Ben Kane - Hannibal. God of War. Book: “Hannibal. Bloody fields

Hannibal. Bloody fields Ben Kane

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Title: Hannibal. Bloody fields
Author: Ben Kane
Year: 2013
Genre: Historical literature, Historical adventures, Books about war, Foreign adventures, Modern foreign literature

About the book “Hannibal. Fields of Blood by Ben Kane

III century BC. The war between Carthage and Rome is in full swing. The troops of the brilliant Hannibal won several major battles and advanced deep into the south of the Italian Peninsula. All this time, the Romans, gritting their teeth and giving up more and more territories to the enemy, avoided a general battle and accumulated strength. Gradually, fresh legions surrounded the Carthaginians and forced them to stop in a field near the town of Cannae. Serving in the ranks of the Romans is a young warrior, Quintus, from a noble family, who, having violated the will of his father, did not stay at home, but went to fight as a simple infantryman. And under the command of Hannibal, his peer Hanno commands a maniple of spearmen. In the recent past, they had a strong friendship. What will happen to her on the bloody field near Cannes?..

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HANNIBAL. ENEMY OF ROME

Dedicated to Ferdia and Pippa, my wonderful children

Carthage, spring

Ganno! - the father’s voice echoed from the plastered painted walls. - Time to go.

Carefully stepping over the gutter that led the sewage out into the street, towards the drain, Ganno looked back. Responsibility to his father and the passionate pleas of his friend Suniaton tore him apart. The political meetings to which his father had recently begun to take him with him bored him almost to the point of tears. They all went exactly the same way. A crowd of smug, bearded elders, clearly enjoying the sound of their own speech, cursed over and over again that Hannibal Barca, who was in Iberia, had exceeded the authority given to him. Malchus, Hanno's father, and his closest companions were usually the last to speak. They supported Hannibal, but remained silent until the gray-bearded elders ran out of steam. And Malchus was the last of Hannibal’s supporters. His words were almost always the same. Hannibal, who had been leading the troops in Iberia for less than three years, had accomplished a tremendous job, consolidating Carthage's power over the local savage tribes, creating a disciplined and efficient army, and, most importantly, establishing control over the silver mines. Money flowed into the treasury like a river. Who else managed to achieve such noble goals while simultaneously enriching Carthage? By protecting the tribes that were attacked by the inhabitants of Saguntum, a city that had entered into an alliance with Rome, he strengthened the power of Carthage in the lands of Iberia. In such matters, young Barka should have been given full power.

Ganno understood that the only motive of the other politicians was fear. Fear of the army assembled by Hannibal, and envy, only partially quenched by the silver brought from Iberia on ships. Usually, Malchus’ skillfully chosen words were enough to once again win the opinion of the Council to Hannibal’s side, but this required many hours of persuasion. The endless political games made Ganno want to scream out loud and tell the old idiots what he really thought about them. Of course, he would never disgrace his father by doing this, but he was also unable to spend another day among them. And the idea of going fishing looked so attractive...

One of Hannibal's envoys regularly delivered his father a report on the state of affairs in Iberia. The last one visited them less than a week ago. These night meetings, in theory, were supposed to be secret, but Hanno already remembered the face of a warrior with yellowish skin who came to them, hiding himself with a cloak. Saphon and Bostar, his elder brothers, were allowed to attend these meetings. Having taken an oath of silence from Hanno, Bostar usually told him everything. And if possible, Hanno was not averse to eavesdropping. So, in short, Hannibal instructed Malchus and his other allies to ensure continued support from the elders. The show would soon - and inevitably - begin in Sagunta, but there was still no sign of open conflict with Rome, Carthage's old enemy.

Ganno! We'll be so late.

