The Punic Wars!!!

I apologize for my absence, the past few weeks have been hectic when it came to internship and all of that...apparently the Indian FOBs are in for it when it comes to a green card rush in this season. Anywho, I have also decided that my paper topic will be on the Iliad; on the leadership qualities of Hector vs. Achilles, and stuff on Hector being a person who is a man of the people as to Achilles who is more of a warrior, in general.

Cannae...
in southern Italy, a massive Roman army set out to destroy his forces. Under the command of Lucius (this is sounding like Gladiator) Approaching the height of the Punic wars, and the disaster at Lake Trasimene, it seemed like the second set of this pussy fight would result in the embarrassing defeat of the Roman army through out. Recently elected dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus decided on a new strategy to fight the army of Hannibal on a more low key basis in order to stave off complete defeat. He opted for a more harassing tactic, where they bitch slap Hannibal's forces and then turn their tail and run. In July 216 BCE, when Hannibal captured a major Roman supply depot at CannaeAemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro, the Roman forces consisted of 16 legions. August 1st Hannibal deployed his forces in front of the Romans but they declined to fight. the next day, Romans forded the river and drew up ready to fight on the south bank ways away from where they were originally camped. This is where Carthage forces would not be able to use their cavalry. Within a moments notice of this Hannibal sent out his army across the river, shielding its movement with a screen of skirmishers. Roman infantry legions were massed in a deep, tight formation at the center of their line. Anywho keeping this in mind Hannibal had better weapons and armor...Thinking this was a infantry battle, Romans were overjoyed at their swift defeat of the Celtic and Spanish infantry that led Hannibals attack. however the first rule of combat is protect your flanks at all times...even dogs know that. Carthage Calvary remounted their horses and basically moved to the rear of the Roman lines and then proceeded to bend them over and butcher about 50,000 Romans including Paullus.

This was an important battle so I'll let it sink in for a while, next time on The Punic Wars!!! the Siege of Syracuse, the famous inventor Archimedes will die by the hands of a Roman Soldier...maybe he had already invented the bifocals...we will never know. Also Zama Scipio Africanus will now lead the Romans, and then have a brand of peanut butter named in his honor that Method Man refuses to eat...Is Method Man a citizen of Carthage? find out next time on The Punic Wars!!!