The decision allow Hannibal to return to Carthage was made by Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus. After the Battle of Zama, Hannibal escaped to Hadrumetum. Scipio then had the decision whether to besiege and destroy Carthage, or to allow the city to negotiate a treaty on Roman terms. Besieging the city would have taken months. The […]
The Relationship Between Rome and Greece.
October 9, 2021 By Leave a Comment
The Romans had a relationship with Greece long before they conquered them. The southern part of the Italian Peninsula was colonized by Greeks. The cities of Tarentum, Naples, Metapontum, Locri and others were all Greek speaking. Early in the third century B.C. Italy was invaded by Pyrrhus of Epirus. He won two battles but at […]
Guest Post by S. Leung: What Advice would Sun Tsu have had for Hannibal?
August 31, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Taking the long way via the Alps to attack Rome, whilst Hannibal’s foundations in newly conquered Spain was still infirm may have achieved early success via initial surprise but may have been, strategically, a longer term mistake. By the time he reached Italy he had already lost a lot of men and almost all his […]
Quora Question: Who do You Think is the Most Under Rated Historical Figure.
July 25, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Mine is Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus. He was a pivotal figure in the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, 218–201 B.C. His father, Publius Cornelius Scipio the elder was one of the two Roman Consuls when the Second Punic War broke out in 218 B.C. He assembled several legions and took them to Massilia […]
What Happened to the Scipio Family and Why did They Fade From History.
July 22, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Scipio Africanus had four children, two boys and two girls. Neither of his sons had children. The elder, Publius, adopted the second son of Lucius Aemilius Paullus, who took the name Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus. He is known as Scipio Minor, and he conquered and destroyed Carthage in 146 B.C. He was married to Scipio’s […]
Quora Question: Did Cato the Elder Believe that the Destruction Was the Most Important Thing For Rome?
July 20, 2021 By 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 […]
Why Did Hannibal Not Besiege Rome After the Battle of Cannae?
July 9, 2021 By 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 […]
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