After the Carthaginians lost the First Punic War and General Hamilcar Barca was left in disgrace, his son Hannibal vowed to avenge his family and his country. He marched his elephants over the Alps and savaged the Romans on the Italian peninsula, killing tens of thousands of legionaries with smaller armies and superior tactics. Rome only survived because of the brilliance of one man. An up-and-coming Roman general matched Hannibal's brilliance, preserving the Republic and all but destroying the mighty Carthaginian Empire. He was born as Publius Scipio, but he died as Scipio Africanus: the victor of Africa and the savior of Rome.