Hasdrubal Barca, following a victory over the Tartessi, was ordered by Carthage to join Hannibal in Italy but requested a successor with a strong army for Iberia, anticipating unrest. Himilco was chosen, arriving with troops and a fleet. Meanwhile, Sicily's political landscape shifted as Hieronymus of Syracuse, influenced by Carthaginian envoys, sided with Carthage, posing a new threat to Rome. Amidst these developments, Rome adjusted its military strategy in response to the looming Carthaginian and Macedonian alliances, focusing on containment and fortification to counter Hannibal's advances in Italy.