Hannibal

Always March On Rome

Quintus Curtius History, Thought , , ,

It can often be instructive, in the study of history, to play the intriguing game of “what if?”  We are inclined to believe in the inevitability of historical events, simply because things turned out as they did; yet we tend to forget that different decisions might have produced very different outcomes.  Thought experiments also help us to review those timeless principles of leadership and morals that may be applicable to our own lives.  Let us, then, review Hannibal’s decision not to march on Rome in the immediate wake of his shattering victory at Cannae in August of 216 B.C.

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Straining At A Gnat, And Swallowing A Camel

Quintus Curtius Thought , , , ,

When we focus on what is insignificant, we are likely to neglect what is most crucial.  He who fixates on the irrelevant escrescence overlooks the significance of the larger structure.  It is with good reason that this admonition is of old date:

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Betrayal Will Find Its Punishment

Quintus Curtius Thought , , , , ,

We will examine the consequences of treachery and betrayal.  Zahir Al-Umar Al-Zaydani (ظاهر العمر الزيداني) was a charismatic regional potentate who managed to carve out a fiefdom for himself in Palestine during the waning centuries of the Ottoman empire.  Born around 1690, he achieved ascendancy through the usual mix of piety, maneuvering, and ruthlessness; and by the 1730s he had acquired such power in Galilee that the Turkish authorities in Istanbul knew they needed to find a way to clip his wings.

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On Each Side Swords, And On Each Side Corpses

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

The Battle of Zama essentially concluded the Second Punic War, that terrible contest waged by Rome and Carthage for control of the western Mediterranean.  It took place in 202 B.C. near the town of Zama in what is now Tunisia.  The commanding generals were Hannibal on the Carthaginian side, and Publius Cornelius Scipio on the Roman.  The historian Livy (XXX.30) relates a fascinating exchange between these two great commanders that took place on the eve of the battle.

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On Hospitality

Quintus Curtius Thought , , , ,

In taking the measure of a man’s cultural refinement, we must examine the degree to which he is practiced in the art of hospitality.  And when I say art, I mean this in a literal sense.  Arts are not inborn; they must be studied and honed with constant use.  A culture that teaches its members how to treat guests is a confident one; it is a culture that has, to some degree at least, liberated itself from the oppressions of acquisitiveness and greed, and has embraced some aspects of the communitarian ethic.  It is also a culture that understands the value of reciprocity:  the idea that a good turn done for one today, may mean a good turn done for oneself tomorrow.

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On Making Setbacks Appear To Be Advances

Quintus Curtius History, Thought , ,

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Conflict surges back and forth.  There will be advances, and there will be reverses.  It is inevitable:  no one who is actively engaged in the games of life will be able to avoid reverses.  But then the question becomes:  how may reverses be characterized as gains?

If you believe that this is not a question worth asking, then I would disagree strongly with you.  There are times when it will be necessary to conceal the magnitude of one’s reverses, so as not to embolden the enemy.

Remember:  you will normally have very few allies.  Most people want to see you fail, so that their inaction and timidity are thereby affirmed.  We must be mindful of human nature, which in these matters resembles the proverbial crab in the bucket, clawing at every other crab, to the detriment of all.

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