1In this part of my work I may be permitted to say by way of preface what most historians have declared at the beginning of their whole history: that I am going to write of the most memorable of all wars ever waged, the war which the Carthaginians, under Hannibal's leadership, waged with the Roman people. 2For neither did any states or nations stronger in resources ever join arms with one another, nor had these very peoples ever possessed so much strength or vigour; and they were pitting against each other arts of war not unknown to one another but already tested in the First Punic War; and so changeable was the fortune of war and so doubtful the struggle that those who won came nearer to ruin.
3They fought, too, with hatred almost greater than their strength, the Romans indignant that the conquered should actually take up arms against their conquerors, the Carthaginians because they believed that the conquered had been ruled with arrogance and greed. 4There is a story, too, that Hannibal, when about nine years old, was coaxing his father Hamilcar like a child to be taken to Spain, at the time when Hamilcar, the African war finished, was sacrificing before taking his army across there; and that he was led up to the altars and, laying his hand on the offerings, was made to swear an oath that as soon as he could he would be an enemy to the Roman people.
5The loss of Sicily and Sardinia tormented that man of mighty spirit: for Sicily, he felt, had been surrendered through too hasty despair of the situation, and Sardinia had been snatched away by Roman treachery during the upheaval in Africa, with a tribute imposed on top of it.