"When, among other things, he asked Hannibal who he thought had been the greatest general, Hannibal replied Alexander, king of the Macedonians, because with a small number of men he had routed innumerable armies and because he had traveled to the farthest shores, visiting which lay beyond human expectations. When Scipio next asked him whom he placed second he said Pyrrhus: he was the man who had first shown how to lay out a camp, and in addition no one had shown such skill in choosing locations and stationing troops. To the further question of whom he declared third Hannibal replied himself. With a smile, Scipio said: "And what would you say if you had defeated me?" "Well, then, in that case," he replied, "I would have placed myself ahead of Alexander, Pyrrhus, and all the others.""
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Livy (Titus Livius), History of Rome, book 35. (DOI: 10.4159/DLCL.livy-history_rome_35.2018)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hannibal
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Hannibal
Hannibal (from Punic, literally "Baal is merciful to me", 247 BC – 182 BC) was a politician, statesman and military commander of ancient Carthage, famous for his victories against Roman forces and occupation of much of Italy for 15 years, until a counter-invasion of North Africa forced his return to Carthage, where he was decisively defeated at the Battle of Zama by Scipio Africanus.
12 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Hannibal →
Related Quotes
"I have come not to make war on the Italians, but to aid the Italians against Rome."
"Ah there is one thing about them more wonderful than their numbers … in all that vast number there is not one man cal…"
"nullum contemptu m[ortis incitamentum] ad uincendum homini ab dis immortalibus acrius datum est."
"Liberemus diuturna cura populum Romanum, quando mortem senis exspectare longum censent. (Latin, not original language)"
"I am not carrying on a war of extermination against the Romans. I am contending for honour and empire. My ancestors y…"
"Hannibal excelled as a tactician. No battle in history is a finer sample of tactics than Cannae. But he was yet great…"
"As to the transcendent military genius of Hannibal there cannot be two opinions. The man who for fifteen years could …"
"Of a truth the gods do not give the same man everything: you know how to gain a victory, Hannibal, but you do not kno…"
"With the examples of the Greek defeats of the Persians or the Battle of Cannae in the Punic Wars in mind, much but no…"
"Among the Carthaginians he [Hannibal] was notorious for his love of money and among the Romans for his cruelty."