Hannibal was one of the greatest of all military commanders in the ancient world. He got most of his experience from his campaigns in Iberia shortly before he started the 2nd Punic war with the siege of Saguntum.

Hannibal's first campaigns where under his step-brother Hasdurbal, who was commander-in-chief in Iberia. For three years Hannibal served under his step-brother, however Hannibal was the men's favorite.This was because Hannibal never made himself seem superior, he ate with his men, slept with his men, and was always there with the men when they needed a good morale boost. Hannibal also was first and last off the battlefield.

Hannibal's first solo campaign was against the Iberian tribes, the first he attacked being the Olcades. The Olcade campaign was a short one because of the quickness of the fall of Cartala, the Olcade capital. The next tribe he attacked was the Vaccaei, and two of their cities, Arbolcala and Hermandica. Hermandica fell first, but it fell after a longer time then Cartala. Arbolcala took longer then Hermandica to fall. Following the fall of Arbolcala, Vaccaei and Olcade refugees fled north and incited the Carpetani to war. The three allies marched south to confront Hannibal along the river Tagus, Hannibal however refused to give battle and instead pitched camp near the river. When the enemy was asleep Hannibal ordered his cavalry to hide and wait for the enemy to ford the river, he had his forty elephants prepare to charge on order, the infantry(under Hannibal's personal command) was to advance on order. When the allied force went into the river the cavalry charged in to them, the immediate affect of the charge was tremendous, any man who was washed down river(and away from the battle) was trampled to death the elephants, Hannibal and the infantry marched in some time later. In the battle's aftermath the rements of the Carpetani, Vaccaei, and Olcade joint army was annihilated, a few days later the Carpetani surrendered. Nothing now stood in the way of Hannibal's goal of starting a war with Rome, and so he started the 2nd Punic War with the siege of Saguntum.