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In 219 BC Hannibal attacked the town of Saguntum, which stood under the special protection of Rome.
According to Roman tradition, Hannibal had been made to swear by his father never to be a friend of Rome, and he certainly did not take a conciliatory attitude when the Romans berated him for crossing the river Iberus ( Ebro ) which Carthage was bound by treaty not to cross.
Hannibal did not cross the Ebro River ( Saguntum was near modern Valencia – well south of the river ) in arms, and the Saguntines provoked his attack by attacking their neighboring tribes who were Carthaginian protectorates and by massacring pro-Punic factions in their city.
Rome had no legal protection pact with any tribe south of the Ebro River.
Nonetheless, they asked Carthage to hand Hannibal over, and when the Carthaginian oligarchy refused, Rome declared war on Carthage.

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