Siege of Saguntum

Siege of Saguntum
Part of the Second Punic War
Medieval castle of Saguntum
Date 219 BC Location Saguntum, present-day Spain 39°40′37″N 0°16′48″W / 39.677°N 0.280°W / 39.677; -0.280Coordinates: 39°40′37″N 0°16′48″W / 39.677°N 0.280°W / 39.677; -0.280 Result Decisive Carthaginian victory
Belligerents
Carthage	Saguntines
Commanders and leaders
Hannibal
Strength
29,000	91,000 soldiers
Casualties and losses
9,100	Nearly the whole fighting force was killed A number of civilian casualties

The Siege of Saguntum was a battle which took place in 219 BC between the Carthaginians and the Saguntines at the Roman Hill town of Saguntum, near the modern town of Sagunto in the province of Valencia Spain. The battle is mainly remembered today because it triggered one of the most important wars of antiquity, the Second Punic War.

After Hannibal was made supreme commander of Iberia (221 BC) at the age of 26, he spent two years refining his plans and completing his preparations to secure power in the Mediterranean. The Romans did nothing against him though they received ample warning of Hannibal's preparations. The Romans even went so far as turning their attentions to the Illyrians who had begun to revolt. Because of this, the Romans could not react when news reached them that Hannibal was besieging Saguntum. The capture of Saguntum was essential to Hannibal's plan. The city was one of the most fortified in the area and it would have been a poor move to leave such a stronghold in the hands of the enemy. Hannibal was also looking for plunder to pay his mercenaries, who were mostly from Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. Finally, the money could be spent on keeping down political opponents in Carthage. Other historians doubt whether Hannibal attacked Saguntum deliberately or whether he was provoked by the Saguntians, who had Rome's support. Since most of the remaining ancient sources covering this period are pro-Roman, one cannot outrule the possibility that Rome encouraged Saguntum to defy Hannibal. However, Rome failed to support their ally during the siege of Saguntum. This might be due to the fact that Rome's legion were occupied elsewhere or might have been a calculated move to have a causa belli against Carthage. Hannibal's alleged hatred of Rome and all Romans might also have been an idea of Roman propagando to justify the second and eventually the third Punic war.

During Hannibal's assault on Saguntum he suffered some losses due to the extensive fortifications and the tenacity of the defending Saguntines, but his troops stormed and destroyed the city's defenses one at a time. The Saguntines turned to Rome for aid, but none was sent. In 218 BC after enduring eight months of siege the Saguntines' last defences were finally overrun. Hannibal offered to spare the population on condition that they were "willing to depart from Saguntum, unarmed, each with two garments". When they declined the offer and began to sabotage the town's wealth and possessions, every adult was put to death.

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