Blog | The Death of Carthage

Quora Question: Did Cato the Elder Believe that the Destruction Was the Most Important Thing For Rome?

July 20, 2021 By Robin Levin Leave a Comment

It would be hard to say whether Cato the Elder thought that the destruction of Carthage was more important than anything else for Rome, but it was certainly a top priority for him. Cato was in his 80s at the time of the Third Punic War which began in 149 B.C. He was a veteran […]

Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Cato the Elder, Galussa, Masinissa, Numidia, publius cornelius scipio africanus

Why Did Hannibal Not Besiege Rome After the Battle of Cannae?

July 9, 2021 By Robin Levin Leave a Comment

After the Battle of Cannae, according to the Roman historian Livy, Hannibal’s chief of cavalry, Maharbal offered to take the cavalry to Rome and besiege it. while waiting for the infantry to arrive. Hannibal turned down the offer. Maharbal commented “So the Gods don’t grant all their gifts to one person. You know very well […]

Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Battle of Cannae, Capua, Carthalo, Hannibal, Maharbal, Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator, Tarentum

Book Review: Janus Pater by Alexander Findlay

July 8, 2021 By Robin Levin Leave a Comment

The year is 60 A.D. during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. Boudicca, the Queen of the Iceni tribe has amassed a huge army of tribal folk and is rampaging throughout Southern Britannia annihilating Roman controlled settlements. Camulodunum, Londinium and other towns have already felt her wrath. Rome’s entire presence in the British Isles […]

Filed Under: Carthage Tagged With: Boudicca, Camulodunum, Evocati, Iceni, Londinium, Suetonius Paulinus.

Was Hannibal’s Defeat Inevitable?

July 5, 2021 By Robin Levin Leave a Comment

It probably was given the way he chose to conduct the war. Hannibal was spectacularly successful during the first two years of the Second Punic War, then he became ineffective. Why? Because the Romans having been burned several times finally got smart, and, under the leadership of Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucossus Cunctator, they largely stopped […]

Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Hannibal, Hasdrubal Barca, Mago Barca, publius cornelius scipio africanus, Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cuncator

Quora Question: Why Did The Romans Not Destroy Greece the Way Destroyed Carthage?

June 9, 2021 By Robin Levin 2 Comments

The Romans had a lot more respect for the Greeks than they had for the Carthaginians. They had fought two long and bitter wars with Carthage and regarded them as enemies. There was no such animus in the Roman attitude toward the Greeks. The Greek language was prestigious and a Roman was not considered educated […]

Filed Under: Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Carthage, Corinth, Hadrian, Lucius Aemilius Paullus, Polybius, Scipio Aemilianus, Scipio Africanus, Titus Quinctius Flamininus

Why Did Rome Win the Second Punic War

June 9, 2021 By Robin Levin Leave a Comment

There were several reasons. After the Battle of Cannae in which some 55,000 Romans and allies were killed, the Romans largely stopped confronting Hannibal in set piece battles and the war became one of attrition. The Romans concentrated on gaining back the territories that went over to Hannibal after the Battle of Cannae. They successfully […]

Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Battle of Baecula, Battle of Cannae, Battle of Ilipa., Battle of the Metaurus River, Battle of Zama, Battles of the Upper Baetis, Gneius Cornelius Scipio, Hannibal, Hasdrubal brother of Hannibal, Hasdrubal Son of Gisco, Mago brother of Hannibal, Publius Corneius Scipio Africanus, Publius Cornelius Scipio the Elder

Quora Question: Did Carthaginian Senators Fell that Hannibal Invited the Wrath of Rome on its People. Were It Not For Hannibal Would Carthage Have Survived?

June 4, 2021 By Robin Levin Leave a Comment

Carthaginian Senators were very much divided as to whether they should support Hannibal in the war against Rome. Initially the Barca faction was very strong and their adversary, Hanno the Great was very much in the minority. Hanno strongly opposed the war. When a delegation of Romans descended on Carthage to protest the siege of […]