Who defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama, effectively ending the Second Punic War?

• A. Hannibal
• B. Fabius Maximus
• C. Marius
• D. Scipio Africanus

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is the decisive end of Rome’s war with Carthage won on the battlefield by a Roman general. At Zama in 202 BCE, Scipio Africanus led Roman forces (with crucial help from Numidian cavalry under Masinissa) against Hannibal and his Carthaginian army. Scipio’s troops brought disciplined, flexible infantry and effectively integrated allied forces, countering Hannibal’s famed tactics and neutralizing the elephants’ impact. The victory forced Carthage to sue for peace and accept harsh terms, marking Rome’s rise as the dominant power in the western Mediterranean and ending the Second Punic War. Hannibal didn’t achieve the final victory; earlier delaying tactics by Fabius helped contain him but didn’t end the war; Marius fought later and in different conflicts, not this battle.