successful conclusion of the Siege of Saguntum, Hannibal did nothing to provoke the Romans; he dismissed his army and did not immediately march for Italy in the Spring of 218 BC after he received the news of war. He spent the months of March – May strengthening the defense of Spain and Africa by garrisoning these areas, which were not threatening to Roman mainland— serving a dual purpose: along with securing the areas against the expected Roman invasion, it also reinforced the Roman perception that Carthage would fight a defensive war along the lines of the First Punic War, so Hannibal's overland invasion caught Rome off guard. Carthaginian deployments Hannibal stationed Hasdrubal Barca, his younger brother at the head of 12,650 infantry, 2,550 cavalry (11,580 African infantry, 300 Ligurains, 500 Balearic slingers, 450 Liby-Phoenician 300 Spanish Ilergetes and 1,800 Numidian cavalry from Masaesyli, Massylii, Mauri and Maccoei tribes) and 21 elephants to guard the Carthaginian possessions south of the Ebro. and sent 20,000 Iberian soldiers to Africa (including 13,850 infantry and 1,200 cavalry from the Mastiani, Thersitae, Olcades and Oretes tribes, and 870 Balearic slingers), and 4,000 soldiers garrisoning Carthage itself, probably between March -May. Hasdrubal and Carthage could raise additional soldiers if needed to fight Romans, and Carthage was unlikely fall to a singular consular army in a few months. Hannibal left Cartagena probably in late May or early June, timing his departure to allow the spring flooding of Spanish rivers to subside, ensuring the availability of food and fodder along the way, and after receiving envoys from Gallic tribes from the Po valley, who assured him of their willingness to cooperate against the Romans. Hannibal's army consisted of either 90,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry, or 77,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, or with 26,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, and 37 elephants. The elephants were reported by Appian; there is no mention of the elephants by Polybius or Livy, so it has been speculated that the elephants may have been carried to Emporiae by sea. The Iberian contingent of the Punic navy, which numbered 50 quinqueremes (only 32 were manned) and 5 triremes, remained in Iberian waters, having shadowed Hannibal's army for some way. The army probably marched in smaller columns along a long stretch and the 290 mile march to the Ebro, during which they crossed the Sucor river and five major streams was uneventful, and the river was