218 BC Chr.

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218 BC Chr.
The Second Punic War breaks out. Hannibal starts his journey across the Alps from the Iberian Peninsula .
218 BC In other calendars
Buddhist calendar	326/327 (southern Buddhism); 325/326 (alternative calculation according to Buddha's Parinirvana )
Chinese calendar	41st (42nd) cycle , year of the water sheep癸未 ( at the beginning of the year water horse 壬午)
Greek calendar	2nd / 3rd Year of the 140th Olympiad
Jewish calendar	3543/44
Roman calendar	from urbe condita DXXXVI (536)
Seleucid era	Babylon: 93/94 (turn of April); Syria: 94/95 (New Year October)

The Mediterranean basin 218 BC Chr.

Events

Politics and world events

Western Mediterranean

Rome establishes the colonies of Cremona and Placentia in northern Italy . In view of the beginning war between the Romans and Carthage , the Celts of northern Italy rise up , so that the Romans entrench themselves in the fortified Mutina .
After eight months of siege the city , Hannibal conquered the Roman ally Saguntum .
Beginning of the Second Punic War (until 201 BC ), after Carthage refused the extradition of Hannibal requested by Rome because of his attack on Sagunto ( 219 BC ) and Rome then declared war on Carthage.
Tiberius Sempronius Longus wins a naval battle in front of Lilybaeum over the Carthaginian fleet. After the Carthaginians invaded northern Italy, Sempronius was ordered to take part in the fighting (see below).
April: Hannibal leaves the Iberian Peninsula with over 100,000 men and 37 war elephants . Commander-in-chief of the Carthaginian possessions there becomes his brother Hasdrubal Barkas . Even when crossing the Pyrenees , Hannibal encounters resistance from local tribes. The Celts in southern Gaul , on the other hand, are mostly on Hannibal's side. Fighting only occurs when crossing the Rhone . Publius Cornelius Scipio tries to intercept Hannibal on the Rhône, but comes too late; there is only a minor equestrian battle. The way along the coast is blocked to Hannibal, as Marseille is an ally of Rome, but Hannibal is also moving largely unhindered towards the Alps . Scipio embarks his troops again, lands in Pisa and relocates his forces to the Potal .
Summer: Second Battle of Lilybaeum
Autumn: Hannibal crosses the Alps with his army (presumably over the Col de Clapier or the Col de Montgenèvre ), whereby of the approx. 55,000 men at the beginning of the ascent only a good 26,000 reach Italy; only seven of the elephants survive the crossing of the Alps. In addition to the bad weather - ice and snow are troublesome for the troops - attacks by the Celtic Allobrogers also cause losses for the army. Beyond the Alps, he then conquered Turin and was able to win several cisalpine Celtic tribes as allies.
November: Hannibal defeats the Romans in the battle at Ticinus , a cavalry battle in which Publius Cornelius Scipio is seriously wounded. Meanwhile , Scipio had sent his brother Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus to the Carthaginian occupied Iberian Peninsula.

Carthaginian Romans

1	Carthaginian camp	2	Carthaginian cavalry
3	Carthaginian infantry	4th	Mago Barkas' department
5	Trebia river	6th	roman cavalry
7th	roman infantry	8th	roman camp
9	River Po	0	Placentia fortress

December 18th : Battle of the Trebia : Despite being numerically inferior, the Carthaginians succeed in defeating the Roman troops under Tiberius Sempronius Longus, who lose 20,000 men.
The Romans under Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus defeat the Carthaginians under Hanno on the Iberian Peninsula in the Battle of Cissa . A short time later they are beaten at Tarraco .
Malta is occupied by the Romans while the Carthaginians land in the Aeolian Islands .

Eastern Mediterranean

Philip V , King of Macedonia , falls into the the Aetolian federal allied Elis a conquered and annexed the neighboring Triphylia . He attacks the island of Kephallenia and finally moves into Aetolia , where he conquers and devastates the fortress Thermos.

In Sparta , Cheilon tries in vain to overthrow and then goes into exile.

Philip's campaign from Macedonia to Laconia .

Attalus I uses the absence of the Seleucid general Achaios to appropriate areas of Asia Minor, but soon loses them again.

In the fourth Syrian war , the Seleucid king Antiochus III succeeds . victory over Ptolemy IV in a combined land and sea battle near Sidon ; then Antiochus advances to Palestine and Transjordan.

economy

The Lex Claudia de nave senatorum forbids Roman senators from owning large merchant ships.

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