A Good Education

In addition to being a skilled and effective soldier, Hannibal was also intelligent, frequently demonstrating that the written word is mightier than the sword.

Hannibal was a brilliant student who studied under ancient Greek professors. In addition to learning what he needed to know about the military and warfare from his father, his Greek professors were a major factor in his overall growth. Hannibal contributed to literature mostly on the subject of military writings, but he was also an astute student of mathematics and the Greek and Latin languages in particular.

Hannibal was a firm believer that the pen was mightier than the sword. He not only educated himself but also made significant contributions to the military by publishing military literature. He poured his expertise and wisdom into those works, which were both inspirational and educational. Being such a military enthusiast, Barca wrote down many of his brilliant battle strategies, and, while he was in exile after the Second Punic War, he produced a guidebook for the defense of Rhodes.