It is said that the historian tells you what happened, and the historical novelist tells you what it felt like. Kevin Hardy, in his book The Scipios in Spain seeks to do both! Several times he asks the reader to imagine what it was like to be a velite or a hastatus in the […]
Book Review: The Scipios in Spain by Kevin Hardy
How Did Hannibal Lose the Second Punic War When He Was a Military Genius.
When the Second Punic War began, the Romans did not have any generals who were remotely Hannibal’s equal in battlefield tactics. Hannibal demolished the Roman army at the Battles of Ticinus, Trebia, and Trasimene. Then the Romans elected Quintus Fabius Maximus dictator and he promoted a novel idea: Let’s not fight Hannibal on his terms […]
Hasdrubal Barca’s Role in the Second Punic War
Hannibal left his brother Hasdrubal in Spain to deal with the Romans whom he suspected were planning to invade. Southern Spain was the site of vast rich gold and silver mines that the Carthaginians used to finance the war, and they needed to be protected. Upon learning that Hannibal and his army were heading toward […]
A Brief History of the Punic Wars
I wrote a historical novel about the Second and Third Punic Wars. Someone asked me what the book was about, and I said, “The Punic Wars.” He gave me a blank look and I said, “The wars between Rome and Carthage, Scipio versus Hannibal.” His eyes lit up and he said “Hannibal! I’ve heard of […]
Who Was the Better General, Hannibal or Scipio?
In my estimation Hannibal’s rival Roman General, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus was the better general. Hannibal was unsurpassed as a battlefield tactician, but in terms of strategy and logistics, Scipio was superior to him while being a superb battlefield tactician in his own right. Hannibal’s overall strategy for winning the Second Punic War was flawed. […]
Were Roman Generals Better Than Carthaginian Generals During the Punic Wars?
Carthage had one good general in the First Punic War, plus one good mercenary general. The good Carthaginian General was Hamilcar Barca, the father of Hannibal Barca. He fought in Sicily and never lost a battle. After the defeat of Carthage in 241 B.C at the naval Battle of the Aegates Islands, Carthage sued for […]
Was Hannibal a Failure?
I think Hannibal would have considered himself a failure, but he would probably have also blamed others, especially the Carthaginian government for not giving him more material support. Should Hannibal have besieged Rome immediately after his decisive victory at Cannae? That has been the subject of debate for millennia. I can see his reasoning for […]
Who Was Quintus Fabius Maximus and What Was His Strategy?
Quintus Fabius Maximus was a Roman politician and general during the Second Punic War. When Hannibal invaded Italy in 218 B.C., he soundly defeated the Romans in the battles of Ticinus, Trebia and Trasimene causing the loss of some 45,000 Roman and allied soldiers. After the Battle of Trasimene in June of 217 B.C. the […]
What Did Scipio Do to Oppose Hannibal after He Invaded Italy?
When Hannibal invaded Italy Scipio was only seventeen, so he served in the legions, first under his father, Publius Cornelius Scipio the elder, who was Consul at the time. At the Battle of Ticinus he was in charge of a Turma, a group of 30 cavalry, and he led the charge of the turma to […]
Why the Carthaginian Senate Gave So Little Assistance to Hannibal.
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 […]
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