Carthage | The Death of Carthage

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 […]

Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Battle of Cannae, Battle of Dertosa, Carthage, Hannibal, Hanno the Great, Hasdrubal Barca, Hasdrubal Son of Gisco, Mago, Treaty of Lutatius

Why the Carthaginian Senate Gave So Little Assistance to Hannibal.

March 3, 2021 By Robin Levin 2 Comments

Why didn’t the Carthaginians capitalize on Hannibal’s victories in Italy? Answered March 2, 2021 There were two reasons for this. First, the Carthaginians were divided about Hannibal’s activities and there was a faction in their Senate, led by Hanno the Great, who were not supportive of the war. They were clearly a minority after Cannae. After […]

Filed Under: Carthage Tagged With: Aulus Postumius, Battle of Dertosa, Battle of the Aegates Islands, Gaius Lutatius, Hannibal Barca, Hanno the Great, Hasdrubal Barca, Mago Barca, Second Punic War

The Punic Wars

February 25, 2021 By Robin Levin Leave a Comment

There were three Punic wars fought between ancient Rome and Carthage. The first lasted from 263 to 241 B.C. The origins of the First Punic War are rather murky, and it would seem that the Romans and the Carthaginians blundered into it. The catalyst was the city of Messana which had been conquered by an […]

Filed Under: Ancient Rome, Carthage Tagged With: Hamilcar Barca. Hannibal, Hasdrubal the Fair, Mamertines, Marcus Porcius Cato, Mesanna, quintus fabius maximus, Saguntum, Scipio Aemilianus, Scipio Africanus, Treaty of Lutatius

How Was Rome Affected by the Punic Wars?

January 23, 2021 By Robin Levin Leave a Comment

The Punic Wars brought about Rome’s vast increase in power and at same time a significant moral decline. From the introduction in my book The Death of Carthage: “As warlike as they were, the Romans of the third century B.C. maintained certain principles that were gradually lost in the second century B.C.. The first of […]

Filed Under: Carthage Tagged With: Adrian Goldsworthy, Aemilius Paullus, Carthage, Corinth, Epirus, King Perseus of Macedonia, Lusitania, Numantia, Publius Sulpicius Galba, Punic Wars, rome

How Good a General Was Scipio Africanus?

January 16, 2021 By Robin Levin Leave a Comment

How good of a general was Scipio Africanus? Was he truly one of the greats, or did he simply benefit from the fame of defeating Hannibal at Zama? Robin Levin Scipio Africanus was definitely one of the greatest generals in history. The Battle of Zama, where he defeated Hannibal wasn’t even his most brilliant accomplishment. […]