247 BCE - 183 BCE: Life of Hannibal.

221 BCE: Hannibal takes command of Carthage's armies in Spain.

219 BCE: Hannibal crosses the Ebro river in Spain and sacks the city of Saguntum, Rome's ally, sparking off the Second Punic War.

218 BCE: Rome declares war on Carthage after Hannibal sacks Saguntum in Spain. The Second Punic War begins.

218 BCE: Hannibal leaves Spain to cross the Pyrenees and Alps into Italy.

218 BCE: Hannibal wins the battle of Ticinus.

218 BCE: Hannibal wins the battle of Trebia.

217 BCE - 218 BCE: 30,000 Celtic infantry and 4,000 Celtic cavalry join Hannibal. Celts constitute just over 50% of his army in Italy.

217 BCE: Hannibal wins the battle of Lake Trasimene.

216 BCE: Marcus Claudius Marcellus successfully defends Nola against attack from Hannibal during the Second Punic War.

216 BCE: "Hannibal ante portas." Hannibal directly threatens the city of Rome, but cannot advance due to lack of supplies and reinforcements.

216 BCE: Hannibal wins the battle of Cannae, the worst defeat in Roman history.

207 BCE: Hannibal, harassed by Roman forces, is reduced to controlling only Bruttium in southern Italy.

203 BCE: Carthaginian commander Mago is unable to join forces with Hannibal and his army is defeated in Cisalpine Gaul.

203 BCE: Hannibal is recalled from Italy to defend Carthage against Scipio Africanus.

202 BCE: Hannibal flees to Hadrumentum after losing the battle of Zama.

202 BCE: Battle of Zama: Scipio Africanus defeats Hannibal, ending the Second Punic War.

195 BCE: Facing the threat of being handed to the Romans after the Second Punic War, Hannibal flees to the Seleucid court of Antiochus III and becomes his advisor.

189 BCE: Gortyn gives sanctuary to Hannibal.

183 BCE: As an ambassador to the Hellenistic kingdom of Bithynia, Titus Quinctius Flamininus, the general who defeated Macedon, demands that Hannibal should be surrendered in Roman hands. As king Prusias gives in, Hannibal commits suicide in the village of Libyssa, in order to escape captivity. The Roman Senate did not approve of Flamininus' action.