, just as Lee gained the knowledge he would need at West Point to be a successful general.
Second, both men achieved early and significant victories against larger forces. The Battle of the Trebia (218 BC) can be likened to the Battle of Fredericksburg, as the Union army, much like its Roman counterparts centuries earlier, crossed the Rappahannock River into Fredericksburg, just as the Roman army had crossed the Trebia to attack Hannibal. Like Trebia, where the Romans then proceeded to attack the Carthaginian forces, the Union army under Burnside then attacked the heights, where Lee’s men waited behind the stone wall. Just as Hannibal inflicted massive casualties on the Roman army at Trebia, so did Lee inflict high casualties at Fredericksburg.
Similarly, Hannibal’s victory against the Roman army at Lake Trasimene (217 BC) is likened to the Battle of Chancellorsville. At Lake Trasimene, Hannibal hid in the hills above the lake and ambushed the much larger Roman force and handily defeated them. At Chancellorsville, Lee divided his smaller army and sent “Stonewall” Jackson on a daring march that resulted in the ambush of the 11th Corps.
Unfortunately for both men, their luck would run out, as both men were eventually defeated. While Lee did not spend the later war years roaming the Union countryside, he did end up roaming through Virginia trying to keep his army alive, just as Hannibal did in Italy so long ago. Hannibal would ultimately face defeat at the Battle of Zama (202BC), near his home at Carthage, just as Lee would face defeat during the siege at Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign near his home in Virginia.
While the comparisons are not identical, it is interesting to consider some of the similarities between Hannibal and Lee. Both men came from a martial tradition, both men won early victories against larger enemies, and both men were eventually defeated near their homes. This illustrates the importance of understanding ancient warfare, as their may always be parallels to more moder times. Just with the small comparison between Lee and Hannibal, one could claim our Civil War to be an American Punic War.