Zama, Battle of

Zama, Battle of, decisive battle of the Second Punic War, fought in 202 bc between Rome and Carthage at Zama, in modern-day Tunisia. It marked a significant moment in the development of the Roman Empire and the demise of Carthage as a great power.

Political and economic rivalry between Rome and Carthage had led to the First Punic War (264-241 bc), from which Rome emerged victorious. In 218 bc, at the start of the Second Punic War, Hannibal, the Carthaginian leader in its power base of Spain, led an army through Gaul and across the Alps to attack the Romans in Italy. Yet after more than a decade and several major victories, Hannibal’s army became confined to southern Italy, and Rome remained undefeated. In 209 bc a Roman army led by Publius Cornelius Scipio (Scipio Africanus the Elder) invaded Spain, comprehensively defeating the Carthaginians there. Two years later a Carthaginian army that had been forced out of Spain, and was led by Hannibal’s brother, Hasdrubal, attempted to reinforce Hannibal, but was defeated at the River Metaurus, in northern Italy. With Rome’s backing for his proposal to end the war by taking it directly to the Carthaginians’ home country, Scipio landed an army in North Africa between 204 and 203 bc. Its ranks were swelled when the eastern Numidians switched their loyalties to Rome, a result of Masinissa replacing the pro-Carthage Syphax as their king. A weakened Carthage sued for peace and was granted modest terms by Rome. However, emboldened by the recall of Hannibal from Italy with about 12,000 to 15,000 veterans, they then rejected the peace terms.

The armies of Hannibal and Scipio met at Zama, south of Carthage, in October 202 bc. Hannibal’s hastily assembled army mainly comprised untrained levies from Carthage and Libya, and included 80 war elephants, about 40,000 to 50,000 infantry in three lines, and 4,000 inexperienced cavalry on the flanks. Scipio had about 34,000 infantry and about 6,000 to 9,000 cavalry, mainly Numidians. The battle began with Scipio neutralizing an attack by Hannibal's elephants by opening gaps in his infantry lines, thus allowing the elephants to run right through. The superior Roman cavalry then swept aside the Carthaginian cavalry and pursued them off the field. Next, the first two lines of Hannibal’s infantry, which comprised his inexperienced troops, were unable to cope with the advance of the highly trained Roman infantry, and they too were dispersed, many deserting to the Romans. However, Hannibal’s third infantry line of veterans from Italy ensured a closely fought contest that was only settled by the return to the battlefield of Scipio’s cavalry to deliver a devastating blow to Hannibal's rear. The surrounded Carthaginian army thus disintegrated. Hannibal’s losses were about 20,000 killed, 11,000 wounded, and 15,000 prisoners, while the Romans lost about 1,500 dead and 4,000 wounded. Hannibal himself escaped the battlefield.

Carthage capitulated after Zama and in 201 bc was compelled to cede Spain and the islands of the Mediterranean still in its possession, relinquish its navy, and pay an indemnity to Rome. For his triumph Scipio was granted the surname Africanus. Although Carthage made some recovery, it was finally defeated by Rome in 146 bc in the Third Punic War. The Carthaginian territories thereafter became the Roman Province of Africa.