The Western World and Rome 259 of the Alps was under Roman sovereignty. There were, to be sure, many cities bound to Rome only by treaty, whose citizens were not at first received into Roman citizenship. But in spite of the fact that there was no uniform language common to the Roman citizens and the allies who made up the population of the peninsula, a national feeling arose and Italy as a whole was slowly becoming a nation. In defiance of the treaty of peace with Carthage, Rome had Rome seizes no hesitation in seizing the island of Sardinia, a Carthaginian Carthaginian possession. A counter move by Carthage was necessary. While ^^^^"ce m the Roman war with the Gauls was going on, the Carthaginians therefore took advantage of the situation to seize additional territory in southern Spain. Here they acquired silver mines of immense value, and at the same time the native population of Spain furnished excellent troops for the Carthaginian army. Thus they were equipped with both money and men for another war. Nevertheless, the Carthaginian merchants, had not for- gotten their losses in the Sicilian war and had no desire to repeat the experience. The Roman Senate, however, could not allow all Spain to Rome be acquired by Carthage. They ordered a few legions to cross carthage in the Pyrenees and to seize northern Spain for Rome as far as Spam ; the ^ ^ rise of the Ebro River. Here a young Carthaginian named Hannibal, Hannibal whose father had been the soul of the Carthaginian defense of Sicily, now organized a formidable army. He intentionally be- came involved in trouble with the Romans on the Spanish frontier and thus forced the peace party at home into war.^ He was but twenty-four years of age when he began his Span- ish operations, and at twenty-seven he was beginning a plan of campaign of such boldness and genius that he took the Romans completely by surprise. The Senate had determined to carry the war into Africa to The war with the very walls of Carthage, when in the autumn of 2 1 8 B.C. ^e invades Hannibal suddenly appeared with his army issuing from the ^^^'^ 1 Commonly called the " Second Punic War."
