Siege of Saguntum

Overview

The siege of Saguntum took place in 219 BC between the Carthaginians and the Saguntines at the 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.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The siege of Saguntum, conducted by Carthaginian forces under Hannibal and Maharbal against the town of Saguntum in what is now the Valencia region of Spain, served as the direct trigger for the Second Punic War. Rome regarded Saguntum as a protected ally, and the Carthaginian assault on the town provided the casus belli for the conflict that followed. The siege thus marks the operational starting point of one of antiquity's most consequential wars, preceding the wider campaigns that would bring Hannibal's forces across the Alps and into Italy.

Commanders (2)