Editing 218 BC (section)

==== Hispania ====
*[[Second Punic War]]
:* Fall of [[Saguntum]] to [[Hannibal]] of [[Ancient Carthage|Carthage]] (or 219)<ref name=leglay>{{cite book | title=A History of Rome | edition=Second | first1=Marcel | last1=LeGlay | first2=Jean-Louis | last2=Voisin | first3=Yann | last3=Le Bohec | page=77 | publisher=Blackwell | place=Malden, Massachusetts | year=2001 | isbn=0-631-21858-0}}</ref>
:* Hannibal crosses the Pyrenees and southern Gaul<ref name=leglay/>
:* Hannibal sets out with around 40,000 men and 50 elephants from [[Cartagena, Spain|New Carthage]] ([[Cartagena, Spain|Cartagena]]) to northern Spain and then into the Pyrenees where his army meets with stiff resistance from the Pyrenean tribes. This opposition and the desertion of some of his Spanish troops greatly diminishes his numbers, but he reaches the river [[Rhône]] facing little resistance from the tribes of southern [[Gaul]].
:* A Roman army under the consul [[Publius Cornelius Scipio (consul 218 BC)|Publius Cornelius Scipio]] is transported by sea to [[Marseille|Massilia]] (modern [[Marseille]]) to prevent Hannibal from advancing on Italy, Scipio himself returns to Italy to take command of the defences in northern Italy on learning Hannibal has already [[Battle of Rhone Crossing|crossed the river]].
:* [[Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus]], Publius' brother, takes over the command of the army at Massilia and invades Spain.