Gannon froze. He was not afraid that his father would scold him, but rather the disappointment that would appear in his eyes. The scion of one of the oldest families in Carthage, Malchus set an example of loyalty to tradition and expected the same from his three sons. At seventeen, Hanno was a junior. And also to those who most often did not live up to their father’s ideals. For some reason, Malchus expected even more from him than from Saphon and Bostar. At least, that’s what it seemed to Hanno himself. Agriculture, the main source of income for their family, was of little interest to him. The art of war, his father’s favorite activity, delighted Hanno, but it was precisely this that was strictly prohibited due to his youth. The brothers could go to Iberia at any time. Without a doubt, there they will cover themselves with glory by taking part in the capture of Saguntum. Bitterness and disappointment filled Hanno. All he could do was continue to practice horse riding and wielding weapons. “The routine arranged for me by my father is so boring,” he thought, forgetting the words often repeated by Malchus: “Be patient. Everything comes to those who wait."

Went! - said Suniaton, slapping Gannon on the hand, jerked his head towards the bay, and the gold earrings in his ears began to ring. - The fishermen stumbled upon huge schools of tuna at dawn. Melqart to the rescue, the fish has not gone far yet. We'll catch more than a dozen! Just think how much money we can get for them! - He switched to a whisper. “And I also took an amphora of wine from my father’s cellar.” We'll have a drink when we're on the boat.

Having finally lost the ability to resist, Hanno threw the voice of Malchus, which was becoming louder every second, out of his head. Tuna was one of the most valuable fish in the Mediterranean Sea. You cannot miss the opportunity if the school has already approached the shore. Out on the deeply rutted street, Ganno glanced at the carved symbol on the flat stone at the entrance to their flat-roofed house. An inverted triangle with a line at the top and a circle, a symbol of the goddess who patronizes their people. There were few houses that did not have such a symbol. Gannon asked Tanit for forgiveness for disobeying his father, but the excitement that gripped him at the thought of the upcoming fishing was so great that he forgot to ask the mother goddess for protection.

Without showing any fuss, the two young men quickly blended into the crowd. Their families lived near Birsa Hill. At its top was the temple of Eshmun, the god of fertility, health and prosperity. A majestic staircase of sixty steps led to it. Suniaton lived with his family in a huge building next to the temple in which his father served as a priest. Named Ashmuniaten after the god, which, however, was often shortened to Suniaton and even Suni, he was Hanno's closest friend. They rarely spent a day apart since they learned to walk.

The other houses around were also quite respectable. Birsa was one of the wealthiest areas of the city, as could be seen from its wide streets that intersected at right angles. Most of the city's winding streets were no more than ten paces wide, but here they were straight and twice as wide. Rich merchants, elders and military leaders lived here. Therefore, Hanno ran forward, lowering his gaze to the trampled earth and the drainage holes on the sides, located at regular intervals. Too many people could recognize him, and the last thing he wanted was to be stopped and questioned by one of Malchus' opponents in the Council of Elders. If he were caught and brought back home by the ear, it would not only be offensive, but also damage the family's reputation.

