Hannibal was a genius when it came to battlefield tactics, but not as adept at strategy or logistics. Scipio Africanus was a genius at all three. Scipio’s Spanish campaign shows his proficiency at battlefield tactics, strategy and logistics. The first thing he did was to conquer New Carthage where the Carthaginians stored their wealth and […]
Were Roman Generals More Closely Involved in the Fighting than Generals are Today?
August 1, 2024 By Leave a Comment
They were far more involved than generals are today. In the Second Punic War the following generals lost their lives in battle or in an ambush: Gaius Flaminius, Lucius Aemilius Paullus, Gaius Servilius Geminus, Marcus Manucius Rufus, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, Gneius Fulvius, Gneius Cornelius Scipio, Pubius Cornelius Scipio (the elder), Marcus Claudius Marcellus, Appius Claudius […]
My New Book, You Won’t Even Have My Bones, The Story of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Has Been Published.
July 4, 2024 By Leave a Comment
My New Book, You Won’t Even Have My Bones: The Story of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus has been published. Although not frequently acknowledged as such, Scipio Africanus was one of the most pivotal characters in western history. If not for his accomplishments in conquering Spain and depriving Carthage of its wealthy province, and then going […]
Did Roman Soldier Ever Surrender to Hannibal?
July 4, 2024 By Leave a Comment
There are no known instances of Roman legionaries surrendering to Hannibal before or during a battle. Roman survivors of the battle sometimes surrendered to Hannibal when the battle was over. In the case of the Battle of Trasimene, some 6000 Roman and allied cavalrymen broke out of Hannibal’s ambush and took refuge in an Etruscan […]
The Repeal of the Oppian Laws
July 22, 2023 By Leave a Comment
The Oppian laws were passed during the Second Punic War at a time when Rome was badly in need of funds to carry on their war against Hannibal. They forbid women from owning more than a small amount of gold and jewelry and from riding in carriages and from wearing purple. This encouraged wealthy women […]
Would Carthage Have Destroyed Rome If They Had Been Victorious in the Punic Wars?
June 7, 2023 By Leave a Comment
After the Battle of Cannae in which Hannibal’s army killed some 50,000 Roman and allied soldiers, Hannibal expected the Romans to sue for peace. He was not inclined to destroy the city. The Romans were having none of that. They would not allow Hannibal’s emissary into the city, and the Senate made it a crime […]
Were the Romans Religious?
June 5, 2023 By Leave a Comment
The Romans were strongly religious. They worshiped a variety of Gods and believed that, at times, their gods interacted with humans. They never went into battle without first taking auguries to see if the battle would be favorable to them. They built temples everywhere, and rich Romans would sponsor a temple to whichever god he […]
Personal Encounters Between Hannibal and Scipio Africanus
November 18, 2022 By Leave a Comment
Hannibal and Scipio Africanus were rival generals during the Second Punic War. Hannibal was the Carthaginian general who crossed the Alps to attack Rome, and Scipio was the Roman general who ended the sixteen-year-long war by defeating Hannibal at the Battle of Zama in North Africa. They are believed to have met in person only […]
How Good a General Was Scipio Africanus?
January 16, 2021 By 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. […]
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