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===Carthage and Hannibal===
The Second Punic War was often known as Hannibal’s War in Rome.<ref> Garland, p. 113</ref> It was in a real sense the personal war of Hannibal. The Barcid was the main driver of the conflict between Carthage and Rome. The government of Carthage was divided over their support for Hannibal in Spain and they were not really in favor of another war with Rome. Their city had suffered too much in the war and in its aftermath during the ‘Mercenary War’ and there was a strong pro-peace party in the city .<ref>Rich, John. "The origin of the second Punic War." Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies. Supplement, no. 67 (1996), p 37</ref>.
Most of the leadership in Carthage was opposed to another war with Rome and tried to block Hannibal’s strategy. The Senate or Assembly was controlled by a party that wanted peaceful co-existence with Rome and distrusted Hannibal. However, despite the elite Carthaginians' opposition to the war, under the leadership of Hanno the Great, they were unable to restrain Hannibal .<ref> Polybius, Rise of Rome. Iii</ref>.
While Hannibal was technically loyal to Carthage, he often acted as an independent sovereign in Iberia. The Carthaginians did not control him in Iberia. Indeed, the Barcid led the city-state into a war that they did not want. Hannibal could use his massive wealth from his Iberian conquests to bribe many Carthaginians politicians to support his anti-Roman policies.<ref> Garland, p 116</ref> They were populists who could sway public opinion and put pressure on the pro-peace faction to support Hannibal.
*[[Why did the Italian Renaissance End?]]
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