During the Second Punic War, Rome and Carthage contended with each other for the loyalty and support of the native Spanish Tribes. When Hannibal’s father, Hamilcar Barca, came to Spain to establish Carthaginian hegemony, he encountered resistance from some of the tribes. In fact, he was killed in a conflict with the Carpetani, a large […]
What Were Hannibal’s Mistakes?
October 26, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Some people believe Hannibal’s biggest mistake was in failing to march on Rome and besiege it after the devastating battle of Cannae, in which some 55,000 Romans and their allies were slain. I doubt that such a siege would have been successful. Hannibal had no siege equipment and it would have been difficult to maintain […]
Book Review: The Invention of Yesterday by Tamim Ansary
October 25, 2019 By Leave a Comment
For anyone who wants to understand the past and how it has shaped the present, The Invention of Yesterday is a must read. Tamim Ansary traces human history back to the invention of true language. Other animals, such a dogs and apes can, if taught, associate words with objects, but, according to Ansary, “True […]
If a Roman General Ordered Decimation, What Would Have Happened if the Legionaries Refused to Comply?
October 23, 2019 By Leave a Comment
If a legion ordered to perform decimation refused to comply, the other legions under the commander would be brought into action. It is quite possible that the entire mutinous legion would be killed. The Romans took mutiny very seriously. In 206 B.C. Publius Cornelius Scipio faced a mutiny among the soldiers at his base at […]
How Did the Romans Overtake the Greeks
October 22, 2019 By Leave a Comment
A good book to read on this subject is Taken at the Flood by Robin Waterfield. At the end of the third century B.C. most of the Greek cities were under the rule of two successor kingdoms to Alexander the Great; the Macedonian Empire, and the Seleucid Empire. Macedonia, under king Philip V, had sided […]
Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus Destroys Carthage.
September 29, 2019 By Leave a Comment
When the Roman Senate made the decision to destroy Carthage in 149 B.C. the elected Consuls were Lucius Marcius Censorius and Marcus Manilius. They brought an army of 80,000 Roman legionaries. They demanded that the Carthaginians abandon their city and move at least ten miles from the coast. The Carthaginians, who had previously given in […]
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