Author	Book	Description	Year	Price	Book type
Hannibal Barca	Hannibal is at the gate!	Rome... Almighty, arrogant, eternal city. He was created by the gods to rule the whole world, and the peoples of this world exist only to obey Rome. The Roman legions only need to appear... - Eksmo, (format: 84x108/32, 416 pages) Great commanders eBook		249	eBook
Hannibal Barca	Hannibal is at the gate!	About the series The “Great Commanders” series is a real treasury of outstanding examples of world memoirs and biographical prose. These are works created by famous generals and military leaders, in ... - Eksmo, (format: 70x108/16, 512 pages) Gift editions. Great commanders	2014	703	paper book
I. Sh. Korablev	Hannibal	The book tells about one of the greatest commanders of all times and peoples - Hannibal, about the struggle between Carthage and Rome in the 3rd - 2nd centuries. BC e. And the reasons that led Carthage to death - Main editorial office of oriental literature of the publishing house "Science", (format: 60x90/16, 360 pp.)	1981	320	paper book
Mavlyutov R.	Hannibal	History remembers Hannibal as the greatest Carthaginian commander. He is rightfully considered one of the most talented commanders and statesmen of antiquity. As the legend says, before... - Ripol Classic, (format: 84x108/32, 256 pages) Lord of the world	2014	294	paper book
Blasco Ibáñez	Hannibal	The powerful historical figure of the brilliant commander of the Ancient world Hannibal is the connecting link of all three rare works included in this collection: Hannibal in Spain - Courtesan Dream Interpretation... - Octo Print, (format: 84x108/32, 544 pages) TV series "Legion"	1994	450	paper book
Thomas Harris	Hannibal	The most famous serial killer of our days lives quietly in Italy incognito. He is Dr. Hannibal Lecter. A cannibal, a maniac whose resourcefulness one can only admire. Best friend and... - AST, (format: 84x108/32, 416 pages)	2000	430	paper book
Gispert Haafs	Hannibal	Translation from German by I. V. Rozanov. Contains biographical information from the encyclopedic dictionary (edition by Brockhaus and Efron). A novel by contemporary German writer Gisbert Haafs, for the first time... - Armada, (format: 84x108/32, 492 pp.) Great rulers in novels	1997	400	paper book
Korablev Ilya	Hannibal	At the age of nine, one of the greatest commanders of antiquity, Hannibal, vowed to destroy Rome. For this reason, he unleashed the Second Punic War, crossed - with elephants! - through the Alps, defeated the Romans in several... - Lomonosov, (format: 84x108/32, 416 pp.)	2015	383	paper book
Korablev Ilya	Hannibal	At the age of nine, one of the greatest commanders of antiquity, Hannibal, vowed to destroy Rome. For this reason, he unleashed the Second Punic War, crossed - with elephants! - through the Alps, defeated the Romans in several... - Lomonosov, (format: 84x108/32, 416 pp.) Story. Geography. Ethnography	2015	606	paper book
Ilya Korablev	Hannibal	At the age of nine, one of the greatest commanders of antiquity, Hannibal, vowed to destroy Rome. For this reason, he unleashed the Second Punic War, crossed - with elephants! - through the Alps, defeated the Romans in several... - Lomonosov, (format: 60x90/16, 336 pp.) Story. Geography. Ethnography	2015	351	paper book
Harris Thomas Anthony	Hannibal		2016	477	paper book
Harris T.	Hannibal	Are we all crazy or maybe it's the world around us that has gone crazy? Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the legendary cannibal killer, has been at large for seven years. Clarice Starling - FBI special agent - here... - Eksmo, (format: 60x90/16, 336 pp.)	2019	351	paper book
Thomas Harris	Hannibal	Are we all crazy or maybe it's the world around us that has gone crazy? Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the legendary cannibal killer, has been at large for seven years. Clarice Starling is a special agent of the FBI - here... - Eksmo, (format: 84x108/32, 512 pp.) Detected.The mystery that captivated the world	Are we all crazy or maybe it's the world around us that has gone crazy? Dr. Hannibal Lecter - the legendary cannibal killer - has been at large for seven years now - (format: 84x108/32 (~130x210 mm), 512 pp.) Detected.The mystery that captivated the world	2015	238	paper book

Kane

(Kane)

Elisha Kent (3.2.1820, Philadelphia, - 16.2.1857, Havana), American Arctic explorer, doctor, participant in 2 sea expeditions organized at the expense of the capitalist G. Grinnell to search for J. a. He put forward the hypothesis of the open Polar Sea to the north of Smith Strait, where, in his opinion, the ships of the Franklin expedition could penetrate. 1st expedition 1850-51 (chief - E. De Haven) discovered the Grinnell Peninsula (northwestern protrusion of Devon Island); The 2nd expedition 1853-55 (chief - K.) discovered the Kane Basin and Kennedy Strait (sleigh trips), reaching 80 ° 40 "N, Grinnell Land (a section of the northeastern coast of Ellesmere Island), the Humboldt Glacier and Washington Land (in northwestern Greenland). Having abandoned a ship in the Kane Basin, K. and his companions walked in boats to 74° N, where they were picked up by a whaling ship. The sea of the Arctic Ocean is named after K. Kane's pool).

