Part a: which of the following best summarizes the author's central argument in the text? carthage's true betrayal was its engagement in the punic wars and its loss of hannibal's father in said wars, which propelled him to fight in the next war. hannibal was a successful warrior and leader of the carthage army, but his troops were defeated by rome because his government refused to provide much-needed aid. if hannibal had won the second punic war, carthage may have been saved from being absorbed into the roman empire at the end of the punic wars. carthage failed to support its commanders, but its real betrayal was forcing hannibal to return home to fight scipio, thus giving up his campaign in italy.