Hannibal was in a war.
The Battle of Cannae ( [ ˈkæni ] or [ ˈkæneɪ ] ) was a major battle of the Second Punic War that took place on 2 August 216 BC in Apulia , in southeast Italy . The Battle of Lake Trasimene ( 24 June 217 BC , April on the Julian calendar ) was a major battle in the Second Punic War . The Battle of the Trebia ( or Trebbia ) was the first major battle of the Second Punic War , fought between the Carthaginian forces of Hannibal and the Roman Republic in December of 218 BC , on or around the winter solstice . Hannibal . In his first few years in Italy , he won three dramatic victories -- the Trebia , Lake Trasimene , and Cannae , in which he distinguished himself for his ability to determine his and his opponent 's strengths and weaknesses , and to play the battle to his strengths and the enemy 's weaknesses -- and won over many allies of Rome . His flight ended in the court of Bithynia , where he achieved an outstanding naval victory against a fleet from Pergamon .