Top Generals in Ancient History - Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Scipio
Not one of these generals was a Greek, which is interesting because each had a connection to Greece. Perhaps in another article heroes like Leonidas (who fought at Thermopylae, famous battle told in the movie "300") might be mentioned.
Alexander the Great - This Macedonian general conquered most of the known world while still in his twenties. His father led the conquering of Greece, but Alexander went on to conquer all of the Persian empire, which included Mesopotamia and Egypt. He would have kept going but his veterans refused to push on into India. He died at a young age leaving no suitable heir, which was his greatest mistake.
Hannibal - Hannibal was one of the most famous generals of ancient times. Though he didn't conquer the lands Alexander the Great did, he was almost always facing a superior Roman army. He fought during the Punic Wars, which were between Rome and Carthage. Hannibal crushed the armies of the Roman republic again and again. He came close, and perhaps could have, burned Rome to the ground after his victories. He even played politics in Italy, uniting many small states in the peninsula who thought he could beat Rome. His most notable victory was against a superior Roman army at Cannae, a battle which has been the subject of many books about the Punic wars. After the war was lost, he was hounded and killed by an assassin of Rome.
Caesar - According to Wikipedia, Caesar conquered much of Gaul during his lifetime, before turning to conquer his home, the Roman Republic, itself. His greatest victory was at Alesia, against the Germanic leader Vercingetorix, and, according to reports, over a quarter million Germanic soldiers. Much of Caesar is known because he wrote of his victories to the Roman populace in order to goad them into following him. Caesar too was murdered. He held more power than Hannibal, and the Roman empire was as powerful as Alexander's.
Scipio Africanus - Scipio was another Roman, but isn't as famous as the other generals listed here. Scipio defeated Hannibal, ending Hannibal's power in the Italian peninsula. There is less recorded information on Scipio, but a Wikipedia source cites him as one of the better generals Rome ever had. He earned the name "Afrikanus," which, according to Wikipedia, means "Roman Hannibal" after defeating Hannibal in battle.
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- Alexander the Great conquered most of the known world
- Hannibal defeated many Roman armies, but was finally beaten by Scipio Africanus.
- Each of these generals has been not only in histories but literature.
21 Comments
Post a CommentYouidiotAlexanderthegreatwasGreek.MacedonianswereanancientDorianGreektribeliketheSpartansandtheCorinthians.Heself-identifiedasGreekandsouthernGreeksconsideredhimGreek,though,roughanduncivilized.Icantstandidiotslikeyouwhohaventgotaclueabouthistoryandkeeppostingstuff...readsomesources/booksfirst...nottomentionthatHannibalwasnotassassinatedbutcommittedsuicide...
You idiot Alexander the great was Greek. Macedonians were an ancient Dorian Greek tribe like the Spartans and the Corinthians. He self-identified as Greek and southern Greeks considered him Greek, though, rough and uncivilized. I can't stand idiots like you who haven't got a clue about history and keep posting stuff... read some sources/books first... not to mention that Hannibal was not assassinated but committed suicide...
To he author, You say Hannibal was almost always fighting a larger Roman army. He fought 4 major battles in his life. One was a clever trick at Trebia, bolstered with elephans. One an ambush with an appallingly rash opponant (trasmime). Admittadly Cannae was a fantastic military feat, but it achieved little as Hannibal did not follow it through. But Zama in 202, his last battle, was a shocking defeat. This was the only battle in which he was against an equally sized army, and his only one in Africa. Not only did he loose, but he did so with 80 elephants.
Please do not put Hannibal high up, because he did not achieve much. Scipio africanus should be higher anyway, because he was very young, untested, undefeated, and he defeated Hannibal.
Hannibal wasn't assassinated by a roman. He killed himself from fear of being captured by the Romans.
The only other General to pull a double envelopment maneuver against a superior opponent and win. The other is .. Hannibal
First off some of this information is incorrect. Hannibal had great admiration for Rome itself this is why he did not burn it to the ground, he instead tried to negotiate a surrender. Hannibal was not assassinated, although he was pursued through Persia by Romans, he poisoned himself as his adversaries arrived to deny them their victory and to alleviate himself of having to be paraded and mocked through Rome.
In my opinion the greatest of these generals was Publius Cornelius Scipio. Scipio was a soldier in his fathers legions (Scipio the Elder) whom was on of the generals fighting Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal Barca in Hispania. Scipio ask for and was granted proconsul after the deaths of his father and uncle in Hispania. Scipio's defining quality was intellect as was the case with Hannibal. Scipio through his battle encounters at Ticinus, Trebia, Cannae, and Hispania became a student of Hannibal's tactics and tendencies which he later used to ultimately defeat Hannibal.
Hannibal
I would put Alexanderr above Scipio and Hannibal, becasue he not only defeated armies numerically superior to his but he also created a massive empire.
You have got to be kidding, the battlefield tactic of infantry holding while cavalry was a Macedonian invention perfected by Alexander the Great. So in reality Alexander is ahead of Scipio and Hannibal as they used a tactic he perfected.
XD,
Scipio raised and trained his African army, and he was granted the remains the of the legion that lost at Cannae. THAT is supposed to be his fantastic support from Rome?
"It says that Scipio was worried when Hannibals cavalries drove Scipio's numidian cavalries out from the battle. Which shows that it was Hannibal who had the control of the battle"
Simply incorrect. Scipio's superior cavalry drove Hannibal' s calvary from the field (granted, a bit too far), then turned out and crashed into Hannibal's rear.
The reason Hannibal is more famous than Scipio, is the same reason why Napoleon is more famous than the Duke of Wellington. Everyone likes to admire the shooting star, the almost-great. That both Hannibal and Napoleon were defeated by superior commanders is rather boring to most.
And as a last note, shown by Scipio's battle at Cartagena, Scipio could effectively conduct a siege, something Hannibal was incapable of.
Scipio 1 - 0 Hannibal
XD,
Scipio raised and trained his African army, and he was granted the remains the of the legion that lost at Cannae. THAT is supposed to be his fantastic support from Rome?
"It says that Scipio was worried when Hannibals cavalries drove Scipio's numidian cavalries out from the battle. Which shows that it was Hannibal who had the control of the battle"
Simply incorrect. Scipio's superior cavalry drove Hannibal' s calvary from the field (granted, a bit too far), then turned out and crashed into Hannibal's rear.
The reason Hannibal is more famous than Scipio, is the same reason why Napoleon is more famous than the Duke of Wellington. Everyone likes to admire the shooting star, the almost-great. That both Hannibal and Napoleon were defeated by superior commanders is rather boring to most.
And as a last note, shown by Scipio's battle at Cartagena, Scipio could effectively conduct a siege, something Hannibal was incapable of.
Scipio 1 - 0 Hannibal