Op. in Russian lane: Travels and discoveries of the 2nd Grinel expedition to the northern polar countries to find Sir John Franklin, made in 1853, 1854 and 1855, St. Petersburg. 1860.

Lit.: Arctic expeditions of John Franklin, L., 1937.

Hannibal. god of War

* * *

Dedicated to Camilla and Ewan,

fellow Northumberlanders

in dark times.

More than ten years later

you are still friends.

That's enough said.

Apulia, Southern Italy, summer 216 BC. e.

After a stunning victory over nearly a hundred thousand Romans, Hannibal gave his soldiers a night, a day, and another night to rest. “And this is not bad,” thought Ganno, looking at the faces of the other assembled commanders, more than fifty people. There were Carthaginians, Numidians, Iberians and Gauls. They had already washed the blood from their faces and hands and could get some sleep. Every single one of them looked broken, exhausted and exhausted.

Ganno, a thin, black-haired young man, felt the same way. How could it be otherwise? The Battle of Cannes lasted all day under the scorching summer sun. Even when it became clear that the Romans were defeated, the beating continued because the legionnaires were surrounded. The merciless massacre ended only when darkness fell and the Carthaginian soldiers were covered from head to toe in dried blood, and their horses turned brown from the base of the neck to the very hooves. The field scorched by the sun, as it had been at dawn, no longer remained - all this dug-out space was covered with blood.

The survivors' suffering was not only physical. More than fifty thousand Romans lay dead twenty furlongs away, but Hannibal's eight thousand soldiers would never see the dawn again either. On this day, Hanno's father Malchus died. The young man held back the grief rising within him. And most of those nearby also experienced the loss of loved ones; and if not, then they saw the death of close friends and comrades. And yet they did not fight in vain. Rome received a crushing blow such as it had never received before. His army lost more than two-thirds of its strength, one of the consuls was killed, along with many hundreds of representatives of the ruling class. The stunning news has already instilled awe in the residents of cities and villages throughout Italy. Despite all odds, Hannibal defeated the greatest army the Roman Republic had ever mustered. What will he do now? Since the commander called them here, to the platform in front of his tent, this question has been on everyone’s lips. Ganno caught the eye of his older brother Bostar.

– What do you think he will say? - my brother whispered.

– You can guess as well as I can.

“Let’s hope he tells us to march on Rome,” intervened Saphon, the eldest of the three brothers. “I want to burn this damn city to the ground.”

Despite the fact that Saphon irritated him, Ganno dreamed of the same thing. If an army appears at the gates, having just crushed the Roman hordes, will the Romans really not surrender?

“But first of all, we need to move the camp away from the battlefield,” said Saphon, wrinkling his nose. - The stench makes me sick.

The interlocutor made a grimace, agreeing. The summer heat will only intensify the persistent smell of decaying flesh. Nevertheless, Bostar snorted contemptuously.

“Hannibal has something to think about other than your nostrils!”

“This is just a joke - something inaccessible to you,” Saphon grumbled.

Ganno glared at both of them.

- Enough! Here he is.

Scutari in black cloaks, who served as the commander's bodyguards, stood at attention, and a moment later Hannibal emerged from the tent into the early morning sun. The tired commanders let out a shout of welcome. Hanno screamed at the top of his lungs, as did his brothers. In front of them was a man worth following. This man led his army thousands of stadia from Iberia, through Gaul, here to Italy, to shower Rome with humiliation.

The commander dressed as if for battle. Over a purple tunic he wore a polished bronze armor, multi-layered canvas pterygians his shoulders and groin were protected, and his head was covered with a simple Greek helmet. He did not have a shield, but in the scabbard lay falcata. Hannibal also looked tired, but the joy on his broad, bearded face as he accepted the greetings of his commanders seemed genuine. The surviving eye flashed, and, spreading his legs, the commander raised his hands. There was instant silence.

