Hanno II the Great facts for kids

Hanno II, sometimes called "Hanno the Great," was a very rich and powerful leader from Carthage. Carthage was an ancient city in North Africa. Hanno lived about 2,300 years ago, during a time when Carthage was often at war with Rome. He owned a lot of land in Africa and Spain, which made him very wealthy.

Hanno and the First Punic War

Hanno's wealth came from his large land holdings in Africa and the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal). During the First Punic War, a big conflict between Carthage and Rome, Hanno led a group in Carthage that did not want to continue fighting. He believed it was better for Carthage to conquer more land in Africa. He thought fighting a sea war against Rome would not benefit him personally.

Hanno was often against another famous Carthaginian general, Hamilcar Barca. In 244 BC, Hanno decided to reduce the size of the Carthaginian navy. This gave Rome time to rebuild its own fleet. Because of this, Rome was able to finally defeat Carthage in 241 BC.

After the War: The Mercenary Revolt

After the First Punic War ended, Carthage had a problem. Hamilcar Barca had promised money and rewards to the Berber mercenaries (soldiers for hire) who fought for Carthage. However, Hanno refused to pay them. This made the mercenaries very angry, and they started a rebellion.

Hanno took control of the Carthaginian army to try and stop the rebels. But his attempt failed. So, he gave control of the army back to Hamilcar Barca. Eventually, Hanno and Hamilcar worked together. They managed to crush the rebellion in 238 BC.

Why He Was Called "The Great"

Hanno earned his nickname "the Great" because he successfully conquered many African enemies of Carthage. He continued to believe that Carthage should avoid wars with Rome, especially those that involved fighting at sea.

Hanno and the Second Punic War

During the Second Punic War, another major conflict with Rome, Hanno again led the group in Carthage that was against the war. He is often blamed for preventing help from being sent to Hannibal, Hamilcar's son. Hannibal was a brilliant general who had won a huge victory against the Romans at the Battle of Cannae.

After Carthage was defeated at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC, Hanno was one of the people chosen to go and negotiate peace with the Romans.