Punic Wars: Difference between revisions

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** Given that the Roman General was Marcus Claudius Marcellus who had been awarded the Spolia opima, and was regarded before Scipio Africanus as Rome's foremost General, it's very likely to have been the former.

* [[Ambadassador]] : Scipio was about as good at diplomacy as in war and the two reinforced each other.

* [[Guile Hero]]: Scipio is usually portrayed as this.

** [[Your Mileage May Vary]] on if he was this or a [[Magnificent Bastard]] but Hiero II of Syracuse was definitely one cunning bastard. The whole First Punic War was a [[Batman Gambit]] he pulled on the Mamertines, and he [[Playing Both Sides|played both Carthage and Rome against them]]. First by allying with the Carthaginians, then convincing the Romans after they won that he didn't had any real grudge against them, that he just wanted the Mamertines and that he would be a much better ally than them. Syracuse became a small superpower thanks to his diplomacy.

** To elaborate: Regulus was captured by Carthage. While a prisoner, he was sent back on the promise that he would advocate a peace favorable to Carthage. When he arrived in Rome, he urged the Senate to refuse any peace offers and continue fighting. Afterwards he voluntarily returned to captivity with the now irate Carthaginians.

* [[Improvised Weapon]]: During the final siege, Carthaginians made bowstrings out of their women's hair.

* [[Proud Merchant Race]]: Carthage

* [[Proud Warrior Race]]: Spaniards and Numidians. Rome was more organized and was a [[Proud Warrior Race|Proud Soldier Race]] rather than a [[Proud Warrior Race]].

* [[The Republic]]: Both states had a republican form of organization, although it is said that the Roman Government was more representative of its citizens. [[Your Mileage May Vary]] on that one and in any case both states were rather authoritarian versions of a republic.

* [[Royals Who Actually Do Something]]: Hieron II of Syracuse.

* [[Shocking Defeat Legacy]] : The legions that survived Cannae were sort of an [[The Woobie|ugly duckling]] in the Roman Army, despite the fact that they had survived by a [[Let's Get Dangerous]] moment of hacking their way right through the Punic lines to freedom. At Zama they [[Honor Before Reason|redeemed their honor]] by being among the chief contributors to breaking Hannibal's line and ending the war.

* [[Silly Reason for War]]: A small local conflict between a greek city and a small horde of unemployed mercenaries escalated into three wars that were the ancient history's versions of World War I, II and III.

* [[The Spartan Way]]: The Roman Army. Most definitely.

* [[Storming the Castle]]: Scipio's attack on Cartagena . He actually did it marching across the harbor, after learning from intelligence about tidal quirks in the area that allowed that in places.

* [[We Have Reserves]] : Rome's army was essentially a citizen militia, supplemented by troops from its <s>vassals</s> allies. This gave Rome a significant manpower advantage over Carthage, which relied on mercenaries. The decisive factor in the wars was Rome being able to replace its losses, which were at times quite staggering.

** In the First Punic War, the Romans lost almost their entire fleet in a storm off Sicily in 255 BC (280 ships, about 100,000 men). They built and manned a new one, which perished in another storm en route to Africa in 253. Then they lost a third fleet in another storm off Sicily in 249. Finally rich merchants, citizens and shipowners built a fourth fleet, which pulled off the decisive victory of the Aegates Islands in 241.

 

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