ed the chief Carthaginian base--New Carthage. Here he found vast stores
of supplies and, more important still, the hostages from the Spanish
peoples subject to Carthage. His liberation of these, and his generous
treatment of the Spaniards in general was in such striking contrast with
the oppressive measures of the Carthaginians, that he rapidly won over to
his support both the enemies and the adherents of the former.

*Hasdrubal's march to Italy: 208 B. C.* Meanwhile in Italy the Romans
proceeded steadily with the reduction of the strongholds in the hands of
Hannibal. Tarentum was recovered in 210, and although Hannibal defeated
and slew the consuls Gnaeus Fulvius (210) and Marcus Marcellus (208), his
forces were so diminished that his maintaining himself in Italy depended
upon the arrival of strong reinforcements. Since his arrival he had
received but insignificant additions to his army from Carthage, whose
energies had been directed to the other theatres of war. Up to this time
also the Roman activities in Spain had prevented any Carthaginian troops
leaving that country. But after the fall of New Carthage and the
subsequent successes of Scipio, Hasdrubal, despairing of the situation
there, determined to march to the support of his brother by the same route
which the latter had taken. Scipio endeavored to bar his path, but
although Hasdrubal was defeated in battle he and 10,000 of his men cut
their way through the Romans and crossed the Pyrenees (208 B. C.).

*The Metaurus: 207 B. C.* The next spring he arrived among the Gauls to
the south of the Alps. Reinforced by them he marched into the peninsula to
join forces with Hannibal. For the Romans it was of supreme importance to
prevent this. They therefore divided their forces; the consul Gaius
Claudius faced Hannibal in Apulia, while Marcus Livius went to intercept
Hasdrubal. Through the capture of messengers sent by the latter Claudius
learned of his position and, leaving part of his army to detain Hannibal,
he withdrew the rest without his enemy's knowledge and joined his
colleague Livius. Together they attacked Hasdrubal at the Metaurus; his
army was cut to pieces and he himself was slain. With the battle the doom
of Hannibal's plans was sealed, and with them the doom of Carthage.
Hannibal himself recognized that all was lost and withdrew into the
mountains of Bruttium.

*The conquest of Carthaginian Spain, and peace with Philip.* For the first
time in the war the R