Hannibal was a Carthaginian general who became important in Roman history with the second Punic War. Carthaginian victory in Spain was followed by a dramatic drive of the great general, Hannibal, sweeping on from Iberia up through the south of France. He led his army in a huge attack on Italy, flanking the Roman heartland from the west and north. Hannibal brought with him an immense military force, complete with elephants, crossing the Alps. He then descended into Italy, winning huge victories at Lake Trasimene and Cannae, where he destroyed a Roman army twice his size. Rome barely survived because the military cleverly attacked Hannibal’s supply lines back in Spain and France – stretched thin as they already were – and disrupted those lines, keeping reinforcements from reaching Hannibal in Italy. The correct answer is E.