After lots of digging and research, it has been proven that the renowned Hannibal was African and Black. Hannibal whose full name is Chenu Bechola Barca was an intelligent warrior of Carthaginian origin whose military prowess and antics is still being taught in western schools to this day.
The Carthaginian civilization in present-day Tunisia was founded in 3422(African era), -814 by the primordial Blacks of the Middle East (Phoenicians), who were then governed by Queen Dido-Elissar. Carthage had a rather powerful economy through which they conquered the Maghreb, Sicily, Libya, Southern Spain, Corsica, Sardinia, and the Balearic Islands. At the time, Carthage-Roman relations were relatively peaceful until -264, when a conflict commenced.
The conflict between Carthage and Rome began when Italian mercenaries seized the Messana port in Sicily. They imposed their authority with the help of the Carthaginian military and refused the African authority by requesting aid from Rome to totally get Carthage of Messana. Rome in response, not wanting to see the Carthaginian domination near its terrain, decided to take not just Messana, but the whole of Sicily.
It was this conflict that degenerated into the first Punic war which lasted for 23 years, causing hundreds of thousands to die, and rendering Carthage militarily and economically handicapped. Carthage lost Corsica, Sicily, and Sardinia and also paid reparation to Rome.
The Barca family were descendants of Queen Dido-Elissar, they were known for their military prowess and the name Barca is the origin of the name of the present-day city Barcelona. Hannibal’s Father General Hamical Barca, in his bid to restore some dignity, fought and won back the north-east of Spain, and made his son Hannibal swear in the course of a ritual to one day defeat Rome and exterminate the European empire.
Chenu Bechola Barca, also called Hannibal which means “he who has the favor of Baal [God]” was born in -247. As a child, he started accompanying his Father Hamilcar to battles, by the time he was 25, he took up his family’s legacy after the death of his brother-in-law Hasdrubal the fair.
The second Punic war started after Hannibal against the counsel of Carthaginian authorities, attacked Saguntum, a Roman ally. The empire responded vehemently by daunting the again balanced economy of Carthage when the Carthaginian heads refused to publicly denounce Hannibal’s act.
Hannibal set out for Italy from Africa with 15,000 men which included 13,000 blacks. He conquered the hostile tribes one after another and advanced the Franco-Italian border with his men, and there they were faced with the Pyrenees massif. 7,000 of his men, exhausted from the task abandoned their ranks in the process but this did not deter Hannibal from crossing the mountains and arriving the Rhone, which he also crossed with his little Indian and African elephants.
The Roman authorities were in shock to hear that Hannibal was able to go through this tasking terrains. Hannibal continued undeterred and even had more men join his army. He arrived the foot of the Alps, climbed the mountain ranges, and though he about half of his troops, losing his men in their thousands to ravines, hostile tribes, and the winter cold, he arrived Italy after 15 days of hell through the Alps, with 22,000 men, 12,000 of which were Africans.
Having found out what great loss Hannibal and his men had encountered while traveling through the Alps, the Italian general, General Scipio, waited confidently with his great army for the first battle, he was defeated and had to be made to retreat by his son in other to escape impending death. Hannibal advanced unhindered, he had General Simpronius to deal with next.
The Carthaginians attacked the Romans unexpectedly, pretended to be conquered and retreated, this plan by Hannibal was as a result of his understanding of General Simpronius choleric nature. As expected, the General pursued Hannibal and his men and fell into an ambush.
The Romans were encompassed, and the Africans dealt ruthlessly with them. Hannibal’s elephants were as wild as lions, the killings were terrible, those who managed to escape Hannibal and his men didn’t escape the winter cold. Lake Trebbia was taken by Hannibal.
Enthralled by Hannibal’s military prowess, 60,000 Gaulics joined his army, and next, he prepared to face the newly elected General Flaminius. While crossing the swamps, he caught an eye infection that caused him to be partially blind, but strategically General Flaminius was killed and 50,000 Romans fell when Hannibal encircled them with men who hid by his sides as he faced the Romans alone. The gates were then open to Hannibal and his men.
The Romans were frightened, they destroyed their bridged, burnt down farmlands and hid in wooden fortifications. Hannibal, faced with Roman authorities was unwilling to face the battle squarely, so he started to take Rome city by city. At Capua, the Carthaginians were surrounded by the Romans, again, Hannibal came up with a strategy.
He ordered that woods be attached to the horns of 2,000 cows, in the middle of the night, the woods were lighted up, and this made the frightened cows run in one direction, leaving the Romans to believe that the Carthaginians were on the run, they left their post to pursue the Carthaginians, and Hannibal escaped with his men.
The Romans, angered by this decided to face the Carthaginians at Cannae. 80,000 Romans faced 40,000 Carthaginians in battle. The Carthaginians were able to pull the Romans to the middle, and 70,000 Romans were butchered, while Hannibal lost only 6,000 men as compared to the Roman loss. Hannibal portrayed his very African humanity at all times and as was his custom gave dignified burials to high ranking fallen enemies.
The state of affairs was quite calm for 15 years as only minor battles were fought. Hannibal took over most of the ports and sent his brother Mago to Carthage to inform the authorities about his victories and begging for aid to defeat the Roman city, but he didn’t receive the support he pleaded for.
The second Punic war ended when Hannibal had to go back to Carthage to protect his homeland because Scipio, the son of General Scipio attacked the Carthaginian possessions in Spain, and had started causing Carthage to succumb under his attacks. Hannibal’s negotiations with Scipio failed, and the battle started. Mago and Hanno Barca died in the battles against Scipio. It ended in Zama with Carthage defeated.
Hannibal subsequently became the Head of the Republic and was able to revive Carthage’s economy to a level that caused the Romans to panic. Carthaginian senators became agitated out of fear of retaliation and Hannibal was forced to flee. He went on exile to Tire in Lebanon which is the home country of the Phoenicians.
Again he tried to defeat the Romans but failed, on realizing that he had been tracked, he left for Armenia. There he established a city. In Crete, exhausted form leaving like a fugitive, he committed suicide by poisoning at age 64.
Carthage was plunged into another war with the Romans who were still irritated at remembering Hannibal and his victories over them. The land was encircled by the Romans, and after 3 years of resistance, Carthage was defeated and the entire capital with all its magnificence was burnt down by the Romans for 70 days. 50,000 Carthaginians who survived were sold into slavery, and in 147 BC, Carthage was annihilated after over 7 centuries of existence.
General Chenu Bechola Barca will always be remembered for his military exploits, and to this day, he is considered as one of the greatest military generals that existed. He recorded victories in almost impossible situations and would most likely have remained victorious if he had gotten the support he requested of Carthage authorities after the battle of Cannae. His military science is still taught in western schools to date.
Source: Taskar Afrika
