The Second Punic War is a fascinating story of extremes. For the GCSE learner it is the perfect introduction to the depth studies.

At its core there are three accessible texts to dip into: Livy, Polybius and Plutarch. Admittedly there are still many difficult names to learn, but the small main cast act out the war over half a dozen key events. Significantly, these characters are fully formed which allow learners to explore the resilience, selfishness and ambitions of each character. Not to mention the tactical genius of Hannibal, Scipio Africanus and Fabius Maximus which will invite your classroom to engage in a heated debate about who was the decisive factor in the war.

The theme of decisiveness is the key to this depth unit, and the comparison of Roman and Carthaginian leadership will help you prepare yourself, or your learners, for the final exam. Whether you are deciding who was to blame for the start of the Second Punic War; why Rome failed to deal with Hannibal between 218 and 216; or why Hannibal could not defeat Rome, you will find that a balanced comparison will improve your understanding.

Read the OCR Prescribed Source Booklet for Hannibal and the Second Punic War here: PDF / Word

Corrections to print edition
p.145 - first bullet point about Q9 should not refer to the passage as there is none for this question