- Are you used to it yet? – asked Hannibal.

- Why, commander? – Saphon asked with a nasty grin.

Loud laughter was heard, and the commander bowed his head with a smile.

“I think you know why, son of Malchus.”

“I’m starting, commander,” he answered.

An approving whisper, contented glances. And before the battle, Hanno thought, no one doubted Hannibal's tactical skill, but now the man's abilities seemed divine. His army of fifty thousand met with twice the strength of the Romans - and not only won, but completely defeated them.

Laughter again.

“Don’t be afraid, we’ll move the camp soon,” said Hannibal.

He paused, and the fun subsided.

-Where to, commander? On the Field of Mars near the walls of Rome? - Gannon shouted.

He was pleased that many commanders nodded approvingly, including Magarbal, commander of Hannibal’s cavalry.

“I know that you want this most of all,” the commander answered, “but my plan is different.” It is about two and a half thousand stadia to Rome. People are tired. We don't have enough grain for a campaign, let alone food for a siege. The walls of Rome are high, and we have no siege engines. While we build them there - on an empty stomach - other legions of the Republic will threaten from the rear. When they approach, we will have to retreat, otherwise we will be sandwiched between them and the city garrison.

Hannibal's words fell like leaden hail, and Hanno's enthusiasm faded before the commander's confidence. The same despondency was visible on the faces around and was heard in the whispers nearby.

“It may not come to this, commander,” Magarbal said. “We defeated them at Trebia, on Lake Trasimene and here at Cannae. They have already lost a hundred thousand soldiers. Only the gods know how many horsemen and senators died, but they make up a fair portion of the total. We can walk freely on their land, burning and looting houses. If we go to Rome, they will ask for peace - I know it!

- I swear, you're right! – Saphon supported.

Again an approving whisper.

Maharbal's words were encouraging, but Hanno remembered how his Roman friend Quintus, when he was only sixteen, faced three armed bandits alone. He was the most stubborn and courageous man Hanno had ever met. And such qualities are not rare among the Romans. During the battle the day before yesterday, many legionnaires continued to fight, even when it became clear that there was nothing to hope for.

Hannibal rubbed his finger over his lips in thought.

- Are you sure? – he finally said, looking first at Magarbal, and then at his older brother Hannon.

- Yes, commander. After such a beating as we gave the day before yesterday, who can continue to fight? Nobody! – said Safon.

“He’s right,” said one of the commanders.

“Yes,” chimed in another.

“If Quintus had been alive, he would not have given up until his last breath,” Ganno thought gloomily. “I would resist to the death, but I would not give up.”

Hannibal fixed his burning eye on Saphon.

“Magarbal knows the whole history of our first war with the Republic, but do you know it?”

- Of course, commander. I grew up hearing my father's stories about her.

“Did he tell you about what happened when the Roman fleet was sunk and their wealth was exhausted?”

Saphon blushed, remembering.

- Yes, commander.

Hanno also remembered this story.

– After such insurmountable troubles, any normal people would admit defeat. But the Roman nobility sold off their property to raise money to build new ships, and the war continued because the stubborn bastards would not admit defeat. And we all know how that conflict ended.

Angry murmurs, mentions of reparations and lost territories...

“However, the Romans have never suffered such a defeat as here, commander,” Saphon objected.

“True,” Hannibal admitted. “And so I hope and expect that they will sue for peace.” With this thought, Carthalon,” he turned to one of the cavalry commanders, “tomorrow you will lead the embassy to Rome and inform the Senate of our conditions.

“It might work,” thought Gannon and asked:

-What are the conditions, commander?

– Rome recognizes the honor and power of Carthage. He will return Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica to us and recognize our dominance in the seas west of these islands. If the Republic does not accept our terms, then, God knows, so much death and destruction will befall its citizens that this battle here will seem like a small skirmish. Like this. And the non-Roman population who came over to our side will live under our protection.