In 202 BC the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio, who had taken the war to Spain and then to Africa, met Hannibal on the plain of Zama, near Carthage. Scipio's cavalry, supported by the Numidian ally Masinissa, drove off Hannibal's horsemen and then returned to attack his infantry from behind. It was Hannibal's only major defeat and ended the Second Punic War. Carthage lost its empire and fleet and had to pay a heavy indemnity. Scipio earned the title Africanus; Hannibal later fled east and took poison in Bithynia around 183 BC.
Before and after
- 207 BCEBattle of the Metaurus
- 206 BCEOrigins of Italica
- from 206 BCE to 220 CEHan dynasty
- 203 BCEPo Valley Raid
- 203 BCEScipio defeats Hannibal at Zama
- from 202 BCE to 46 BCEKingdom of Numidia
- 3rd century BCEConstruction of Ajanta Caves
- 200 BCEOrigins of Nazca Lines
- from 200 BCE to 197 BCESecond Macedonian War
More in Wars, politics & history
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- from 431 BCE to 404 BCEPeloponnesian War
- from 218 BCE to 201 BCESecond Punic War
- from 59 BCE to 51 BCECaesar begins the conquest of Gaul
- 43 CERome invades Britain
- 17 January 395 CEThe Roman Empire is permanently divided
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 3rd century BCE.