The last human sacrifices carried out in Rome—beyond considering the ludi gladiatorii as an acceptable adaptation of the concept—took place in 216 BC. It was during a colossal catastrophe that shook Rome to the point of desperately reviving those ancient practices. The same disaster that caused tens of thousands of deaths, the loss of many […]
Punic Wars
Posted inAncient Rome
Marcus Valerius Laevinus, the Roman general who persuaded the senators to donate their assets to fund the war against Hannibal
The name Marcus Valerius Laevinus doesn’t mean much to most history enthusiasts, not even to those interested in Ancient Rome, as he remains overshadowed by other contemporaries who achieved lasting fame due to their roles in the Second Punic War, such as Hannibal Barca, Scipio Africanus, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, or Quintus Fabius Maximus. But Laevinus […]
Posted inAncient Rome
Lex Oppia, the Law that Banned Colorful Dresses and Excessive Jewelry, which Roman Women Managed to Abolish Through Mobilization
Hannibal Barca never imagined that his brilliant victory at the Battle of Cannae (216 BC) would not only be studied in future military academies but would also allow him to leave the Italian peninsula at his mercy, attract the southern half of the territory to his side, and sow panic among the Romans to the […]
Posted inAntiquity
The Small North African Elephants, Now Extinct, with Which Hannibal Crossed the Alps
Animals have accompanied humans in warfare practically since the domestication of dogs, serving as combat vehicles of the era, alongside chariots, horses, camels, and elephants. The latter can be considered the tanks of bygone times and are often depicted in illustrations and films, though almost always inaccurately: illustrations typically show them as enormous, the typical […]
Posted inIron Age Archaeology
Remains of a Devastating Fire from 2200 Years Ago, Set by Hannibal’s Troops En Route to the Alps, Found at a Site in Spain
Archaeologists have unearthed the charred remnants of an ancient settlement in the Pyrenees, providing a rare glimpse into a catastrophic event from over two millennia ago. This settlement, known as Tossal de Baltarga, was incinerated so swiftly and violently that the inhabitants had no chance to save their livestock or valuable belongings. The ruins of […]
Posted inAncient Rome
The Battle of Drepana, the Greatest Roman Naval Defeat in the First Punic War, was Foretold by Chickens
A while ago, we dedicated an article to the long siege that the Romans subjected Lilybaeum to, the last Carthaginian stronghold in Sicily. We then pointed out that this episode, which determined Rome’s victory in the First Punic War, was marked by a series of land and naval battles and that in one of them […]
Posted inAncient Rome
“Carthago delenda est” and “Carthago servanda est”, the phrases of Cato and Scipio in favor and against the Third Punic War
Throughout the year 147 B.C., Roman senators became accustomed to attending a duel of clichés with which two obstinate political opponents always concluded their speeches. One was Cato the Elder, a defender of the most traditional values, who systematically ended his speeches exclaiming “Carthago delenda est” (Carthage must be destroyed). The other, Publius Cornelius Scipio […]
